A FAILED VISION OF EMPIRE: THE COLLAPSE OF MANIFEST DESTINY, 1845-1872.

The text reviews three works focused on American history and historiography. The first examines Methodist missionary efforts in the Pacific Northwest from the 1830s to early 1900s, highlighting their limited success due to geographic, cultural, and demographic challenges, and the denomination's shift toward middle-class congregations. The second analyzes the nineteenth-century concept of manifest destiny, arguing that its historical interpretation has been oversimplified and that the expansionist vision was broader and more contested than commonly portrayed, ultimately losing political momentum by the 1870s. The third is a collection of essays by historian Richard W. Etulain that surveys major developments and interpretations in Western American history, offering a clear overview of evolving scholarly perspectives and emphasizing opportunities for future research in the field.