America has rarely thought of itself as an empire. Empires were something other nations built—European powers that conquered distant peoples, seized territory, and imposed their will on weaker societies. Americans preferred a different story about their own rise: one of expansion, opportunity, liberation, and exceptionalism.
But what happens when we look at American history through a different lens?
In this episode of The End of History, we explore the remarkable transformation of the United States during the decades between the Civil War and World War I. It was an era when a nation that had once been concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard emerged as a continental power and then stepped onto the world stage. Along the way, Americans confronted difficult questions about territory, race, commerce, military power, national greatness, and what responsibilities—or rights—a powerful nation possessed over weaker peoples.
The journey takes us from the battlefields and reservations of the American West to Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Panama, and the Caribbean. We encounter famous figures such as George Armstrong Custer, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Theodore Roosevelt, and William McKinley, alongside voices that challenged the direction America was taking.
We also explore the ideas behind this transformation. Manifest Destiny evolved into something larger as naval power, foreign markets, racial theories, missionary ambition, and the language of civilization became intertwined with America’s growing influence abroad.
At the center of the episode is a provocative historical question: Can a nation become an empire while continuing to insist that it isn’t one? This is the story of America entering the age of imperial power—and of the complicated ideals, ambitions, contradictions, and human consequences that accompanied its rise.
This post is part of our collection and series The Empire: A 250 Year American Story. Each week for the duration of 2026, new episodes will release, telling the unique, complex, and fascinating story of America’s history.
