The primary concern driving the American policy of Manifest Destiny was the belief in the U.S. right to spread democracy and civilization. This ideology stemmed from a conviction that Americans, particularly Anglo-Saxon settlers, had a divine obligation to expand their way of life and institutional values across the continent. Advocates of Manifest Destiny often believed that this expansion was not only a natural development but also a moral imperative, as they viewed their form of government and society as superior and beneficial to others. This perspective justified territorial expansion as not just a matter of increasing land and resources, but as a means of spreading what they saw as the enlightened principles of democracy and civilization to less developed regions.
By emphasizing the belief in spreading civilization and democracy, this view disregarded the rights and existence of Native American tribes and other populations already inhabiting those territories, leading to significant conflict and a legacy of displacement. The other options may reflect various aspects of American expansionist attitudes, but they do not capture the core philosophical justification that was central to the concept of Manifest Destiny.