Between the American Revolution and the American Civil War, the United States built a continental nation — and it also built a global empire. This exhibition gleans from the Lilly Library’s exquisite collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century books to capture this paradox of interconnection and disconnection enacted by a nation attaining continental size and an empire reaching global scale. Fully digitized books and an interactive digital map help the user trace American diplomatic, military, commercial, missionary, and other activities in the world.

Note: this online exhibition is currently being migrated and is not available. Please contact the curator for more information.