In this compelling episode of The Cauldron, acclaimed historian Dr. Barry Gough delves into the powerful 19th-century American ideology of Manifest Destiny—the belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand across the North American continent. With his trademark insight and vivid storytelling, Dr. Gough explores how this expansionist mindset fuelled American expectations that British North America—particularly the distant and resource-rich colony of British Columbia—would inevitably become part of the United States. From the tensions of the Oregon Boundary Dispute to the geopolitical shockwaves of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, this episode examines how Manifest Destiny shaped diplomatic relations, colonial policy, and the very formation of Canada’s western frontier. A fascinating look at how ideology, geography, and imperial ambition collided on the Pacific coast.
