The mid-1800s gave way to a remarkable but, apparently, controversial concept: manifest destiny. Simply put, this idea claimed the Lord's blessing on America's westward expansion, making it a privilege and an obligation in the minds of the United States and its people. This idea, officially created in 1845 by John L. O'Sullivan, essentially stated that America should and would, if possible, expand across the continent and make great progress in the process because the "Anglo-Saxon" race had God's blessing doing so as part of their divine duty. As early as the American Revolution, citizens of the United States embraced the idea of ​​having an empire and expanding across the world because they considered themselves exceptional and were eager to explore the abundance of resources on this “New Frontier.” However, time and countless conflicts would show that perhaps this mentality wasn't the perfect solution after all. As writer Mark Twain said after observing attempts to create an international empire, particularly the Philippines, “I saw that we mean not to liberate but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We went there to conquer, not to redeem." Since its inception, America has been seen as a land of opportunity and big dreams. In the 1700s, the American Revolution began as a way to conquer more land westward. Thomas Payne, author of an influential pamphlet, gave the revolutionaries hope for their cause by saying that they were extraordinary people and that it was their duty to take action. This notion was reinforced by John Winthrop's “city on a hill” concept in which America was thought to be seen by the world and superior to others. This mentality continued until the 1800s, when imperialism was America's primary goal. The University......at the center of the paper......ties. By 1900, Manifest Destiny and imperialism had created some interesting and very gruesome historical events. The United States continually found itself in war and various disputes due to the drive for foreign expansion. It is safe to say that, due to prevailing views of superiority and divine rights, some actions were distorted in their executions. Ideals have created, and perhaps still create, a vicious circle. Every generation of Americans saw themselves as the ones who would conquer the world. When others failed, they believed they could do it well, until they actually tried. This simply shows that imperialism is not an easy habit to break and that global expansion is not perfect. Whether or not it is the divine blessing of the Lord, it is still questionable whether, as Mark Twain said, “we went there to conquer, not to redeem”..”