In recent years, the U.S. has become involved in explicitly imperial projects around the world, engendering debate across the political spectrum over the proper role of imperialism in U.S. domestic and foreign policy. This course will explore this debate in historical depth, in order to specify the concept of "American Imperialism," and to clarify the stakes of arguments between national citizens and imperial subjects. We will examine imperial tendencies of the U.S., as well as encounters with other empires, in a broad historical survey, from the colonial period to the recent past. Our aim is an understanding of how the United States has emerged historically through ecological, economic, political, and cultural exchanges within a framework of inter-imperial conflict. Foregrounding the U.S. in a world historical context, we will consider the domestic history of the U.S. as it has been shaped through encounters across political and cultural borders. This course will fulfill the Exploring Diversity Initiative, with a comparative study of imperial cultures that have interacted with the U.S., not only enriching our cultural awareness and understanding, but also shining a light on aspects of U.S. culture that are often hidden and invisible.