Why did Southerners show an interest in Central America and the Caribbean in the 1850s?

Southerners show interests in central america and Caribbean in 1850s in order to increase the expansion of slavery in those parts.

Explanation:

During 1850, it was a boom period of the southern states because the concept of manifest destiny echoed in all parts and southern states were dreaming to expand its boundaries of slave labor into Central America and Caribbean. Southern states were mostly considered to be agrarian economy and many people were slave labors who earned their livelihood. They were planters and miners who worked in plantations.

As the northerners were developing and many industries were set established in union states, it resulted in migration of people in search of greener pastures and their dream of slavery expansion started to fade away.