Manifest Destiny: Reflection

In class, Professor Jackson pushed us to define Manifest Destiny, which actually turned out to be pretty difficult. Throughout American history, what ever we happened to be doing. Manifest Destiny seemed to be an appropriate characterization of our actions. From the Pacific Coast expansion to the Cold War, Manifest Destiny wasn't so much a justification of America's actions and attitudes, but a sort of lens through which all actions could be interpreted as common sense. Again, not a specific justification, but the persistent justification over time of different actions all related to expanding some aspect of the United States.

I think this lens formed as a result of the American Experiment. Whatever e did, it had to be different from the Old World. Whereas they were accidental, the inevitable product of the forward march of time, we were intentional. America was blessed with the chance to do things differently. I think the "Empire of Right" was formed around the idea that because we're different, we couldn't possibly screw up, and any missteps were just painted differently, as something we meant to do.

I especially like the way different authors have projected Manifest Destiny into their created futures. In many of these visions (Speaker for the Dead, Martian Chronicles), Manifest Destiny has come to characterize a global phenomenon. It could be a simple consequence of population expansion, but characters in both books have to question the right of Man to take to the stars. I liked the feeling of awkward silence in Martian Chronicles. Because the Martians had died before most settlers arrived, the question was never formally resolved. The mothers knew there was something wrong about their children playing in the ashes of the dead cities. Spender obviously had a problem with the easily foreseeable future. The story of the first hot dog stand on Mars illustrates this clearly. The mere presence of a Martian causes the guy to try and justify himself, as if he's guilty. I'm sure that human colonization on Mars would have proceeded, Martians or no, but I think Bradbury captures some of the discomfort that the practitioners undoubtedly feel.