Manifest Destiny and American Expansion West

INTRODUCTION
Since the first settlements of Englishmen in the American colonies, Americans have believed in American exceptionalism. This belief centers on the idea that America is special and unique, and that America was destined to be great. Many Americans today still hold to this ideal, and throughout our collective history America (and Americans) have justified and explained their actions through this notion of destined greatness. For this paper, you will be exploring one period of American history and examining how the idea of American exceptionalism shaped the way Americans viewed their territorial expansion during the 19th century (1800s). John O’Sullivan, a newspaper editor, is assumed to have coined the phrase, Manifest Destiny, to describe this combination of expansion westward and ideas of exceptionalism.

TERM PAPER INSTRUCTIONS – PROMPT
The term paper outlined fully below asks you to:
1) explain American expansion in terms of Manifest Destiny, then
2) analyze the impact of American expansion and Manifest Destiny on various peoples who experienced it

OUTLINE, GUIDELINES AND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

The following outline explains how to structure your paper and provides detailed guidelines for each section
of the paper. PLEASE NOTE, however, that you must follow the directions above as well in terms of number
of sources and so forth!
I. Introduction (one paragraph)
In the introduction you will do the following in the order listed:
1. Explain what this paper is about by providing general historical context and definitions of Manifest
Destiny.
2. Provide a brief discussion of the themes of the course and how they fit, in general, into our
discussion of Manifest Destiny.
3. Provide a thesis statement.
Your thesis statement should focus on how Manifest Destiny and expansion reflects the struggles
America had as it grappled with its ideals, its attitude towards ‘the other’ and its economic
expansion (our themes). This is your position statement.
Your thesis might be more than one sentence. DO NOT underline your thesis statement.
II. Body of Essay (4-6 paragraphs):
A. Manifest Destiny and Exceptionalism (2-3 paragraphs)
In this section, using at least two primary sources, discuss the ways that exceptionalism impacted the
development and process of expansion westward. How did early ideas about America’s special role in the world shape American attitudes and beliefs?
You must use a least two documents in this section in order to earn a “C”. If you want more than a “C” on your paper, you should use at least one more document or use one of the optional sources: Greenberg’s introductory essay, the textbook, and lecture notes.
B. Manifest Destiny and Pluralism (1-3 paragraphs)
In this section, using at least two primary sources, discuss the ways that expansion brought struggles
between settlers and others living in the regions Americans moved into.
You must use a least two documents in this section in order to earn a “C”. If you want more than a “C” on your paper, you should use at least one more document or use one of the optional sources: Greenberg’s introductory essay, the textbook, and lecture notes.
C. Manifest Destiny and Economic Development (1-3 paragraphs)
In this section, using at least two primary source documents, discuss how expansion and economic
development were linked and the consequences of this link.
You must use a least two documents in this section in order to earn a “C”. If you want more than a “C” on your paper, you should use at least one more document or use one of the optional sources: Greenberg’s introductory essay, the textbook, and lecture notes.
III. Conclusion (one paragraph)
In the conclusion you should restate your thesis in a thoughtful fashion and offer some discussion of these themes and how they played out in American expansion in the 19th century. Then make some
connections between past and present by examining at least one aspect of expansion in the context of
today.

PAPER FORMAT (Note: you will be marked down up to 10% for failure to follow instructions here)
• 5-7 pages in length, typed at standard 11-12 point font, black ink, double-spaced.
• Name, date, class name/day/time in upper right hand corner, single spaced.
• A title centered just below name/date, etc.
• All quotes and paraphrasing of documents must be cited correctly.
• See the Citation Format Guidelines for citation of paraphrases and direct quotations (located in the
Term Paper module in Canvas – we are using Chicago Manual of Style- modified)