Describe the origin and meaning of the term "manifest destiny".

"Manifest destiny" was the term coined by John O' Sullivan
in the mid- 1800's; he was writing about his belief, shared by many, that the United
States was destined by none other than God himself to expand from the Atlantic Ocean all
the way to the Pacific, implementing democracy in very corner of the
continent, regardless of who might be in the way.  This term caught the imagination of
many Americans at a time when the United States was eyeing the British-controlled Oregon
Territory in the Northwest, and O' Sullivan stated, among other things, that since
Britain would not be implementing democracy in the territory, the nation did not have a
valid claim to it.