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Difficulty: MediumManifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

"We hear much of 'manifest destiny' in these days... If by this phrase is meant that we are to go on extending our borders, and expanding our territory, by force or by fraud, until we shall cover the whole continent... I, for one, must dissent... But if it means that our free institutions, our republican government, and our principles of liberty are to spread, not by the sword, but by the silent influence of example... then I heartily subscribe to the doctrine."

— Representative Robert C. Winthrop, Speech on the Oregon Question, 1846

Which of the following historical developments of the 1840s most directly contradicted the peaceful, example-based spread of American institutions advocated by Winthrop in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The rapid acceleration of the Market Revolution connecting western farmers with northeastern markets
  2. B
    The passage of the Dawes Severalty Act to divide reservation lands into individual family plots
  3. The military conflict with Mexico following the annexation of TexasAnswer
  4. D
    The implementation of the Monroe Doctrine to create a military alliance defending Latin American sovereignty

Answer

The military conflict with Mexico following the annexation of Texas
The correct answer is the military conflict with Mexico following the annexation of Texas. Winthrop explicitly contrasts expanding territory by 'force or by fraud' with the peaceful spread of American institutions 'by the silent influence of example.' The Mexican-American War was a direct military conflict resulting in the conquest of Mexican territory, which directly contradicted the peaceful, example-based expansion Winthrop advocated.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical source written by Representative Robert C. Winthrop in 1846.
Winthrop contrasts two visions of "manifest destiny": one involving territorial expansion by "force or by fraud" (which he rejects), and another involving the peaceful spread of republican values and free institutions through the "silent influence of example" (which he supports).
Understanding the author's argument is necessary to identify which subsequent event contradicted his preferred method of expansion.
2
Evaluate the historical developments of the 1840s against the peaceful, example-based vision of expansion.
The annexation of Texas in 1845 and the subsequent Mexican-American War (1846–1848) involved military invasion, combat, and the forced cession of territory, representing expansion by "force" rather than peaceful example.
This aligns directly with the contradiction of Winthrop's preferred peaceful expansion.

Key Concept

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

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