Manifest Destiny

1. Manifest Destiny • Manifest destiny was the belief held by Democrats in the United States in the 19th century that American settlers were destined to expand across the continent. • This concept, born out of "A sense of mission to redeem the Old World by high example ... generated by the potentialities of a new earth for building a new heaven". • The phrase itself meant many different things to many different people. The unity of the definitions ended at "expansion, prearranged by Heaven". • The United States had just ended the Civil War (1861 – 1865) • There was a need to unify the country • “Manifest Destiny” gave Americans a reason to unify and believe it was the greatest country in the world….God given • With the use of this ‘old mentality’; private investment; government policies; increased immigration (source of labour) – the United States would go through its greatest period of growth in her history

2. In Summary • Carnegie and Rockefeller differed in their approach to business: Carnegie favored competition and charity; Rockefeller favored monopoly and rugged individualism • The oil, steel, and railroad industries helped each other grow and depended on each other for success • In less than 30 years, the U.S. became the leading manufacturer, transporter, and richest country in the “civilized” world