A Great and Rising Nation

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Early American naval expeditions, often viewed as exploratory, were driven by imperialist ambitions, as Michael Verney reveals. These missions, supported by diverse domestic groups, aimed to establish the U.S. as an evangelical leader, a key player in the slave trade, and a conventional empire. Verney highlights a surprising consensus among various factions—Hamiltonians, Jeffersonians, militarists, pacifists, abolitionists, and slaveholders—on the importance of showcasing American power to the world, challenging the notion of a weak young nation.