While public debates over America's current foreign policy often treat American empire as a new phenomenon, this lively collection of essays demonstrates that notions of empire have long framed debates over western expansion, Indian removal, African slavery, Asian immigration, and global economic dominance, and they persist today despite the proliferation of anti-imperialist rhetoric. In 15 essays, distinguished historians examine the central role of empire in American race relations, nationalism, and foreign policy from the founding of the U.S. to the 21st century.