Question

During the 1800s, the main reason Americans wanted to expand territorial control outside the United States was to blank
build oversees settlements, gain natural resources, escape religious persecution, spread democracy

Answer 1

During the 1800s, the main reason Americans wanted to expand territorial control outside the United States was to **gain natural resources**. While there were also motives such as building overseas settlements, escaping religious persecution, and spreading democracy, the desire for access to new resources, including land, minerals, and agricultural products, was a significant driving force behind territorial expansion during this period, particularly evident in doctrines like Manifest Destiny.