Expansion During the 1840's the United States expanded a great deal. The U.S. gained land in Texas, California, and Oregon. Some of the land was gained diplomatically, and some of the land was gained using force. No matter how we got it, we got it, and the land that we got was crucial to the success of the development of our country. Many people were caught up in the idea of "Manifest Destiny," which …showed first 75 words of 604 total…

…showed last 75 words of 604 total…crime." In regard to Polk's Justifications to war Abraham Lincoln stated that, "He falls short of proving Justification." Anti-Expansionists felt that expansion was happening too fast and too wrong. In the 1840's the United States gained a lot of crucial land for the U.S.. It was argued that it was wrong on many levels, but also that it was inevitable. In the end the United States expanded. They did so because they had to.