John L. O'Sullivan as he appeared on the cover of Harper's Weekly in November 1874. O'Sullivan was then attending a conference in Geneva that sought to create a process of international arbitration in order to prevent wars.

For other persons named John O'Sullivan, see John O'Sullivan (disambiguation).

John Louis O'Sullivan (November 15, 1813 – March 24, 1895) was an American columnist and editor who used the term "Manifest Destiny" in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States. O'Sullivan was an influential political writer and advocate for the Democratic Party at that time, but he faded from prominence soon thereafter. He was rescued from obscurity in the twentieth century after the famous phrase "Manifest Destiny" was traced back to him. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (523x622, 106 KB) Summary Sketch of John L. OSullivan in 1874. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (523x622, 106 KB) Summary Sketch of John L. OSullivan in 1874. ... Harpers Weekly Inauguration Number 1897 Harpers Weekly (A Journal of Civilization) was an American political magazine published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... John OSullivan is the name of: John OSullivan (columnist) (born 1942), conservative columnist John OSullivan (Jesuit), Irish Jesuit John OSullivan (rugby player) John L. OSullivan (1813–1895), journalist who popularized the phrase Manifest Destiny John M. OSullivan (1891–1948), Irish Cumann na nGaedhael/Fine... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in leap years). ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This painting (circa 1872) by John Gast called American Progress is an allegorical representation of Manifest Destiny. ... Official language(s) None See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Landscape in Oregon Country, by Charles Marion Russell Map of Oregon Country Oregon Country was a region of western North America that originally consisted of the land north of 42°N latitude, south of 54°40N latitude, and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ...

Early years

O'Sullivan was born on the North Atlantic Ocean during the War of 1812, his mother having taken refuge on a British ship to avoid plague in Gibraltar, where his father was engaged in business. His father, also named John, was a naturalized American citizen of Irish ancestry; his mother Mary Rowly was English. O'Sullivan attended Columbia College in New York City, where he excelled. Combatants United States Native Americans United Kingdom, Canadian provincial forces Native Americans First Nations Peoples Commanders James Madison Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson Isaac Brock† George Prevost Tecumseh† Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6... Columbia College is the main undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the universitys main campus of Morningside Heights in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York. ... Nickname: Big Apple; City that never Sleeps; Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

In 1837, O'Sullivan co-founded and served as editor for The United States Magazine and Democratic Review (generally called the Democratic Review), a highly regarded journal meant to champion Jacksonian Democracy, a movement that had usually been disparaged in the more conservative North American Review. The magazine featured political essays—many of them penned by O'Sullivan—extolling the virtues of Jacksonian Democracy and criticizing what Democrats regarded as the aristocratic pretensions of their opponents. The journal supported Martin Van Buren in the 1840 presidential election (he lost) and James K. Polk in the 1844 election (he won). The United States Magazine and Democratic Review was a periodical published by John L. OSullivan during the mid-19th century. ... Jacksonian democracy refers to the political philosophy of United States President Andrew Jackson and his followers in the new Democratic Party. ... First issue of the North American Review with signature of its editor William Tudor (1779-1830). ... Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862), nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the eighth President of the United States. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

The Democratic Review was also (perhaps even primarily) a literary magazine, promoting the development of American literature by publishing works of authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne and O'Sullivan became close friends, and Hawthorne had more pieces published in O'Sullivan's magazine than in any other periodical. The Democratic Review was always in financial difficulties, since it accepted no advertising and relied on subscriptions and donations to survive. O'Sullivan relinquished his editorial duties for a short time to practice law, though he continued to write for the magazine. Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 -April 27, 1882) was an American author, poet, and philosopher. ... Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862; born David Henry Thoreau) was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, and philosopher who is most well-known for Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance... Walt Whitman of 1897 by R.S. Peale and J.A. Hill</ref> He largely abandoned the [[Meter (poetry)|Whitman and Louisa (Van Velsor) Whitman. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 - May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ...

In 1841, at twenty-seven years of age, O'Sullivan was elected to the New York State Assembly. In office, he gained a reputation as advocate for abolition of the death penalty, a cause he would continue to promote after leaving the Assembly. He also championed other reforms, such as rights for women and working people. He worked to make New York City public schools, which were oriented towards Protestantism, more acceptable to Catholics, Jews, and Quakers. He proposed creating a "Congress of Nations," a body which would mediate international disputes in order to prevent the outbreak of war. His agenda met much resistance in the Assembly, and he did not seek reelection after the end of the 1842 term. According to biographer Robert D. Sampson, O'Sullivan was "far in advance of his colleagues on such issues as religious toleration, humane approaches to punishment and incarceration, sexual equality in the legal arena, and economic justice". The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York Legislature body of the state of New York. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

O'Sullivan attended the dramatic 1844 Democratic National Convention, where he advocated the nomination of ex-President Martin Van Buren. Although Van Buren was passed over in favor of James K. Polk, O'Sullivan worked tirelessly to promote Polk in the 1844 campaign, although O'Sullivan would always have reservations about him. The New York Morning News, an inexpensive daily newspaper O'Sullivan co-edited with Samuel J. Tilden, was created soon before the election of 1844 to promote the Democratic Party, particularly among working class people in New York City. Furthermore, in an effort to unite the divided Democrats, O'Sullivan convinced Van Buren to endorse Polk on the eve of the election. O'Sullivan's efforts helped Polk carry New York State. Henry Clay would have won the election had Polk lost New York, and so in his study of the Young America movement, Edward L. Widmer argues that O'Sullivan "may have single-handedly won the election for Polk". Featured at the Democratic National Convention are speeches by prominent party figures. ... Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862), nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the eighth President of the United States. ... James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. ... Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 - August 4, 1886) was the Democratic candidate for the US presidency in the disputed election of 1876, the most controversial American election of the 19th century. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Henry Clay (April 12, 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia – June 29, 1852 in Washington, D.C.) was a leading American statesman and orator who represented Kentucky in both the House of Representatives and Senate. ... The Young America movement was a political movement in the United States from the 1850s to the outbreak of the American Civil War. ...

"Manifest Destiny"

In the July–August 1845 issue the Democratic Review, O'Sullivan published an essay entitled "Annexation", which called on the U.S. to admit the Republic of Texas into the Union. Because of concerns in the Senate over the expansion of the number of slave states and the possibility of war with Mexico, the annexation of Texas had long been a controversial issue. Congress had voted for annexation early in 1845, but Texas had yet to accept, and opponents were still hoping to block the annexation. O'Sullivan's essay urged that "It is now time for the opposition to the Annexation of Texas to cease." O'Sullivan argued that the United States had a divine mandate to expand throughout North America, writing of "our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions." Texas was annexed shortly thereafter, but O'Sullivan's first usage of the phrase "Manifest Destiny" attracted little attention. Official language English (de facto) Spanish, French, German and Native American languages regionally Capital Washington-on-the-Brazos (1836) Harrisburg (1836) Galveston (1836) Velasco (1836) Columbia (1836) Houston (1837–1839) Austin (1839–1845) Largest city San Antonio de Béxar Presidents David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Anson... Republic of Texas The Texas Annexation of 1845 was the annexation of Texas by the United States of America as the 28th state. ...

O'Sullivan's second use of the phrase became extremely influential. In a column which appeared in the New York Morning News on December 27, 1845, O'Sullivan addressed the ongoing boundary dispute with Great Britain in the Oregon Country. O'Sullivan argued that the United States had the right to claim "the whole of Oregon": December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Oregon Country/Columbia District Disputed Area is the main area of dispute, although the whole region was disputed The Oregon boundary dispute (often called the Oregon question) arose as a result of competing British and American claims to the Oregon Country, a region of northwestern North America known also... Landscape in Oregon Country, by Charles Marion Russell Map of Oregon Country Oregon Country was a region of western North America that originally consisted of the land north of 42°N latitude, south of 54°40N latitude, and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ...

And that claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.

That is, O'Sullivan believed that God ("Providence") had given the United States a mission to spread republican democracy ("the great experiment of liberty") throughout North America. Because Great Britain would not use Oregon for the purposes of spreading democracy, thought O'Sullivan, British claims to the territory could be disregarded. O'Sullivan believed that Manifest Destiny was a moral ideal (a "higher law") that superseded other considerations, including international laws and agreements. He made clear he did not include eastern Canada as part of the destiny, and worked to defuse tensions between the two countries in the 1840s. In theology, Divine Providence, or simply Providence, is the sovereignty, superintendence, or agency of God over events in peoples lives and throughout history. ... Republican democracy is a republic which has democracy. ...

O'Sullivan's original conception of Manifest Destiny was not a call for territorial expansion by force. He believed that the expansion of U.S.-style democracy was inevitable, and would happen without military involvement as whites (or "Anglo-Saxons") emigrated to new regions. O'Sullivan disapproved of the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, although he came to believe that the outcome would be beneficial to both countries. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia Strength 7,000 - 43,000 18,000 - 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded (Mexican government...

O'Sullivan's phrase provided a label for sentiments which had become particularly popular during the 1840s, but the ideas themselves were not new. O'Sullivan himself had earlier expressed some of these ideas, notably in an 1839 essay entitled "The Great Nation of Futurity". O'Sullivan was not the originator of the concept of Manifest Destiny, but he was one of its foremost advocates.

At first, O'Sullivan was not aware that he had created a new catch phrase. The term became popular after it was criticized by Whig opponents of the Polk administration. On January 3, 1846, Representative Robert Winthrop ridiculed the concept in Congress, saying "I suppose the right of a manifest destiny to spread will not be admitted to exist in any nation except the universal Yankee nation". Despite this criticism, Democrats embraced the phrase. It caught on so quickly that it was forgotten that O'Sullivan had coined it. It was not until 1927 that historian Julius Pratt determined that the phrase had originated with O'Sullivan. The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Robert Charles Winthrop Robert Charles Winthrop (May 12, 1809–November 16, 1894) was an American statesman who served in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. ... Congress in Joint Session. ... The term Yankee refers to citizens of the United States, particularly northerners, especially those Americans from the Northeastern United States whose ancestors arrived from Britain before 1700. ...

In Mistress of Manifest Destiny: A Biography of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau, 1807–1878 (2001), Linda S. Hudson argued that a freelance writer, the controversial Jane McManus Storm Cazneau, actually wrote the "Annexation" editorial, and thus coined the phrase "Manifest Destiny". Since many editorials in O'Sullivan's publications were unsigned, Hudson used computer-aided "textual analysis" to support her argument. O'Sullivan biographer Robert D. Sampson disputes Hudson's claim for a variety of reasons, including arguing that the "control" sample of O'Sullivan's writing that Hudson compared with "Annexation" was not in fact written by O'Sullivan.

Later years

O'Sullivan was at the peak of his fame and influence at the time of the "Manifest Destiny" articles. For example, at a Tammany Hall victory celebration on January 8, 1845, he proposed erecting a statue to the Democratic Party's founder and hero, Andrew Jackson. The monument that eventually emerged from his proposal was the famous equestrian statue of Jackson in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, which was dedicated in 1853. Tammany Hall was the name given to the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in New York City politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Presidents Park, located in Washington, D.C., includes the White House, a visitor center, Lafayette Square, and the Ellipse. ... North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ...

Financial troubles abruptly brought an end to his editorial career. The New York Morning News was losing money, and in May 1846 the paper's investors fired O'Sullivan. The new management was unable to turn things around, and the paper ceased publication in September. Around the same time, O'Sullivan sold the Democratic Review, although he would still occasionally write for the magazine. Now thirty-two years old, he began looking for new opportunities.

O'Sullivan married Susan Kearny Rodgers on October 21, 1846. The couple went to Cuba for their honeymoon, where one of O'Sullivan's sisters lived. O'Sullivan thereafter became involved in a movement to win Cuban independence from Spanish rule. Comprised of Cuban dissidents and American "filibusters", the movement hoped to have Cuba annexed to the United States. On May 10, 1848, O'Sullivan had the first of several meetings with President Polk to try to convince the president to buy Cuba from Spain. Polk offered Spain one hundred million dollars for Cuba—the amount suggested by O'Sullivan—but the offer was declined. October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A honeymoon is the traditional trip taken by newlyweds to celebrate their marriage. ... A filibuster is a private individual who engages in unauthorized warfare against a foreign country, often with the intent of overthrowing the existing government. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

O'Sullivan continued to work for Cuban independence, raising money for the failed filibustering expedition of Narcisco Lopez. As a result, O'Sullivan was charged in federal court in New York with violation of the Neutrality Act. His trial in March 1852 ended in a hung jury. Although O'Sullivan's reputation was tarnished, he was appointed by the Pierce administration as the U.S. Minister to Portugal, serving from 1854 to 1858. This proved to be his last steady employment; he and his wife would spend the rest of their lives on the edge of poverty. Narcisco Lopez was a Cuban born soldier of fortune. ... Several United States laws have been called Neutrality Acts: The Neutrality Act of 1935 prohibited American citizens from selling arms to belligerents in international war. ... Franklin Pierce, Sr. ...

O'Sullivan opposed the coming of the American Civil War, hoping that a peaceful solution—or a peaceful separation of North and South—could be worked out. In Europe when the war began, O'Sullivan became an active supporter of the Confederate States of America; he may have been on the Confederate payroll at some point. O'Sullivan wrote a number of pamphlets promoting the Confederate cause, arguing that the presidency had become too powerful and that states' rights needed to be protected against encroachment by the central government. Although he had earlier supported the "free soil" movement, he now defended the institution of slavery, writing that blacks and whites could not live together in harmony without it. His activities greatly disappointed some of his old friends, including Hawthorne. After the war, he spent several more years in self-imposed exile in Europe. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Lincoln, President Ulysses S. Grant, General Jefferson Davis, President Robert E. Lee, General Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until 29 May 1861) Richmond, Virginia (29 May 1861–2 April 1865) Danville, Virginia (from 3 April 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government Republic... States rights refers to the idea that U.S. states possess certain rights and political powers in the politics of the United States and constitutional law. ... In the United States, Free Soil was a position taken by northern citizens and politicians in the 19th century advocating that all new U.S. territory be closed to slavery. ...

O'Sullivan returned to New York in the late 1870s, where he unsuccessfully tried to use his Democratic contacts to get appointed to some office. His political life, however, was over. After the death of his mother, he became a believer in spiritualism, then a popular fad, and claimed to have used the services of one of the Fox sisters to communicate with the spirits of people such as William Shakespeare. Spiritualism is a religious movement, prominent from the 1840s to the 1920s, found primarily in English-speaking countries. ... The Fox Sisters Sisters Catherine (1838–92), Leah (1814–90) and Margaretta (1836–93) Fox played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism. ...

O'Sullivan suffered a stroke in 1889. He died in obscurity from influenza in a residential hotel in New York City in 1895, just as the phrase "Manifest Destiny" was being revived. He is buried in the Moravian Cemetery on Staten Island. The Moravian Cemetery at 2205 Richmond Road in New Dorp on Staten Island, New York is the largest cemetery on the island. ... Staten Island, in yellow, lies to the southwest of the rest of New York City. ...

References

• Johannsen, Robert W. "The Meaning of Manifest Destiny", in Sam W. Hayes and Christopher Morris, eds., Manifest Destiny and Empire: American Antebellum Expansionism. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-89096-756-3.
• Sampson, Robert D. John L. O'Sullivan and His Times. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2003.
• Widmer, Edward L. Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. (excerpt)

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

John L. O'Sullivan

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Great Nation of Futurity

• "The Democratic Principle", mission statement from the first issue (1837) of the Democratic Review, called by Robert D. Sampson "a classic statement of romantic Jacksonian Democracy"
• "The Great Nation of Futurity": November 1839 editorial in which O'Sullivan touched upon many themes of Manifest Destiny.
• "Annexation": The July-August 1845 editorial in which the phrase "Manifest Destiny" first appeared
• Find-A-Grave profile for John L. O'Sullivan