Sound Smart: Manifest Destiny | History
Summary
TLDRHistorian Matthew Pinsker explains that 'Manifest Destiny', often associated with 19th-century U.S. expansionism, was not an official policy but a slogan coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan in 1845. Initially controversial, it was more ridiculed than embraced, with critics viewing it as a pretext for slavery's spread. Advocates sought to expand U.S. influence across the continent. The phrase faded until the 1890s when it re-emerged during America's push for global power, notably during the Spanish-American War. Ironically, O'Sullivan, who had fallen into obscurity, wasn't recognized for his contribution until much later.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The term 'Manifest Destiny' is often associated with the 19th-century belief in America's divine right to expand its territory.
- 🗣️ The phrase 'Manifest Destiny' was coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan in 1845, not by politicians, and was initially controversial.
- 🤔 The concept was used to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory, and was seen by critics as a justification for the spread of slavery.
- 🗳️ Many Northerners opposed Manifest Destiny, viewing it as a cover for the expansion of slavery, while others saw it as a failure to achieve full continental expansion.
- 🌍 Advocates of Manifest Destiny envisioned a much larger American Republic, including all of Mexico and Canada.
- 📉 The phrase fell out of political use until the 1890s when it was revived to support America's emergence as a global power.
- 🔄 The term was used to justify expansion into the Caribbean and the Pacific, particularly during the Spanish-American War.
- 😔 The irony is that by the time Manifest Destiny became popular in the 1890s, its originator, John L. O'Sullivan, had died and was largely forgotten.
- 📚 It took historians decades to rediscover O'Sullivan's role in creating the phrase, highlighting the contested and controversial nature of Manifest Destiny.
- 👥 The script also briefly touches on the rise of the Red Guards in China, which were used to suppress political dissent during Mao's era.
Q & A
What is Manifest Destiny?
-Manifest Destiny is a term that encapsulates the belief in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, often seen as a divinely sanctioned mission.
Who coined the term 'Manifest Destiny'?
-The term 'Manifest Destiny' was coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan in 1845.
In what context did John L. O'Sullivan first use the term 'Manifest Destiny'?
-John L. O'Sullivan first used the term 'Manifest Destiny' in the context of writing editorials about the annexation of Texas and the boundary dispute with Britain over the Oregon Territory.
How was the term 'Manifest Destiny' initially received?
-The term 'Manifest Destiny' was initially controversial and was used more by critics than supporters, often as a way to ridicule expansionism.
What did some Northerners believe 'Manifest Destiny' was a code for?
-Some Northerners believed that 'Manifest Destiny' was a code for spreading slavery.
What were the aspirations of Manifest Destiny advocates?
-Manifest Destiny advocates aspired for the United States to expand its territory to include all of Mexico, Canada, and the entire North American continent.
When did the term 'Manifest Destiny' re-emerge in American political discourse?
-The term 'Manifest Destiny' re-emerged in the 1890s as part of the drive to make the United States a global power, particularly during the era of the Spanish-American War.
Why did the term 'Manifest Destiny' become popular again in the 1890s?
-The term 'Manifest Destiny' became popular again in the 1890s due to discussions about expanding into the Caribbean or the Pacific, as part of the United States' ambition to become a global power.
What happened to John L. O'Sullivan after he coined the term 'Manifest Destiny'?
-John L. O'Sullivan fell into obscurity and died in 1895. His obituaries did not mention his role as the author of the phrase 'Manifest Destiny'.
Why is Manifest Destiny still controversial today?
-Manifest Destiny remains controversial today because it was a contested policy from its beginning, often associated with the expansion of slavery and the forced displacement of Native American populations.
What is the connection between Manifest Destiny and the red guards mentioned in the script?
-There is no direct connection mentioned in the script between Manifest Destiny and the red guards. The red guards are mentioned in a separate context, referring to a different historical period and location, indicating a shift in the discussion.
Outlines
🌐 Manifest Destiny: Origins and Controversies
Matthew Pinsker, a historian, explains that Manifest Destiny was not an official policy but a slogan coined by journalist John L. Sullivan in 1845. It was used to promote the idea of America's divine right to expand territorially, particularly in the context of the annexation of Texas and the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain. Contrary to popular belief, the phrase was controversial from the start, with critics using it to mock expansionist policies. Many Northerners saw it as a pretext for spreading slavery. Despite the ambitions of some advocates who wanted to expand the United States to include all of Mexico and Canada, the phrase fell out of favor until the 1890s. It was then resurrected to justify America's push towards becoming a global power, notably during the Spanish-American War. Ironically, by the time Manifest Destiny gained popularity again, Sullivan had passed away in obscurity, with his role in coining the phrase going largely unrecognized until historians rediscovered it.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Manifest Destiny
💡Territorial Expansion
💡John L. O'Sullivan
💡Controversial
💡Northerners
💡Slavery
💡Red Guards
💡Mao and the Communist Party
💡Spanish-American War
💡Global Power
Highlights
Manifest Destiny is often misunderstood as an official policy of territorial expansion.
The concept suggests that America was divinely ordained to expand.
The term 'Manifest Destiny' was coined by journalist John L. Sullivan in 1845.
Sullivan used the phrase in editorials about the annexation of Texas and Oregon Territory disputes.
The phrase was initially controversial and used more by critics than supporters.
Northerners saw 'Manifest Destiny' as a guise for the spread of slavery.
Advocates of Manifest Destiny desired the entire North American continent for the U.S.
The phrase fell out of political use until the 1890s.
In the 1890s, Manifest Destiny was revived during the push for U.S. global power.
The Spanish-American War era saw a resurgence in the popularity of Manifest Destiny.
Ironically, John L. Sullivan, the originator of the phrase, died in obscurity in 1895.
Sullivan's role in coining the phrase was not recognized in his obituaries.
Historians had to recover Sullivan's role and the contested nature of Manifest Destiny.
Manifest Destiny remains a controversial concept to this day.
Young people formed 'Red Guards', organizations that terrorized political enemies.
The Red Guards were used to publicly humiliate, assault, and murder political opponents.
Transcripts
hi my name is Matthew pinsker and I'm a
historian here are a few things you need
to know to sound smart about Manifest
Destiny people think of it as the
official policy of territorial expansion
the idea that God had blessed America to
become an ocean-bound Republic in the
19th century but the truth is Presidents
and secretaries of State they didn't use
the phrase Manifest Destiny it was the
slogan of a journalist named John L
Sullivan who invented it in 1845 when he
was writing editorials about the
annexation of Texas and about the
boundary dispute with Britain Over The
Oregon Territory he said it was blessed
by Providence it was the Manifest
Destiny of the country to become this
Continental power it immediately became
controversial at the time the phrase
itself was used more by critics than
supporters as a way to ridicule
expansionism wigs and others opposed it
a lot of Northerners thought it was code
for spreading slavery in fact a lot of
manifest destiny Advocates people who
believed in territorial expansion they
felt like they had failed they didn't
think the country was spreading widely
enough they wanted all of Mexico they
wanted Canada they wanted the entire
continent to be part of the American
Republic the phrase actually kind of
disappeared from American political life
until the 1890s when it was reborn as
part of the drive to make the United
States a global power some people began
to talk about expanding into the
Caribbean or the Pacific this is the era
of the Spanish American war and that's
when Manifest Destiny became ever more
popular But the irony is by that point
John L O Sullivan he had died in 1895
and when he died his obituaries didn't
even mention the fact that he was the
author of the phrase he had sort of
struggled and Fallen Into Obscurity by
that point it took decades for
historians to recover his role and it's
taken a lot of time for people to
realize that the policy of manifest
destiny was really a contested one that
was controversial at its beginning and
remains controversial
today young people in large numbers came
out and joined what became known as the
red guards these largely terroristic
organizations were used to publicly
humiliate assault and in some cases even
murder political enemies of Mao and the
Communist Party
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