He wanted to use the Mississippi for trade
Geologic processes that shape the Earth are cyclical. Geologic processes are only similar in if they occur in the same area.
Generally speaking, it would be an association with "the European Union" that offers the brightest immediate future for many African countries, since this is a union of many countries with economic and moral interests in Africa, as opposed to just one.
The belief that the united states had the right to expand its borders and claim new lands
