How did Manifest Destiny deepen divisions among U.S. citizens?

Question

How did Manifest Destiny deepen divisions among U.S. citizens?

by igniting debate over the expansion of slavery
by empowering a nationalist revolutionary movement
by working against the spread of democracy
by undermining calls to defend the annexation of Texas

Answer 1

by igniting debate over the expansion of slavery

Answer 2

Manifest Destiny deepened divisions among U.S. citizens by igniting debate over the expansion of slavery. The concept of Manifest Destiny, which stated that it was the God-given right of Americans to expand their territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, led to conflicts over whether newly acquired territories would permit or ban slavery. This debate intensified as the United States acquired new territories, such as the Mexican Cession and the Oregon Territory, leading to the polarization of the North and the South on the issue of slavery. This division eventually culminated in the American Civil War.