American empire: The United States from colonies to superpower

This unit examines the rise of the United States to global dominance across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries superpower in the 21st century. We investigate key events, from the dispossession of indigenous peoples to a series of wars at home and abroad, and consider how ideas about race, manifest destiny and national exceptionalism drove this expansion. The unit looks at different expressions of power, including hard and soft power, and asks whether 'empire' is the right term to describe America's influence. We end by assessing whether the United States will continue to play the role of global superpower in the 21st century.