American Revolution, any way to stop it?

**GoreBag** · 09-12-2005, 01:25

It was always said that it was American opinion that conquering North America was 'manifest destiny'.

**Marshal Murat** · 09-12-2005, 02:43

Well, there was Manifest Destiny before there was any known gold in California.

**GoreBag** · 09-12-2005, 03:08

These seem like pretty good points, but the Manifest Destiny thing ties in pretty well with the American attitude that America was to be the new Eden.

**GoreBag** · 09-12-2005, 03:25

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

In retrospect, it's easy to use the Manifest Destiny line, but the fact is that we expanded for the same reasons that every nation before us has sought to expand.

Oh, obviously. The Manifest Destiny line was just popular opinion, or at least, I understand it to have been. It's not like the popular opinion could influence political action, of course, which makes me think the whole idea was just propagated as much as possible in order to try to make the landgrab.

**GoreBag** · 09-12-2005, 02:43

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

I've always seen that Manifest Destiny thing as BS. The truth is, people settled the west because they thought they'd have a better life out there. They went to california because of the gold. They went west for the furs. They went west for alot of reasons, but I don't think "Manifest Destiny" was one of them.

What about going north?

**mercian billman** · 09-12-2005, 04:38

Originally Posted by NeonGod

It was always said that it was American opinion that conquering North America was 'manifest destiny'.

The concept of manifest destiny did not come about until well after the American Revolution. That being said I do believe that Americans have always sought to expand and explore new frontiers. Even before the Revolution, colonists were expanding westward into the Ohio River Valley. Which the British were trying to prevent to ensure the loyalty of Native tribes in the area, which was another point of contention between the colonists and the crown.

**Gawain of Orkeny** · 09-12-2005, 05:43

That being said I do believe that Americans have always sought to expand and explore new frontiers.

I thought that was Star Fleet and the mission of the Enterprise?

**GoreBag** · 09-12-2005, 06:47

Aren't they basically the same thing?

**Incongruous** · 09-12-2005, 09:56

Arthur Wellesley considerd himself English. "Just because Jesus was born in stable deosn't make him a horse"

**Marshal Murat** · 09-12-2005, 11:10

Keep on Topic.

What about the Monroe Doctrine. Why would President Monroe even try to prevent European influences in the Americas when his nation was very weak (militarily at least)

**lancelot** · 09-12-2005, 12:14

Ironically enough I was reading an essay on yesterday on this topic.

It argued that one factor that could have helped stop the revolution (read-vile rebellion!) was a former victory, ie-the aquisition of canada.

It postulated that if we had let the French keep canada, a potential enemy on the border (along with indians) would have been more in the forethought of american minds than moaning about paying their own share of their (rather meagre) defence costs.