Pierce Administration - Foreign Issues
Foreign Issues
Except for continuing conflict with American Indians, the United States was not engaged in war during the Pierce administration. The country did, however, still face the usual international tensions resulting from competing commercial interests. In 1845 John L. O'Sullivan, editor of United States Magazine and Domestic Review had called for the "fulfillment of our manifest destiny to o'erspread the continent." This "manifest destiny" became a powerful idea for many Americans, and a rallying cry for the expansion of the United States. Pierce was swayed by this expression of imperialist ideology just as he was influenced by the "Young America" movement and tempted by several expansionist foreign policy goals (See also, Pierce's Advisers). A dizzying array of foreign policy objectives faced Pierce during his four years as president. He improvised some successes but was unable to win very many foreign policy...
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