The Growth of a Young Nation
Unit 3:
Expansion & Sectionalism
Slavery, Civil War & Reconstruction
Essential Questions:
Unit 3: How did sectionalism impact
American Development?
→ Today: How did Americans justify
westward expansion?
Do Now
→ Rewrite the definitions in your own
words (keep it simple!)
Westward Expansion
Manifest Destiny term coined by John
O’Sullivan in 1839
manifest: clear or obvious
destiny: future or fate
Manifest Destiny
-term for the attitude popular among Americans during the
19th century
-idea: American expansion not only could, but was destined
to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific
-this attitude helped fuel/justify western settlement, Native
American removal and war with Mexico
Unit 3 Test
Primary Source document
→ claim
→ evidence
→ analysis
HOW? → SOAPStone
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O-Occasion: What is going on? Think timing, location or big picture theme
A-Audience: Who is this document, picture or speech aimed at?
P-Purpose: What is the goal of this document, picture or speech?
S-Subject: What is this document, picture or speech about?
Tone: Is the document, picture or speech hopeful, angry, elitist, idealist,
etc.?
Expansion
-the painting doesn’t convey a realistic representation
of actual events
-it expresses a powerful historical IDEA about the
meaning of America’s westward expansion
-passage of time (from left to right)
-transportation technologies
-Native Americans become farmers and settlers
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S:
O:
A:
P:
S:
Tone:
SOAPStone
S = Speaker:
Who is the writer, painter or person
presenting the information?
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O:
A:
P:
S:
Tone:
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O = Occasion:
What is going on? Think timing, location
or big picture theme
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O: Manifest Destiny
A:
P:
S:
Tone:
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O-Occasion: What is going on? Think timing, location or big picture theme
A = Audience:
Who is this document, picture or speech
aimed at?
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O: Manifest Destiny
A: Americans
P:
S:
Tone:
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O-Occasion: What is going on? Think timing, location or big picture theme
A-Audience: Who is this document, picture or speech aimed at?
P = Purpose:
What is the goal of this document, picture
or speech?
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O: Manifest Destiny
A: Americans
P: Justify Westward
Expansion
S:
Tone:
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O-Occasion: What is going on? Think timing, location or big picture theme
A-Audience: Who is this document, picture or speech aimed at?
P-Purpose: What is the goal of this document, picture or speech?
S = Subject: What is this document, picture or
speech about?
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O: Manifest Destiny
A: Americans
P: Justify Westward
Expansion
S: Americans are led by God
to expand
Tone:
SOAPStone
S-Speaker: Who is the writer, painter or person presenting the information?
O-Occasion: What is going on? Think timing, location or big picture theme
A-Audience: Who is this document, picture or speech aimed at?
P-Purpose: What is the goal of this document, picture or speech?
S-Subject: What is this document, picture or speech about?
Tone: Is the document, picture or speech hopeful,
angry, elitist, idealist, etc.?
Image 1: “American Progress” 1872 John Gast
S: John Gast
O: Manifest Destiny
A: Americans
P: Justify Westward
Expansion
S: Americans are led by God
to expand
Tone: Hopeful, proving they
are doing the “right thing”
Map of US in 1872
-by 1872 the US had
already expanded to
the Pacific OCean
-was painted after the
Louisiana Purchase &
War with Mexico
-So the painting is
basically celebrating
what had already
happened
Doc 2: “Manifest Destiny” and “ The Great Nation of
Futurity” 1839 John O’Sullivan
Our national birth (and the Declaration of Independence) was
the beginning of a new history, which separates us from the
past and connects us only with the future.
We are the nation of progress, of individual freedom, of
universal enfranchisement [right to vote]. Our future history will
be to establish on earth the moral dignity and salvation of man
-- the undeniable truth and goodness of God. America has
been chosen for this mission among all the nations of the
world, which are shut out from the life-giving light of truth. Her
high example shall put an end to the tyranny [cruel and
oppressive gov’t] of kings, and carry the happy news of peace
and good will to millions who now endure an existence hardly
better than that of beasts of the field. Who, then, can doubt
that our country is destined to be the great nation of the future.
S:
O:
A:
P:
S:
Tone:
Doc 2: “Manifest Destiny” and “ The Great Nation of
Futurity” 1839 John O’Sullivan
Our national birth (and the Declaration of Independence) was the
beginning of a new history, which separates us from the past and
connects us only with the future.
We are the nation of progress, of individual freedom, of universal
enfranchisement [right to vote]. Our future history will be to
establish on earth the moral dignity and salvation of man -- the
undeniable truth and goodness of God. America has been
chosen for this mission among all the nations of the world, which
are shut out from the life-giving light of truth. Her high example
shall put an end to the tyranny [cruel and oppressive gov’t] of
kings, and carry the happy news of peace and good will to
millions who now endure an existence hardly better than that of
beasts of the field. Who, then, can doubt that our country is
destined to be the great nation of the future
S: speaker
O: occasion
A: audience
P: purpose
S: subject
Tone
Doc 2: “Annexation” 1845 John O’Sullivan
It is time now for all opposition to annexation of Texas to
stop…
S:
O:
A:
P:
S:
Tone:
Homework
Finish Doc 3 SOAPStone if
not done in class
Discussion:
Why did Americans think they were so special?
→ This theory that Americans are special is called “American
Exceptionalism.” The idea that America has had such a unique
history and has become so powerful that there’s something
special about it.
What do you think about this theory?