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Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was divinely destined to expand its territory across North America. It also included the beliefs that this expansion was inevitable and that it was the settlers' duty to spread democracy and capitalism. Manifest Destiny was a key motivator behind movement west.

Westward expansion created new economic opportunities, particularly in the fields of mining, railroad construction, farming, and ranching. These opportunities drew large numbers of people to the West, both existing Americans and immigrants. The West became more and more culturally diverse as several distinct groups of western settlers emerged alongside growing White and African American populations

As the US expanded westward, it came into contact with and competed for resources with native peoples. As settlers tried to claim land as their own, conflicts with many groups occurred.