Study Group Details
724: Manifest Destiny and US Territorial Expansion: From 13 Colonies to a Global Power
Thursday1:45 - 3:15
Starting March 06
In-Person
Manifest destiny was the belief that westward expansion of the US from 13 Atlantic colonies to the Pacific was natural, predetermined, and even divinely ordained. But were Indians, Mexicans, and the buffalo just in the way? This course will examine and discuss such events as the Louisiana Purchase; our centuries-long expulsion and removal of Indian tribes; our violence towards native peoples; the US-Mexican war of 1846–48 and our seizure of more than half of Mexico; the resulting national fissures leading to the Civil War; private filibustering expeditions into Central America; our seizure of the independent nation of Hawaii; the US possessions won from Spain in 1898; and the construction of the Panama Canal.
This study group is a repeat with revisions
Class Type: Lecture and Discussion
Class Format: In-Person
Hours of Reading: 1 hr/week
Study Group Leader(s):
Joe Belden
Joe Belden has taught at OLLI for several years, including on the US-Mexican war and Manifest Destiny. He worked in DC for nonprofit organizations and government, and still writes and consults. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Baylor University Law School.
Xenia WilkinsonDuring her career in the Foreign Service, Xenia Wilkinson focused on Latin America, with posts in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, and the U.S. Mission to the Organization of America States, After her retirement, Xenia earned a PhD in Latin American history at Georgetown University. She recently taught a survey course on Latin American History at Georgetown. Xenia has led OLLI Study Groups on Mexico and Amazonia and partnered with Joe Belden to lead SGs on Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War.
Reading List
Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion: A Brief History with Documents (Amy Greenberg) | 2017: Bedford/St. Martin's | ISBN: 978-1319087944 | Recommended