3 Primary Sources
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This link is a painting by John Gast, entitled American Progress. The painting embodies the idea of Manifest Destiny. It shows settlers heading west, by foot, horse, wagon, stagecoach, and by train. In the picture there are also buffalo and Indians all running west from the settlers. The right side of the image has telegraph wires, train tracks, houses, ships, rolling hills, and is bright, the left side is darker, with clouds, wild animals, and jagged mountains. The people on the west side are less advanced, portraying that the people on the east are bringing advancements with them to the west. Dominating the image is a giant female, resembling an angel and therefore showing that westward expansion is their god given duty the embodiment of Manifest Destiny you could say, leading and protecting the people heading west. illuminating the way as she goes. She has a book in one hand, and in the other she's holding the telegraph wire, which could portray that she's bringing the technology west with her. There are many specific things in the painting that together, in a way, tell the dynamic story of Manifest Destiny.
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The link of the left is a piece of literature written by John L. O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny in 1939. John O'Sullivan was a newspaper writer, and the first person to use the term "Manifest Destiny," thus giving birth to this idea that It was America's duty and Destiny to expand its ideals westward to the coast. He writes a very persuasive article, explaining how America is superior and must expand that west. He talks about America's greatness, in an attempt to motivate the people to want to expand west, and gives reasons why it's their duty from god to do so.
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This final link is a newspaper article about the discovery of Gold at Sutter's Mill in California. The article tells of a gold mine being found and people getting the gold and making money, saying Calfornia is rich in mineral wealth. Gold discovery was a big factor in Westward Expansion, it gave many people a reason, and the encouragement to go west, causing the Gold Rush. So many people headed west in hopes of striking it rich, America expanded west and people made money far West in California, jumpstarting the economy in western America.
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By River Murphy Julian Charter School 1/10/14