Manifest Destiny
Aligned to C3.D2.Geo.1 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Manifest Destiny was the widespread belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America to the Pacific Ocean. This drive fueled westward migration and war with Mexico, but it displaced Native nations and Mexican residents already living on the land.
Worked example
After the U.S.-Mexican War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred more than 500,000 square miles — including California and the Southwest — to the United States. Just months later, the discovery of gold sparked the California Gold Rush.
Practice questions
- Define Manifest Destiny.
- Explain what land the United States gained through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
- Analyze how Manifest Destiny benefited some groups while harming Native nations and Mexican residents.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
El Destino Manifiesto
El Destino Manifiesto era la creencia generalizada de que Estados Unidos estaba destinado a expandirse por Norteamérica hasta el océano Pacífico. Este impulso alimentó la migración hacia el oeste y la guerra con México, pero desplazó a las naciones indígenas y a los residentes mexicanos que ya vivían en esas tierras.
Ejemplo: Tras la Guerra Mexicano-Estadounidense, el Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo de 1848 transfirió más de 500,000 millas cuadradas —incluidas California y el Suroeste— a Estados Unidos. Pocos meses después, el descubrimiento de oro provocó la Fiebre del Oro de California.
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