Definition: The phrase Manifest Destiny began to be used in the early 1840s to provide justification for United States expansion westward, into Oregon, Texas, and the southwest.
The phrase was coined by journalist John O'Sullivan. What he meant by its usage was that there was a destiny for the American nation which was being revealed, or made manifest.
Use of the term became popular, and the phrase provided something of a spiritual reason for the westward expansion of the United States.
