What was the US government looking for in the Pacific?
*In the last half of the 19th century

The westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century was not limited to North America, but rather included an ongoing push to establish a stronger U.S. presence in and across the Pacific Ocean. This maritime expansion, driven mostly by commerce, had important implications for U.S. foreign policy.

It covered the territory of land across eurasia from northeastern europe to the pacific ocean.