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 the Civil War.
Manifest Destiny greatly impacted the country, it was the push behind America's expeditious expansion into the West. Some examples of it's impact on the country are that it helped fuel western settlement, and pushed many Native American out of America. While manifest destiny united many Americans with a shared belief that God had a grand mission for them, it also divided them. As the United States acquired more territory during the first part of the nineteenth century, the issue of slavery and where it would be permitted began to divide the country.
Boundaries are created through natural geography, geometry, and conflict. Geographic boundaries include mountain ranges and rivers. For example, the Pyrenees Mountain Range forms a natural border between France and Spain.
