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ours. she is no longer to us a mere geographical space. she is no longer to us a mere country on the map....
the time has come for everyone to stop treating texas as an alien, and to stop thwarting our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.
john osullivan, \the great nation of futurity,\ 1839.
- what does john osullivan think america stands for?
- what, according to john osullivan, is americas mission?
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john osullivan, \annexation,\ july 1845.
- what do you think john osullivan means by \our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions\?
- based on these two documents, how did americans feel about expanding westward?
Question 1 (from "The Great Nation of Futurity", 1839): What does John O'Sullivan think America stands for?
From the excerpt, America is not just a geographical space or a country on the map. The context of "manifest destiny" (even though the term is more associated with his later 1845 work, the 1839 text hints at a special role) suggests America stands for a nation with a unique purpose, likely related to freedom and development, as it has a "manifest destiny" for the free development of its multiplying millions. It represents a nation with a divine - ordained (by Providence) role of growth and spreading its ideals, being a great nation of futurity with a special mission.
The text says America has a "manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions". So America's mission is to fulfill this manifest destiny, which means overspreading the continent (likely North America) that Providence has allotted for the free development of its growing population (yearly multiplying millions). This implies spreading the American way of life, freedom, and its system to the continent for the growth and development of its people.
"Manifest destiny" here is the idea that it is America's obvious (manifest) and divinely - willed (by Providence) fate (destiny) to expand across the North American continent. The "continent allotted by Providence" suggests that God has given this continent to America. "For the free development of our yearly multiplying millions" means that this expansion is to provide space for the growing American population to develop freely, both in terms of settlement, economic growth, and the spread of American values like freedom. So it is the belief that America is destined by God to expand across the continent to allow its growing people to develop freely.
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John O'Sullivan thinks America stands for a great nation of futurity with a special, divinely - ordained (by Providence) role. It is not just a geographical space or a country on the map but has a mission of free development for its multiplying millions, and it is destined to grow and spread its ideals, with a unique purpose in the world.