To what extent was the US emergence as an imperial power a break from as opposed to a culmination of its earlier policies and national development?

Answer 1

In the 19th century, the emergence of the United States as an imperial power represented a significant break from its earlier policies and development. Beginning with the Mexican-American War in the 1840s and then taking even fuller shape in the 1898 Spanish-American War, American foreign policy took a decisive turn from its previous focus upon tending to its own affairs by acting aggressively to acquire foreign-held territories through military means.