Manifest Destiny via Vulcans

The implication that Star Trek: First Contact relates to Manifest Destiny is straightforward to me; it can only mean that the Vulcans represent God. After all, they spurred humanity's entry into space travel.

I find it especially interesting that the humans went from a wartorn, fairly crappy an primitive society after WWIII to the leaders of the Federation within a few hundred years. Did away with money, poverty, and convinced themselves to renovate society. Kinda reminds me of the Puritans and their mission to be a beacon to the world while fleeing what they saw as a degrading and decadent society, only the Federation is close to fulfilling the dream.

So while God has always given Americans the drive to conquest and colonize new lands (and new civilizations), the ethos of the Vulcans spread itself to humanity and spurred new voyages of discovery, rather than necessarily the wiping out of races.