Texas War for Independence
Prompt: Explain how Manifest Destiny, the ideology behind westward expansion in America, contributed to the debate over the continued existence of slavery in America. To do this you need to address the following:
1) Texas War for Independence
2) The causes of the Mexican-American War
3) Bleeding Kansas
4) The rise of abolitionism in the North
Sample Solution
Texas War for Independence
Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845, is the idea that the United States is destined – by God, its advocates believed – to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent. The philosophy drove 19th century U.S. territorial expansion and was used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans and other groups from their homes. The rapid expansion of the United States intensified the issue of slavery as new states were added to the Union, leading to the outbreak of Civil war. Cries for the “re-annexation” of Texas increased after Mexico, having won its independence from Spain, passed a law suspending U.S. immigration into Texas in 1830. Nonetheless, there were still more Anglo settlers in Texas than Hispanic ones, and in 1836, after Texas won its own independence, its new leaders sought to join the United States.
