Often associated with the expansionism of the US from coast to coast, the concept of manifest destiny dates back as far as the Ancient Egyptians or, further. Its idea is that a certain population has a God-given right to certain things, such as land, and the reason of this right’s existence is the fact where one culture is superior in some way to another. For the colonists of the US, they viewed themselves as superior to the native populations. While there are some advantages that come with manifest destiny, there are also some disadvantages. Let us take a look at these opposing ideas.
List of Pros of Manifest Destiny
1. It allows a country to expand its territory.
For the US, the land associated with it expanded its size by over 60% because of manifest destiny. This allowed more immigrants to the country and allowed people to find a new life for themselves. This would have not been possible without the extra land space.
2. It gives population groups the opportunity to experience freedom.
The goal of manifest destiny was to give the American sense of freedom to everybody. For example, during the Colonial Age, minority groups could establish colonies outside of their home communities in order to escape the confines of political issues, persecution and poverty or to worship their gods more freely.
3. It gives people the chance to explore.
Manifest destiny ultimately allows people to explore their surrounding environments comfortably. Instead of just resting on their own places and being satisfied with a mediocre life, people will be inspired to actually pursue their dreams away and start a nice life for themselves.
List of Cons of Manifest Destiny
1. It creates discord within a certain population.
It does not feel nice to see things taken from us. The fact where people use God in manifest destiny as an excuse to take things makes the concept even less palatable. This act ultimately creates negative impressions within the affected population, which can even lead to war, terrorism and casualties.
2. It favors solely on the more powerful taker.
The idea that God supports the seizing of land is not something that would not be supported if roles were reversed. Imagine a smaller nation starting a war with a bigger and more powerful one? It would be very difficult or even impossible, right? Because it cannot be implemented in reverse, the concept is often seen by critics as negative.
3. It manipulates religion for personal gain.
Using God to justify piety, arrogance and an overall lack of love means that religion is just being manipulated to serve personal interests. Though at the very core of the individuals who are taking action using manifest destiny is a feeling that they are morally wrong, they would just convince themselves that God would justify their actions to settle the moral argument.
Actually, manifest destiny helped to create the world as we see it today. For the US, it allowed the creation of a coast-to-coast country that has managed to become one of the world’s wealthiest. Was it all worth it? By weighing its pros and cons, you can decide about it properly on your own.