When Europeans began arriving in America via the Mayflower and the subsequent ships that followed, they came in great part because of a desire for religious freedom. This meant that colonies were established by deeply religious people whose beliefs became the foundation of societal constructs. Some of the earliest leaders in America were Calvinists: John Endicott, John Winthrop, and Thomas Hooker. Their beliefs, particularly those of predestination and a belief in God's sovereignty, guided the vision for the new country.

Calvinists held tightly to the belief that God controlled all events in history and throughout the world. Therefore, when tensions mounted with England, they believed that God would give the colonies victory because they had established this "new" world to more fully serve him. They often spoke of the "great design of providence" to bolster support and confidence, certain that God could and would grant them victory against their oppressors. When they emerged victorious following the Revolutionary War, Calvinists believed that God had orchestrated the events leading to this victory because he wanted the new America to succeed. Bolstered by even greater confidence, Calvinists turned to westward expansion.

One of the foundational principles of Calvinism is the idea of predestination. This means that God selects those who will receive salvation from sin before they are even created; this contrasts with other Protestant religions, who believe in the free will of individuals to choose salvation. Believing that only a (typically small) group of people were predestined to receive God's grace led to the idea of "manifest destiny"—the belief that expansion throughout the continent was the calling of God. Many of these early settlers believed that it was their "destiny" as part of the predestined elect to claim new lands, converting Indigenous people to Christianity.

The principles of Calvinism established a belief that America was "chosen" and favored and that God had predestined the young country for expansion.