Manifest Destiny was a religious, political and social doctrine in the 19th century that stated that the United States was destined to expand across the Americas. People who supported this ideological position believed that it was the duty of the United States to conquer the whole continent and impose its culture on other countries.
Americans felt they had a right to practice this doctrine because they believed themselves to have the best institutions, the best values and the best beliefs in the continent. They also believed that, as recipients of these superior values, it was their duty to carry these virtues everywhere else.
