Monday, November 21, 2005

Race and Manifest Destiny



What is Reginald Horsman's thesis? How did the founders ideas on expansion differ from later ideas of Manifest Destiny? Do you think these ideas are still relevant today? The entire text is in the library if you are interested in checking it out.

What is this painter trying to say about expansion?

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

Horsman levis the argument of the founders that it was the white mans right to own land from the atlantic to the pacific without interfearence. He states the argument that other cultures wouldn't use the land correctly and that it was the righ of the whites to take it and use it as they saw fit. This is obviously irrelevant today seeing as we say we're a nation founded on equality and we have lost our expansionist edge for the most part except for illigitamate invasions.

Anonymous said...

his thesis is that white folks own all the land in the US. it is not irrelevant because white people still taking my land away from my daddy today. Dude, the picture is too small. i can't see

Anonymous said...

Alright this seems to be a preety interesting subject. I think that there is a such thing as white supurity definitly in America and it is begining to spread. The thing is that no other race has come to challenge this. The Asain race is known now to be equal(on some matters) but dare them try to surpase the whites? Why has no other race have what it takes to challenge these people?

Anonymous said...

Horsman is saying that the idea that the founding fathers had persisted and grew through the years. There weren't many people here when the whites settled, so their wasn't much racial superiority. Once slaves and more foreigners began to settle here. the Manifest Destiny became apparent. Because the whites were able to conquer the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, they automatically assumed a type of superiority idea. They beleived that no one could handle the land as well as they could, so the whites took it into thier own hands.

Anonymous said...

Horsman Levis views on the powers of the white men to own land isn't truely correct because the natives did use the lands, just not to the white men desires. He and the early settlers saw this land as opportunity for conversion because it there was no use of it and no one should interrupted there conquest for the lands. This seems to be his opinion and ambition to kill off the natives, because the natives and other people did use this land for something. I think it is wrong for him to said that the reason for taking their lands away is that is was no use, cause they dying faster than growing.

Anonymous said...

Horsman states the the founding fathers belived that white could take land from other races because they thought that they were superior. They forced the natives and Hispanics off their land and had Blacks as slaves so they felt they were better than everyone. There is more equality even though most government offices are still controled by whites.

Anonymous said...

Well, I agree with horsman when he says that the beliefe in white superiority was ensconced in the nation's ideology by the 1850's. And yes, I also think that race had a big part in that. I think that the whites' visions were just obscured by their greed for power and wealth, so in the process of attaining that, they acted and were seen to be racist. It was clear thay they thoguht they were the only ones who could efficiently and successfully run the country because of the way they ran the indians out. Since the people that had lived in the western lands were indians and the people that were brought over as slaves were from africa-and therefore black- race is definately brought into the picture.

Anonymous said...

I believe that with this picture Hosman is tring to say that white men will save the land. That it is being misused by the natives and needs to be used because other wise it's going to waste. This comes under the desicion that whites are a superior race. Therefore if they believe the land must be exploited, then it must be because the natives are stupid.

Anonymous said...

I think this picture shows the promise of the new world. The whites believed this land had the potential to carry a wealthy civilivation on it's back. With the right builder of course, who they believed to be them. They beilived the natives were stupid savages who could use the land properly, and only the whites knew how to take proper advantage of the land.

Anonymous said...

The basic idea of this article is that the white men control everything. Back in the day that was true. But know it is irrelevant because there is equality now. We all have the same rights but we still have different privileges. Overall, society has changed a lot since then.

Anonymous said...

I disagree with the "Race and Manifest Destiny" article and its belief because it is wriongly puting people under and ubove one another without factual findings or studies that are true about a race being superior over another. They way that the English/British used the Manifest Destiny was wrong and an intrapment to the Native Americans and their land. Basicly the settlers wrote up a bogus document that stated that they had the right to the land that the indians had already controlled and that was trickery. no one has that right.

Anonymous said...

I think that the portrait showed the great lengths that the whites went to to make Manifest Destiny happen. As far as that other article goes I think it was trying to say that the early beginnings of racism came about in the 1850s and that gave people the belief that they were superior to others.

Anonymous said...

All I have to say is that white people are kings in those days no matter what.They owned all the land and they are still ruling today.If i was there in those days i would get my 4-4 magnum and shoot those guys and tell them to be my slave on yo momma son what up now gee!!!

Anonymous said...

I think the picture showed how in that time pure bred white people were superior. I think the article goes with racism and goes with the picture that whites were superior

Anonymous said...

I somewhat agree with Kevin about the whole white people thing. White males did rule no matter what, and they are somewhat still in power today. If you look at all the presidents we've had, they all been white males. Getting back to the article, Horsman's argument was totally incorrect. I mean it was right back in those says, but it shouldn't have been. This whole race issue is still going on today. Back then there was a lot of race issues about white men owning land and what not, and black people being slaves. People say that today in society we are one big happy family and racism isn't a big issue anymore. But if you actually think about it it is. People don't think it's a big issue because they don't want to think that, they try to look around it because they think it will go away, but the fact of the matter is it won't. If you take the "N" word for example, that was used as a racial slur to "down" a black person, but today it's simply looked at as a term that one african-american says to greet another. I think the point I'm trying to make is everyone should be treated equally no matter what the skin color is. Horsman was just plain wrong to ASSUME that white men could handle/take better care of the land then black males.

Anonymous said...

Tha basic idea that the author was trying to across was the power of the white man and how it was his right to won the land from the atlantic to the pacific. There was a basic belief that other cultures couldn't use the land to it's fullest potnential and the white man could do a better job.

The Manifest Destiny brought out this belief strongly at the time and the views of the people were different as time grew on. I think that the view of Manifest Destiny cahnged overtime because of the other cultures beginning to stand up for themselves and the other issues that changed the way the United States was being ran. It's doesn't really apply to what the world is like today because we're "attempting" to make the United STates more equal then one-sided.

I believe that the painter was trying to convey what Manifest Destiny was through colors and the "American Dream" was depicted from the eyes of a white man back in that time period.

Anonymous said...

I actually would like to read the entire thing. It's an interesting topic and it's been discussed alot. But this is from a different point of view from the typical stand and I actually would like to know what he says. It makes sense to me that there would be a race that feel they are superior. It's just a sad part of the corrupted side of human nature. On the whole race issue-there will always be a issue no matter how small or big and no matter how right you may be there's always someone there to debate with you. So, the fact that the idea started so long ago and still progresses today makes sense.

Anonymous said...

I actually would like to read the entire thing. It's an interesting topic and it's been discussed alot. But this is from a different point of view from the typical stand and I actually would like to know what he says. It makes sense to me that there would be a race that feel they are superior. It's just a sad part of the corrupted side of human nature. On the whole race issue-there will always be a issue no matter how small or big and no matter how right you may be there's always someone there to debate with you. So, the fact that the idea started so long ago and still progresses today makes sense.

Anonymous said...

Horsman is basically saying that the only people who could own land and use it for their abilities were the white men. Because the white men had the land and they believed that it was best for them to have it and no others because they were superior in the United States. This was bogus because it doesnt give others chances to do what they want like the native americans, who basically had the land first. Back then though white, rich men were always superior in mostly everything so this isnt a surprise. I dont think that no one should have the right to say who can have land and who cant.

Anonymous said...

Horsman's article is basically about how racism began in the 1800's. He talks about how the "Americans" thought they were better than everyone. The Americans had a sense of superiority over other races of people and land. I think the Americans were afraid of what they didn't know so they made sure that everyone knew that they were the best: by scaring them. I can't really see the picture so...!

Anonymous said...

Horsman Levis makes a good argument about how white men took over the united states by putting foward republic ideologies. The article said that it was because of racial inflictions that led the white men to think it was correct to let them take over the land and have rights to do so, which I think is pretty ignorant of them. And I find it silly for the white men to think that they were the only ones capable to take over just because they had republic ideologies to begin with.

Anonymous said...

Reginald Horsman writes in his book about how racism began in America. With the immigrants from different countries, Americans came into contact with the blacks, Indians, and Mexicans. In his book, Horsman said that the Founding Fathers were the one who embraced the ideas of progress and was the cause of the spread of republican institutions.

The picture looks like there's an angel leading settlers in to the western area. I'm thinking it's saying that it was God who wanted them to expand their Christianity religion and to start God's new world.

Anonymous said...

The thesis is that whitey moved to the west because they felt they were the master race. The Founders' ideas for expansion weren't solely based in race, but the ideas of manifest destiny are. Of course the idea of white supremacy is relevant today. There are people in every ethnicity who think that they are the master race. White supremicists still exist.

The painter is trying to say that the westward expansion is through and protected by divine right. The god figure in the painting is facing west and lighting the way.

Anonymous said...

Horsman is expliaining how back in the 1850's, people had the idea that white people were supreme. Not only were they better, but it was their duty to spread their kind across America. All other races were inferior. Of course this idea is horrible by today's standards and our understanding of science. White people have no genetic superiority to anyone else. I think that the painter is trying to convey the idea that God gave white people their superiority. I also notice in the picture that the future, trains, boats, etc, are in the back of the image, while the old ways, farming and hunting are closer. For those who can't see the picture because it's too small, you can go here
for an enlargement.

Anonymous said...

Horsman talks about how racism developed in America in the early 1800s, and why. He says it partially tied into expansion and the belief that whites deserved the land and resources more than other races (economic), and that it was partially because Americans thought Republicanism was the best form of government and anybody who disagreed was a savage (political). They also believed that whites who were born in America were superior to German, Scottish, and Irish immigrants (social).

The founders' ideas were very different—racism really didn't come up in what they talked about, and they didn't employ as racist an attitude. According to Horsman, some promoted Republicanism, but they did it without trying to impose it on other people. The founders were much less militant. This issue is very important today because it's still happening. We're supposedly at war to spread democracy, and we're just as militant now as America was back then. Questions of racism and one group being more "entitled" than another are always being considered; it's something we always have to think about. Manifest Destiny in the 19th century has many parallels with the situation today.

The picture of a floating woman in a white dress symbolizes white people spreading all over and pervading all the Western lands. The woman in the picture is so prominent because whites thought they were more important than all other people and things that lived on the land. She is leading the way for the travelers because ideas of white superiority were part of what fueled the movement west.

Anonymous said...

This was a good thing for all of the kids in our class to think about because white supremecy is still very present and i don't mean thoose weird white teens. I mean our current capitalistic society. I mean the companies, who like in the picture, push out skinny white girls as the ideal woman. I mean in schools and on the street racism is very alive. As a white woman I notice the way that people treat me is like i can't do anything "bad". Therefore I don't understand what seth is saying, white people still take property and rights away from people...even if it in a sneeky way...
His thesis states that white supremecy is still alive, maybe in a diffrent way but still very much there.

Anonymous said...

The argument that stated that it was the white mans right to own land from atlantic to pacific is an unfair right. how is it that they can take ownership over something that doesnt even belong to them.This is so ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Horsman ideology of racialism in the 1850's, that white Americans were viewed as superior in this nation(America).
The ideal of whites being superior is displayed with the "founding fathers". The manifest destiny took place and became most relavant when slaves and other immigrants settled in America,.

Anonymous said...

Reginald Horsman's thesis is that before the civil war had even began, Americans believed that other people in America were unable to share land, so the only way to control this land was through racisim. The founders ideas on expansion were different because they belived that everyone should be able to join the republic that the founding fathers were creating, the Americans now believe the only way that they should expand is through taking land and pushing other people off of it. The ideas are partly relevant today, because people are still racist and feel the need to conquer people and force their ideas on others.
What the painter is trying to say about expansion is that the white men feel they are justified in taking this land because they feel that they have been sent by god.

Anonymous said...

The thesis of Reginald Horsman is that the white men of the 1850 were superior to the other inferior races. The founding fathers supported the idea of intergrading other races into republican ideals, but the Manifest Destiny refuse to accept other race to on the same plains as the white race. Yes I do think these ideas are still here.
The painting says that it was
God's will for the white race to expand westward.

Anonymous said...

Horsman examine the origins of racialism in America. The founders ideas on expansion differ from later ideas of Manifest Destiny because they believe that everyone can join the nation. In later ideas, people think that they can just take land away from people and force them out. These ideas is still relevant today because people in different ethnic group still believe that they are the dominant race.

The picture symbolize the expansion westward. The god like figure is facing towards the west and she is guiding the light and protecting the white people while they are on their journey.

Anonymous said...

Horseman's thesis is that the Anglo-Saxon believed that in America, they could make use of the land and become prosperous unlike the other countries of the world. With this belief, the Anlo-Saxons developed a racist ideology that all other races were inferior to them.

I think that this ideology is somewhat revelant today because although other races have become "equal" to the caucasians, other races still have a harder time being successful in a world in which the most paid jobs, or the most successful jobs are dominated by caucasians.

The picture looks like there's an angel who's guiding the people to the west. This fits with the Anglo-Saxon's belief that they were God's "chosen people," and God wanted them to control the land.

Anonymous said...

The start of manifest destiny began discrimmination. People from all overthe world began coming to America. The Germans and Irsh-Scots came over and began getting work fast. There were so many jobs here it was the great oportunity ever. The problem came about when the white American were getting jealous of the immgrants; they felt that, Americans were the best fit for these jobs, after all, it was their land.

Anonymous said...

Basically this is an exspanion of what we talked about in class, which was the white male figure held and still in many ways today holds power and Horsman feel or thinks this is the way it's suppose to be.The Founding Fathers took over the land b/c they felt it wasn't being properly used and they felt they could make better use out of it which in someways they did but at what cost? The killing of others and hard labor of other?"Menifest Destiny" I feel is just a way to justify what the "white men" did and give reason as to why they did it, it is the belief of one ethnic group being more superior than another.

Anonymous said...

horsman is basically saying they whites felt they were superior to everyone else!

Anonymous said...

According to Horman Levis whites(men) had the right to take land from who ever because others cultures will not use the land in the right way. He states that shince there weren't many people when the settlement of whites occure, whites are suppose to be the dominant race. That they were already the superior. To me i am neutral to this idea, because we live in a world base on equality but still racial difference and discrenation is around.

Anonymous said...

This article showed the power of the white man or the power they thought they had. Everyone is suppose to be treated equal so why are certain races considered better than the other. How is it that whites still think their better than others when slavery is over! About the whites thinking that the land was theirs when the Indians already controlled it.

Anonymous said...

This passage is basically about how racism began. Horsman said that the founding fathers were the ones who embraced the ideas of progress and was also the cause of spread of constitution institutions. I disagree with the whole passage that I just read becasue it's not right for them to be racism like that. Just because they are a different race, it doesn't mean that they have to do that to them. I guess it was the white people's land back then anyways though. As for me and my nationality, we never had a land that belongs to us, so its okay; as long as it wasn't our land that they took away from us. It would've been a differen't story if that was our land but since it wasn't our land then it doesn't really matter because us Hmong people never had a land. We are just some nationality that migrates from places to places and end up being here in United States.

As for viewing the picture, it looks very pretty. It looks like the sun was about to set in the background and it also looks like there is a girl, or i should say an angle about to fly to the sky, looking hot. Maybe its either trying to tell us that freedom is coming or hell is coming. I'm not sure though. That's just what I think.

Anonymous said...

Horseman's thesis emphasizes the supreme white men and how their kind should be spread across the country. The white men wanted all of the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific because they felt tht they could use the resources most efficiently. This idea is very shot down by today's standards and would be charged as some racial crime.

Anonymous said...

I think that the picture is trying to portray a sense of white supremacy. They feel like they can do whatever they want and take whatever they want(including land)If the whites want land then they can automaticly say that they own it.

Anonymous said...

The painter is portraying that the people are expanding west and while doing so they are pushing the natives out of there way. The is also a angel of some sort flying or floating above them as they are moving westward. this painting shows thats the white man should rule and he is superior and nothing shall stand in his way.

Anonymous said...

The white men thought that they should have all the power and wanted all the land. Sorry but Jesus wasn't white and not even jesus could own that much land. I think that this is completely racist and they are gay.

Anonymous said...

resonding to seth's comment:
This is in no way irrelevant.
We are not a nation founded on equality, we are a nation founded on violence, exploitation, greed, and slavery. None of these in any sense scream "Equality," to me.
Our nation has not lost our expanionist edge, either. Although we don't blatantly take other nation's land as much anymore, we still are expanionists in the way that we interact with the rest of the world. Although we don't take over other nation's "property," we expand our nation by enforcing our views onto them and stationing troops there. To me, our expanionist country hasn't lost it's expanionist views at all, we just expand subtlely.

Anonymous said...

Basically, Horsman was just stating how the whites thought that they were superior to all other races. They thought they could just take land from the Native Americans and other ethnic landowners just because they were white. Its just funny because the whites actually thought that since they produced the Manifest Destiny, their racism was justified.

Anonymous said...

Horsman is very races for not thinking about the natives point of view on their lands. He only though about what he wants to do with the lands to benefit the Americans and its economic, but the natives might have a different point of view. The native said that lands are for use only, but according to Hormans, all the lands in the United States should belong to the white men and it settlers.

The picture of the angle symblizes the movement west. The natives people are force off their lands and the settlers are moving onward. the angle symbolizes their guide to the west and i think it also symbolize the power of the white men.

Anonymous said...

the entire idea that we (the anglo-saxon men of europe) are better than anyone else, especially supposedly backwards, innefficient native americans is the founding principle for this country (then not now), and so the leaders of the time were just rekindling this idea, it wasn't anything new or revolutionary, just a recurrence of the idea that the whites are better than everyone, slavery was just more evidnce the leaders could use to support this fact but in some ways it ways a paradox, the whites said havig and owning the blacks was their right so they bought and sold them freely, but the idea was freedom for all, where are the boundaries drawn?

Anonymous said...

I can't really see the picture... but since u shown us in class today :) I think that the picture represents the white men taking control and making use of the land. I don't think that they were taking over the land because the natives were too stupid (like some people said) but I think they did it to have more control. Having power and being superior over everyone else was what those damn white men were all about.

Anonymous said...

Horseman is saying that the white man had the right to own the land within the United states. I dissagree with this because I feel that the land in the United states is not just theirs, but it is everybody's. Anyways, the Native Americans were there first and if they wanted to claim land, it belonged to them.

Anonymous said...

Horseman states that the Anglo-Saxons believed that wherever they went, the could exploit the land for their own benefits. Specifically in America, they would use the land to their advantage and making them rich unlike many other underdeveloped countries around the world. With this belief, a racist ideiology developed that they were superior to people of a different race.

Personally, I think that this is somewhat true today. Even though there's equality, racism still exists. Minorities will have a harder time with their careers than white people. It's not that the minority are incompetent. A lot of white people still think they're superior to other races.

Anonymous said...

The manisfest destiny was just another way to show white supremacy, and to untintentionally, to start the issue of racism. The Anglo Saxons were only believing that they were above all the other races. The picture shows an angel leading the people to the west. This means that the white people believed that God was the one leading them.

Anonymous said...

Since the people that had lived in the western lands were indians and the people that were brought over as slaves were from africa-and therefore black- race is definately brought into the picture.Therefore if they believe the land must be exploited, then it must be because the natives are stupid.Horsman Levis makes a good argument about how white men took over the united states by putting foward republic ideologies.

Anonymous said...

what i got from this passage is that whites were aarogant in questioning the intelligence of the native peoples just because they werent exploiting the land. the whites took land from whoever they wanted at any time and used it as they pleased. the painting above shows belief that white men were God's gift to the land and country.

Anonymous said...

Horseman's thesis in his article basiclly stated that the right to land belonged to a cetain race in which they were destined to own that land and use the property properly. It defends the arguement that they believed that certain races were incapable of using a piece of land to its full potential, where as a white man would harness the full potential of that land. This is why they (the white men ) thought they had the right to move people off the land regardless if it was occupied or not because they believed that they could make better use of that land.

Anonymous said...

Horsman believes the founding of the country and establishment of Manifest Destiny is based on White Supremacy over the people. However, the founding fathers did not expand there country just because they wanted to establish there race as the dominant one, but in the years of the impending war, it was more of a racial reason. The issues are still relevant today, but are less of an issue than it is made out to be. That is because Milwaukee is easily in the top 5 of most segregated cities, and being from Milwaukee, we're inclined to think it's like this everywhere. To say racism is a horrible issue throughout the current US based on Milwaukee, is like saying all dogs are monstrous killing machines because one bit you as a child.
Moving on, the painter looks to be urging on western expansion. There's a guiding spirit, a nice day, and many seemingly safe modes of transportation all moving westward.

Anonymous said...

Horman's thesis is that the white american began to fell surperior in the late 19th century. In the begining of american history, when the white americans conquered the land from the indians, there weren't many people their so the thought of superiority wasn't fully established. The founding fathers wanted equal rights for all,and to expand the idea of republicanism. As time went on and more people began to migrate to america the white americans began to adopt the idealogy that they were superior because they were the ones who had conqured this land. It was gods will that they had been successful and not others. Today this idea isn't as strong of a belief as it was. There are still some people who want except the fact that things have changed and that no one race is superior to the other.Today everyone has the same oppourtunity to be successful in life. Some might argue that african americans still have it harder in society than others but I beg to differ. Im not saying that there isn't any racism going on today but african americans have the same oppourtunities to succeed in life just like anyone else. We just have to learn how to properly use those oppourtunities.

Anonymous said...

Horsman Levis had apretty good point. but i think at the end racism was just some sort of selfishness to benefit from other races.

Anonymous said...

Ok, sadly the Race and Manifest Destiny article only expanded on what people in that time believed in. It's sad to see that people actually use to think that way, and whats even wrost is to know that some people still do think that way. Reginald Horsman states that, Americans felt that other people believed that "other cultures" were unable to share and expand on land. I agree with britt, the beliefs of the manifest destiny did change over time, people started to stand up for themselves. The idea was that the white men were born to own and expand on land with out the help and support (interfearence) other "others." Maybe if the Americans were willing to comprimise and share land and ideas with other races there wouldn't be so much inequality in the world today.

Anonymous said...

Horsman argued that only white people truly knew how to get the full potential out of the land. Other races were far too dull minded to do that. So, the white people simple took power over every thing. They united with each other and became the dominate race.

This is somewhat relevant today, but I believe it is slowly dying off. Sure in the over all population the average white person makes more money than a black person. However, more and more minoritys are starting to get better jobs than they had ever before. So hopefully one day racism will simply be gone forever, but hey thats probably going to happen after my time.

Anonymous said...

Horsman's idea is that the white men have the right to own the land and use it to their likings. The early Europeans believed that it was their responsibility to take control of the Natives' land and use it however they wanted to. This idea of racism and racial superiority definitely isn't fair, but it is real and does occur. Even today there is the idea of white supremacy and superiority. I think that this will always be an issue. No time soon will we see a president that isn't white or many minority government officials in the senate or head offfices.

Anonymous said...

At this time, the author was saying that white men had domination over other races. They had the power and authority to exploit other nationalities because they felt they were the superior race of the time. White Supremency mentioned in the Manifest Destiny allowed other whites to put down, even kill other minorities , mainly black people. The article supports racisim adding to the white supremency of the time. Instead of all men are created equal, like the Constitution of the United States says; the Manifest Destiny says all white people are created equal...suppress all other minorities.

Anonymous said...

i suppose the thesis of the article is that white men had it all, they were on top over everyone. the founders' views "embraced ideas of progress and the spread of republican institutions for all." horsman believes there is a link between the racialist ideaology in american society and the rising european ideas of "ango-saxon, teutonic, and scientific ideaologies of the early 19th century." in a sense, i suppose these views are still revelant and in a sense they aren't. you have numerous other races that are higher in society (for example doctors, lawyers..) than whites. i suppose there's more equality today, it's just a matter of your own opinions and beliefs.

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