Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny is the movement for expansion west of the Mississippi River during the 1800’s. The movement turned into the age of the “Cowboy”. Manifest Destiny was the right to move west to the Pacific Ocean. Manifest Destiny is reflected in westerns in the way that westerns show the fight for the western land with other people trying to settle in that land. Westerns also show how Cowboys fought with the Native American over the western land, because the Native Americans were there first. In Westerns they lead you to believe that violence, gambling, and prostitution is what is happening. Like in the movie Stagecoach, were the people come from the east to the wild west were that outlaw type of behavior is going on. The Stagecoach symbolized the push toward the west, and the linking of the west to the east. Films like Dances with Wolves in 1990, Ulzana’s Raid in 1972, and The Last of the Mohicans in 1992 all showed the conflict between the Whites that were moving west and the Native Americans that controlled the land before they came. Manifest Destiny is also shown in films like Union Pacific, Kansas Pacific, and The Iron Horse were the evolution of the west was shown. Films showed how the railroads represented uncontrolled eastern capitalism, and movies like The Great Train Robbery, were attacks on these trains was shown. Manifest Destiny brought up controversy, and changes in the west, and Westerns were made to show what Manifest Destiny did in the west.