How did manifest destiny affect Spanish and Mexican rule in California?
1 Answer
The Manifest Destiny was the idea that the nation (America) was bound to and would eventually expand to the Pacific Ocean. This meant that all land from "sea to shining sea" would belong to America.
When the Americans were exploring and expanding, they had to deal with new states applying for statehood and other countries that claimed territories. One of these countries was Mexico.
Mexico governed the present day Texas region and California. Texas, however, believed that it should be independent from Mexico, as America is independent from Britain. After many losses, the Texans finally won their independence and became known as the Lone Star Republic. Today, Texas is recognized as the Lone Star State. Eventually, Texas wanted to join the Union. After tensions about the slave state-free state balance, Texas joined the union as a slave state. The giving-up of such territory was known as Mexican Cession.
As part of the Mexican Cession, California became a state in the Union after the Mexican-American War. These lands became part of the United States, and exercised the Manifest Destiny.
