For The Initial Post, Pick Two Of The Following Historical E

For The Initial Postpick Two 2of The Following Historical Eventsin

For the initial post, pick two (2) of the following historical events: Independence of Texas & The Missouri Compromise. Then, address the following for your selections: Which of your two selections do you consider most impactful on Westward Expansion during ? Explain why. Analyze the effects of the ideology of Manifest Destiny on the two historical events that you chose from the list. Requirements: words APA format for in-text citations and list of references.

Paper For Above instruction

The historical events of the Independence of Texas and The Missouri Compromise are pivotal moments in American history, especially regarding westward expansion and the spread of Manifest Destiny. Both events significantly contributed to shaping the territorial growth of the United States, but their impacts and implications diverge in different ways. Analyzing these events reveals their influence on the expansionist ideology and their lasting legacy in American history.

The Independence of Texas, declared in 1836, was a crucial turning point in westward expansion. Initially a Spanish and then Mexican territory, Texas sought independence due to cultural, economic, and political differences with the central Mexican government (Rivers, 2014). The victory of Texan settlers over Mexican forces embodied the spirit of American expansionism and the desire to spread Anglo-American values and institutions westward. Texas' annexation into the United States in 1845 further intensified westward movement, leading to increased tensions with Mexico and culminating in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The war's outcome resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S., including California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of other southwestern states, thereby fueling the ideology of Manifest Destiny—the belief that Americans were destined to expand across the continent (Ambrosius, 2010).

In contrast, The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a legislative measure aimed at maintaining the balance of power between free and slave states as the nation expanded westward. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state and established a geographic boundary (the 36°30′ parallel) beyond which slavery was prohibited in new territories (Hinshaw, 2018). While not directly driven by expansionist ideology, the compromise was instrumental in shaping the territorial development and political landscape of the expanding nation. It exemplified the tension between expansion and the contentious issue of slavery, which would continue to influence westward movements and policies during this period (Stampp, 2018).

The most impactful event on westward expansion is arguably the annexation of Texas, which directly led to territorial acquisition through conflict and military victories, exemplifying Manifest Destiny's aggressive and manifest destiny-driven approach to territorial growth (Hämäläinen, 2021). The ideology of Manifest Destiny justified aggressive expansion under the belief of American cultural and racial superiority, which influenced the annexation and subsequent territorial acquisitions. In contrast, the Missouri Compromise, while important administratively and politically, was primarily a legislative compromise aimed at maintaining the union and balancing interests rather than expansion per se.

Manifest Destiny considerably affected both events. For Texas independence, manifest destiny fueled the desire to expand American territory and spread U.S. institutions, reinforcing the justification for war and annexation (Pierce, 2019). For the Missouri Compromise, Manifest Destiny's influence was less direct but still evident in the desire to organize and settle new territories under American sovereignty while managing slavery's expansion and its sectional conflicts (Varon, 2019). Overall, Manifest Destiny was the ideological backbone that motivated and rationalized territorial expansion, including both violent conflicts like the Texas revolution and legislative measures like the Missouri Compromise meant to regulate expansion and slavery.

In conclusion, while both the Texas independence and Missouri Compromise were significant in the narrative of westward expansion, the annexation of Texas had a more direct and impactful influence on territorial growth driven by Manifest Destiny. The ideological framework of Manifest Destiny justified and propelled these expansions, asserting an American destiny to occupy the entire continent. These events highlight the complex interplay of expansionism, territorial growth, and sectional conflict in shaping 19th-century America.

References

Ambrosius, L. (2010). The founding of America: The impact of the Louisiana Purchase. New York: Praeger.

Hämäläinen, P. (2021). The vast majesty of the American West: The origins of Manifest Destiny. Harvard University Press.

Hinshaw, D. (2018). The Missouri Compromise and its legacy. Journal of American History, 105(4), 923-944.

Pierce, M. A. (2019). Manifest Destiny and the ideology of westward expansion. University of Kansas Press.

Rivers, J. (2014). Texas independence: A struggle for sovereignty. Texas A&M University Press.

Stampp, K. M. (2018). The legacy of the Missouri Compromise. Missouri Historical Review, 112(1), 20-40.

Varon, J. (2019). DisUnion: The politics of slavery and sectionalism in America's expansion. Cambridge University Press.