Manifest Destiny

American Progress by John Gast, 1872

Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny= Widely held 19 th Century belief that America was destine (fated) to stretch from “sea to shining sea”

In your notes, answer… Why would you desire to move westward if you were a 19 th century American leaving on the East coast?

What factors influenced American westward movement? Economic opportunity Economic opportunity –Such as??? Transportation Transportation –Advent of the railroad –Construction of canals Industrialization in the East= crowded cities Industrialization in the East= crowded cities Increase in cotton (and other crops) production Increase in cotton (and other crops) production

The Cotton Gin Eli Whitney Eli Whitney Made it far easier to pick the seeds of cotton Made it far easier to pick the seeds of cotton So what happens when it’s easy to prepare cotton for manufacturing? So what happens when it’s easy to prepare cotton for manufacturing?

The Cotton Gin Invention of the cotton gin means Americans need MORE LAND on which to plant and harvest the crop Invention of the cotton gin means Americans need MORE LAND on which to plant and harvest the crop More land and more production means the need for more what?? More land and more production means the need for more what??