In the early 19th century, the United States began to grow and develop the western regions. During the 1830s and 1840s, immigration increased and led some Americans to dream of a continental empire, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Like the Puritans, who considered their colony a "city on a hill," Americans believed that the goal of the United States was to spread freedom throughout the continent. A New York journalist named John L. O'Sullivan labeled the aforementioned goal "Manifest Destiny." (Chiodo, John J.). Manifest Destiny was one of the greatest historical theories/beliefs, held by American colonists, before the 19th century. Manifest Destiny explained the United States' goal of spreading its systems of democracy, federalism, and personal freedom, as well as managing its growing population. , taking control of the North American continent. O'Sullivan believed that Manifest Destiny revoked any claims made by European states, regarding who first discovered or settled North America. O'Sullivan believed that the way to gain control of the continent should be peaceful, and this was achieved through the work of "Anglo-Saxon emigration". Unlike the imperial European nations that dominated their empires, the United States would wait for people living in other places to realize the benefits of annexation and wait for them to join the Union (Robert E. May). Manifest Destiny had many values ​​that Americans were fond of. For starters, Manifest Destiny included land expansion and, thus, greatly expanded the geography of our country. Americans' possession of land was an important step toward prosperity. Furthermore, Manifest Destiny made it so that America could trade with Asia, and not just with Europe, so Man... in the center of the card... 13. ."Native Americans in America pre-war." Native Americans in Antebellum America. Historycentral.com, ndWeb. December 01, 2013. .Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia C. Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan M. Hartmann. The American Promise: A Compact History. Fourth ed. vol. 1. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.Shmoop editorial team. “Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War Summary and Analysis” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. December 1, 2013. “Roosevelt's Legacy.” Saturday Evening Post 217.45 (1945): 108. Academic research completed. Network. December 1, 2013. Woodworth, Steven E. Manifest Destinies: America's Westward Expansion and the Road to the Civil War. 1st ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Print.