American empire: The United States from colonies to superpower

What it covers

In this unit you will examine the rise of the United States to global dominance across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and to a superpower in the 21st century. You will 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. You will look at different expressions of power, including hard and soft power, and ask whether 'empire' is the right term to describe America's influence. You will end by assessing whether the United States will continue to play the role of global superpower in the 21st century.

Assessment

When and where