Friday, February 22, 2013

     “Extending the land of freedom” spoke Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States,  about the Manifest Destiny. For many people in the nineteenth century it felt good to move west to find new land. They wanted a new start and a fresh beginning. When The Louisiana Purchase was made people packed their bags, hopped on a train, and left.  Many Americans felt that god had blessed them on the expansion of the American nation. Anyone who did not agree with god and christianity needed to be changed.  In the eyes of the settlers Native Americans were demons that had no grace and culture. They thought by christianizing tribes that they could help their souls. The Native Americans did not want to be a part of it for a second.

   Today there are many opinions if the ends did justify the means.

  The United States offered a proposal to move a Native American tribe more westward but after declining they were forced out or killed because the Americans wanted the land and to expand further west.  Pushing Native Americans off their land or slaughtering them for the expansion of The United States was completely unreasonable. The U.S had no right to take over because it was the Native Americans land first and that was their only home, they didn't like the idea of moving west as much as the settlers did. What we have today was not worth killing so many people, there could have been another way of doing things. Yes, today there are Reservations but it is nowhere near the land that they once had.

     On the other hand, The United States is one of the most developed and wealthiest countries in the world. If we had let the Native Americans stay in their land then the U.S might be a third world country today.  Our land would be smaller, groundbreaking inventions would not have been made. If this country is so important that a pregnant tourist will visit our country just so they can give birth to an American citizen then there is nothing that should have been done differently. The American visa is one of the most valuable and cherished items from the eyes of an immigrant. People risk their lives every day just to cross the border and to live here.

      In the heart of the Manifest destiny was a belief of cultural and racial superiority. The Native Americans had been a trouble to the settlers and trying to “civilize” them was not working. Americans also saw the Hispanics from Texas to be not proper, which led to the annexation of Texas and taking of Oregon and California. If the ends did justify the means then there were sacrifices that were made in order to put us here today.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_destiny

www.ushistory.org/us/29.asp

15 comments:

  1. Rowan, I really enjoyed the way you showed how the Americans felt about the native Americans. Then, the way you wrote about how different our country would if we had let the native Americans keep their land really put it into perspective. This post really shows the reader your point of view, and persuades the reader to think your way. Great job on this post!

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  2. Thanks kyle,
    Im glad you liked it. I really tryed to give my own opinion.
    Rowan :0

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  3. Dear Rowan Hoffman,
    I really thought that you went into depth. Its is just like kyle said your opinion. That is hard because there are good arguments for both sides. The native americans got there own land taken away that is not right.

    Isaac

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  4. Dear Rowan Hoffman.
    I liked how you opened your essay with a quote. That was a great way to start the essay. I also like how you showed both sides of the argument but still kept the reader persuaded into your thinking. I enjoy how you interpreted your ideas of what america would have been if they wouldn't have moved west. Very nice post.

    Victor

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  5. Hi Rowan!
    I really enjoyed your blog! It was very in interesting and mixed both modern and historical times which makes your writing very rounded with lots of depth! I really liked how you showed both perspectives in your writing and how you used the 'the end justify the means' method, but showed both sides of the argument this time. What inspired you to write this post? I really liked your blog!
    Tara

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  6. Row-
    Your post is amazing! First of all, the depth and description in the post is great and I like how you added your own opinion. You really showed what the relations were well, but didn't rant and kept it to the point. The pictures were a great addition to the post because they were exactly what you were saying. The ending paragraph really tied up your blog and was a great summary. Overall, nice job. :)
    Leslie

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  7. ROWAN,
    I really like how you made it short but you really got into depth and really got to the point. I also like the picture you added from class I feel like that picture really ties the whole thing together in a way. I think you gave a good understanding of the topic for every one who read. Well done rowan.

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  8. Rowan,
    I like how you put in both sides of the argument because then you can ask yourself if the ends do justify the means. I also like how you started your post with a quote because even though it was five words, it really showed what the purpose of Manifest Destiny was all about. I thought it was kind of random how you spoke about a pregnant tourist, but all around it was a very good post that informed me of what America could of been. Thank you,


    Piper

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  9. Rowan,
    I like how you talked about the things that were good about manifest destiny, and the things that were very wrong. I also like how you talked about how Christianity affected manifest destiny. Overall, this blog is really great!
    Nathaniel

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  10. great job Rowan, I think this blog was extremely interesting. It really shows how certain people justify things to themselves and how this applied to the inhumane actions of the Americans that unmercifully drove out and killed people who had just as much of a right.
    Thanks for writing this excellent blog
    -Freddie

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  11. ROWAN,
    YOUR BLOG WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE. I THINK IT WAS COOL HOW YOU TALK ABOUT HOW IT WAS GOOD AND BAD. YOU GAVE GOOD REASONS FOR BOTH SIDES! YOU HAD GOOD EXAMPLES AND GOOD DETAIL. NICE WORK.
    CAROLYN
    :)

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  12. Rowan,
    I liked how you made us think what it would be like if we hadn't moved, I've never thought that America could be a third world country, its a weird but cool thought. I also liked how you put both sides f the argument into it.
    -Miriam

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  13. Rowan,
    I enjoyed reading your post. I liked the quote that you started your blog with. I also like how you based your blog on something that we talked about in class. I also like how you used the ends justified the means. Did you choose this topic before or after we talked about we talked about manifest destiny? My favorite line is when you say that the reservations are not like the land that the Native Americans used to have.
    -Isabel

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  14. I really like the pictures, but you kinda forgot a title... But once your read the post you forget... Great job Rowan!!!!!!!!!

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  15. Rowan,
    Good job! The pictures were really good and your information was great. I think you could of added more about what the people in that time thought as opposed to you, but overall, good job!

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