<P> The Guano Islands Act ( 11 Stat. 119 , enacted August 18 , 1856 , codified at 48 U.S.C. ch. 8 § § 1411 - 1419 ) is a United States federal law passed by the U.S. Congress that enables citizens of the United States to take possession of unclaimed islands containing guano deposits . The islands can be located anywhere , so long as they are not occupied and not within the jurisdiction of another government . It also empowers the President of the United States to use the military to protect such interests and establishes the criminal jurisdiction of the United States in these territories . </P>
what did the guano islands act allow the us to do
to take possession of unclaimed islands containing guano deposits