The Pacific Ocean
By 1853, the continental boundaries of the United States were complete. But the Era of the Manifest Destiny was not over. Many Americans, including many Presidents and Congressmen, had begun to look to the Pacific ocean for possible expansion, why? to trade with Asia, especially for the appeal of profits that could be made by trading with China and the search for guano.
Some of the world's most sought after commodities -tea, porcelain, and silk- were plentiful in China and Western merchants had long sought access to these treasures.
