Ever since the first European settlers arrived on the east coast of North America, a sense of divine mission—which came to be called "manifest destiny"—prevailed. It was the belief that America's mission was to occupy the continent and spread democracy across the land. In fewer than 100 years, the United States grew from a union of 13 colonies to a continental power, one that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the Pacific. In the 30 years after expanding from sea to sea, the United States became a world power following a brief war with Spain. American territorial expansion is over, but ever since the end of World War II, the American version of the English language, together with American culture, has been steadily spreading around the world. Learn in this new title how expansionism has been a crucial part of U.S. history.