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Manifest Destiny: America's Story?

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Lesson Plan

Manifest Destiny: America's Story?

Students will be able to define Manifest Destiny, identify its key motivations and impacts, and analyze primary sources to understand different perspectives on westward expansion during the 19th century.

Understanding Manifest Destiny is essential for grasping the foundational narrative of American expansion, its economic and social drivers, and the profound, often challenging, consequences it had on Native American populations, Mexican citizens, and the environment. This lesson encourages critical thinking about historical narratives and their ongoing relevance.

Audience

10th Grade

Time

90 minutes

Approach

Through guided discussion, primary source analysis, and a culminating debate, students will explore Manifest Destiny.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Markers or Pens, Handouts of Primary Source Readings, Manifest Destiny Worksheet, and Slide Deck: Manifest Destiny Explained

Prep

Teacher Preparation

30 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Mapping Our Minds

10 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Slide Deck: Manifest Destiny Explained with a compelling image related to westward expansion (e.g., 'American Progress' painting).
    - Ask students: "What do you see happening in this image? What story does it tell?"
    - Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion, encouraging initial observations and interpretations.

Step 2

Introduction to Manifest Destiny

20 minutes

  • Use slides 2-5 of the Slide Deck: Manifest Destiny Explained to introduce the term 'Manifest Destiny,' its origins, and key motivations (economic, religious, political).
    - Define key vocabulary: 'Manifest Destiny,' 'expansionism,' 'providence,' 'annexation.'
    - Engage students with questions like: "What does 'destiny' mean to you? How might a nation believe it has a 'manifest destiny'?"

Step 3

Exploring Diverse Perspectives: Primary Source Analysis

30 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students).
    - Distribute copies of the Primary Source Readings. Explain that each group will analyze one or two different perspectives on westward expansion (e.g., a proponent of Manifest Destiny, a Native American perspective, a Mexican perspective, an abolitionist critique).
    - Students should read their assigned source(s) and complete the corresponding sections of the Manifest Destiny Worksheet, focusing on: identifying the author's main argument, understanding their motivations, and recognizing the impacts of westward expansion from their viewpoint.
    - Circulate among groups to provide support and clarification.

Step 4

Group Share & Discussion

15 minutes

  • Bring the class back together. Have each group briefly share the key takeaways from their primary source analysis.
    - Facilitate a whole-class discussion using the Manifest Destiny Discussion Questions to compare and contrast the different perspectives presented in the sources. Focus on: "How did different groups experience or interpret Manifest Destiny? What were the benefits and drawbacks of this ideology?"

Step 5

Cool-Down: Reflect and Connect

15 minutes

  • Display the final slide of the Slide Deck: Manifest Destiny Explained with a concluding thought or image.
    - Ask students to respond to the prompt: "Reflecting on today's lesson, how does understanding Manifest Destiny help us understand both historical and contemporary issues in the United States?" (Students can write a short response on the back of their worksheet or share verbally).
    - Collect Manifest Destiny Worksheets.
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Slide Deck

Manifest Destiny: What Story Does This Tell?

Look closely at the image. What do you notice?
What message do you think the artist is trying to convey?
What emotions or ideas does this image evoke?

Greet students. Display this slide. Ask students to observe the image and share what they see. Encourage a wide range of observations and interpretations, focusing on the actions and symbolism within the artwork. This is the warm-up for the lesson. Allow students to guess the period of history or themes represented.

What is Manifest Destiny?

  • Manifest: Clear, obvious, undeniable
    - Destiny: Events that will happen in the future
    - Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.
    - Coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan in 1845.

Introduce the term 'Manifest Destiny.' Explain its origin with John L. O'Sullivan. Emphasize that it was a widely held belief, not a formal policy. Connect it to the idea of American exceptionalism and a perceived divine right to expand across North America.

Motivations for Expansion

  • Economic: Desire for land, resources (gold, fertile soil), and new trade routes to the Pacific.
    - Political: Extending American democracy and institutions, reducing foreign influence in North America.
    - Social/Cultural: Spreading American values, Protestant Christianity, and perceived Anglo-Saxon racial superiority.
    - Strategic: Securing borders and access to ports.

Discuss the various motivations behind Manifest Destiny. Encourage students to think about how these motivations might intertwine. Ask students: 'Which of these motivations do you think was the strongest, and why?'

Key Acquisitions and Conflicts

  • Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled the size of the US.
    - Annexation of Texas (1845): Sparked tensions with Mexico.
    - Oregon Treaty (1846): Settled boundary dispute with Great Britain.
    - Mexican-American War (1846-1848): Gained vast territories (California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming).
    - Gadsden Purchase (1853): Completed the continental US expansion.

Explain the major territorial acquisitions, linking them back to the concept of Manifest Destiny. Briefly mention key events like the Louisiana Purchase (a precursor), annexation of Texas, Oregon Treaty, Mexican-American War, and Gadsden Purchase.

Impacts and Consequences

  • Native American Displacement: Forced removal, broken treaties, loss of land and culture, violence (e.g., Trail of Tears).
    - Mexican Land Loss: Loss of territory and citizenship for many Mexicans in newly acquired lands.
    - Increased Sectionalism: Debates over whether new territories would be free or slave states intensified.
    - Environmental Impact: Rapid exploitation of natural resources.

Address the negative consequences and the human cost of Manifest Destiny. This is crucial for a balanced understanding. Highlight the impact on Native American populations (forced removal, treaties, violence) and Mexican citizens (land loss, cultural subjugation). Discuss environmental impact.

Manifest Destiny: A Complex Legacy

Manifest Destiny was a powerful force that shaped the geographic and ideological landscape of the United States.
It represents a period of immense growth and expansion, but also one of significant conflict, displacement, and injustice.
Its legacy continues to influence discussions about American identity, expansion, and its role in the world.

Concluding slide for the lesson. Reiterate the complexity of Manifest Destiny and its dual legacy. Prompt students to reflect on the lasting effects and to consider how historical ideas continue to shape modern society. This slide sets up the cool-down activity.

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Reading

Primary Source Readings: Manifest Destiny Perspectives

Source 1: John O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny (1845)

From "Annexation" by John O'Sullivan, United States Magazine and Democratic Review (1845).

"It is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us. It is a right such as that of the tree to the space of air and earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth... The American people have the right to the continent... for the purposes of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us."

Key Takeaways:






Author's Motivation/Perspective:






Impacts/Consequences (from this perspective):






Source 2: Lakota Chief Sitting Bull on Land Rights (1870s - adapted)

Adapted from various statements and speeches by Sitting Bull.

"What treaty that the whites have kept has been kept with us? Not one. When I was a boy the Sioux owned the world; the sun rose and set in their lands. They sent 10,000 men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who has killed them? Where are our lands? Who owns them? What white man can say I never stole his land or a penny of his money? Yet, I am called a thief. The white man will not be satisfied until our race is exterminated."

Key Takeaways:






Author's Motivation/Perspective:






Impacts/Consequences (from this perspective):






Source 3: Mexican Perspective on the Mexican-American War (1848 - adapted)

Adapted from various Mexican historical accounts and diplomatic correspondence.

"The American invasion of our territory, under the pretext of defending Texas, was nothing more than an act of aggression to seize our lands. They speak of liberty and destiny, but their actions are driven by greed for our fertile lands and rich resources. The loss of our northern territories is a profound wound, a clear violation of international law, and a betrayal of justice."

Key Takeaways:






Author's Motivation/Perspective:






Impacts/Consequences (from this perspective):






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Worksheet

Manifest Destiny Worksheet: Analyzing Perspectives

Instructions: Read the provided Primary Source Readings carefully. For each source, answer the questions below, using textual evidence to support your responses.

Source 1: John O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny (1845)

  1. What is John O'Sullivan's main argument regarding American expansion?






  2. What motivations does O'Sullivan express for westward expansion (e.g., economic, political, religious, social)?






  3. Based on this source, what are the perceived benefits or positive impacts of Manifest Destiny?






Source 2: Lakota Chief Sitting Bull on Land Rights (1870s - adapted)

  1. What is Sitting Bull's main message or critique regarding the actions of the white settlers and the U.S. government?






  2. What is Sitting Bull's perspective on treaties and land ownership?






  3. What are the negative impacts or consequences of westward expansion highlighted by Sitting Bull?






Source 3: Mexican Perspective on the Mexican-American War (1848 - adapted)

  1. How does the Mexican perspective described in this source view the American invasion and territorial gains?






  2. What motivations does this source attribute to American actions?






  3. What are the consequences of Manifest Destiny from this Mexican viewpoint?






Connecting the Sources

  1. In what ways do the perspectives of John O'Sullivan, Sitting Bull, and the Mexican account differ?











  2. How do these different viewpoints challenge or complicate a single narrative of American expansion?











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Discussion

Manifest Destiny Discussion Questions

Instructions: After analyzing your primary sources, participate in a whole-class discussion using these questions as a guide. Be prepared to share your group's findings and listen to the perspectives of others.

  1. What was the prevailing idea of Manifest Destiny, and how did John O'Sullivan articulate it?



  2. How did the concept of Manifest Destiny justify the expansion of the United States?



  3. Based on the primary sources, how did Native American leaders like Sitting Bull experience and interpret westward expansion? What specific grievances did they express?



  4. From a Mexican perspective, how were the actions of the United States perceived during the period of Manifest Destiny, particularly regarding the Mexican-American War?



  5. What were some of the significant positive and negative impacts of Manifest Destiny on different groups of people and the nation as a whole?



  6. How does understanding these diverse perspectives change your view of American history and the idea of

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Manifest Destiny: America's Story? • Lenny Learning