Description
Book SynopsisDaniel J. Burge examines the belief in manifest destiny through the nineteenth century, focusing on contested moments in the United States’ continental expansion to show that the ideology was not wildly popular, nor did it typically succeed in unifying expansionists.
Trade Review"By calling into question the assumption that expansion was inevitable, this book demands that we take responsibility—and perhaps even make amends—for the unjust wars of conquest waged by the United States."—Alice L. Baumgartner,
Reviews in American History"Burge's persuasive critique of the standard account of American empire should alter how manifest destiny is studied and taught."—Matt Millsap,
South Dakota History"
A Failed Vision of Empire is a useful reminder of the fact that manifest destiny was contested."—Maria Angela Diaz,
Western Historical Quarterly"For anyone interested in joining in the work of deconstructing such a powerful myth, Burge provides the tools."—Richard Mize,
Chronicles of Oklahoma"Burge has refined and updated our understanding of territorial expansion in an important way. He has offered a clear, concise, and persuasive argument that should substantially alter how we look at Manifest Destiny and the mythology surrounding it.
A Failed Vision of Empire should not be missed by any fan of nineteenth-century American history."—Matthew D. McDonough,
Annals of Iowa"
A Failed Vision of Empire is a valuable part of a growing literature seeking to place manifest destiny in its proper historical and historiographical position."—Michael Hill,
American Nineteenth Century History"This well-written, deeply researched, and provocative book deserves a wide readership because it advances important ideas that will spark plenty of discussions about manifest destiny and expansion in the nineteenth century U.S."—Evan C. Rothera,
Civil War Monitor"Burge's
A Failed Vision of Empire significantly contributes to the scholarship of U.S. empire. . . . The book confirms manifest destiny was a powerful rhetorical device that inspired an equally powerful resistance, and as Burge contends, by the 1870s, the resistance won."—Jimmy L. Bryan Jr.,
Journal of Arizona History"
A Failed Vision of Empire has performed a remarkable feat by blazing a fresh trail through what had looked like fairly well-worn historiographic terrain."—Brian Rouleau,
Pacific Northwest Quarterly“An important correction to a traditional view of manifest destiny still found in U.S. history textbooks.”—Abraham Hoffman,
Roundup MagazineTable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Myth of Manifest Destiny
1. Delaying Destiny: The U.S.-Mexican War and the Postponement of Manifest Destiny
2. Promises of Peace: Washington’s Farewell and the Election of 1848
3. Rejecting Robbery: Filibusters, Spain, and the Quest for Cuba, 1850–1855
4. Stalling the Slave Power: The Sectional Critique of Manifest Destiny, 1855–1860
5. Controlling the Continent: Manifest Destiny in the Civil War
6. Worthless Real Estate: The Environmental Critique of Manifest Destiny, 1866–1868
7. Destiny’s Demise: The Racial Critique of Manifest Destiny, 1868–1872
Epilogue: Overturning the Myth
Notes
Bibliography
Index
