Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny was the idea that the United States was destined and had a right to colonize all land from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This idea lead to Westward expansion, which is depicted in the picture in the background. An angel is leading us to the west, expressing the idea that destiny itself is taking us to the west. While this term was coined after the annexation of Texas, the idea had existed before 1845. The belief that North America was ours for the taking was the driving factor behind many moving and colonizing in the west.