Focus: Manifest Destiny

This comprehensive collection of historical documents, which includes a petition against the annexation of Texas, an article in which the term Manifest Destiny first appeared, contemporary illustrations and political cartoons, and President Polk's war message to Congress, will help students understand the concept of Manifest Destiny. They will be provided with valuable insight into one of the most highly-charged and pivotal periods in American history. Support Materials: * Illustrated Broadsheet Essay * Timeline * Critical Thinking Questions with Response Key * Recommended Reading List 8 Primary Source Documents: * Petition against the annexation of Texas, April 18, 1844 * Whig newspaper article on passage of a joint resolution for the annexation of Texas, New Haven Daily Palladium, March 1845 * Pro-expansionist article in which the term "Manifest Destiny" first appeared, The United States Magazine and Democratic Review, July 1845 * The Southern viewpoint: Excerpt from "Progress in America" by William Gilmore Simms, The United States Magazine and Democratic Review, February 1846 * President Polk's war message to Congress, The Congressional Globe, May 11, 1846 * Page 2 from the Oregon newspaper The Spectator, September 3, 1846 * Contemporary pictorial chronicle of the seizure of California * Political cartoons on the theme of Manifest Destiny, 1846-1848