How Reading essays reveals a dark side to Manifest Destiny. What is that dark side?

Reading essays on Manifest Destiny reveals a dark side through the examination of its impact on Indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups. While often framed as a noble mission of expansion and progress, Manifest Destiny resulted in violent displacement, cultural erasure, and systemic oppression. The ideology justified land theft, broken treaties, and the brutal consequences of westward expansion, highlighting the moral contradictions inherent in the pursuit of American progress. This darker narrative underscores the cost of national growth, often borne by those who were already living on the land.