Manifest Destiny

The belief that something is bound to happen is manifest destiny. Westward expansion by the United States was said to be manifest destiny at the time. The country worked to fulfill its destiny and acquire new land four different ways. Those ways were unforced annexation, diplomatic negotiation, purchase, and war or forced annexation. When it came to unforced annexation, Texas is the prime example. Texas became an independent nation after it succeeded from Mexico partly because the Mexican government outlawed slavery. It wanted to become part of the United States and asked to be annexed, this was an example of unforced annexation because no violence or force was to acquire the new lands. The lands later became all of present day Texas, and parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The Oregon Territory was acquired through diplomatic negotiations. The United States made agreements with the British and suggested that the land be spit up evenly, creating