Final answer:
Filibustering is the historical practice where individuals from the U.S. formed private armies to establish control over foreign territories in Latin America and the Caribbean without official American government approval.
Step-by-step explanation:
Filibustering :
The term for the practice of Americans financing private armies to try to capture or occupy foreign territory without official U.S. approval is called filibustering. Filibustering in the historical context refers to the period in the 19th century when adventurers, primarily from the United States, engaged in unauthorized military expeditions into Latin American and Caribbean countries with the goal of establishing personal authority over a territory. These actions were often driven by a mix of manifest destiny, personal profit and political influence.
One of the most famous filibusters was William Walker who briefly became president of Nicaragua in the mid-1850s before being ousted and executed. These activities were illegal and against official U.S. foreign policy since they violated neutrality laws and could potentially lead to international conflicts. While filibustering is mostly associated with that historical period, the term itself has evolved in modern usage to describe obstructive tactics in legislative assemblies, which is unrelated to the aforementioned military exploits.