THE HISTORY OF MANIFEST DESTINY HISTORY ESSAY       pt2       2800w

The Cherokee people, who had tried so earnestly to adapt themselves to the demanding societal expectations of the Americans, now were set to be relocated to the territory that occupies present day Oklahoma. The new land that they were set to move to soon became known as the Indian Territory. Beginning in May 1838, the United States Army oversaw the max exodus of the Cherokee people from their native lands to the Oklahoma territory. The journey that they had to endure was so difficult and deadly that thousands perished along the way. The trail they followed became known as the Trail of Tears (Blackhawk).

American ideas of exceptionalism and Manifest Destiny provided both the impetus and the justification for the removal of Natives from the lands they had occupied for thousands of years. The Indian Removal Act is a prime example of how Americans truly believed they had a divine right to expand their institutions and values at any cost. As America successfully removed the Native people from the southeast, they continued to explore and expand westward. This expansion would cause the next great clash between Americans and the people who were perceived to be impeding the divine growth of America.