They were living in a time when expansion to the Pacific was regarded by many people as the of the United States.

was regarded by many people as the Manifest destiny of the United States.

Explanation:

Manifest destiny was the idea, popular in the 19th century, that the United States had the right to expand its sovereingty from the Atlantic coast (where the country emerged) to the Pacific coast. This was an idea that supported the creation of a new Imperial nation in America.

The idea also influenced the development of the Monroe Doctrine, which established that the lands south of the United States were to be part of the American sphere of influence, and that European powers therefore should not meddle in the affairs of these regions.

my cultural heritage consists of irish, german, native american, and others.

b. sec, foreign relations