America250! Origins of American Empire

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This is the third episode in an occasional series for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The idea of the frontier compelled Americans to seek new lands and independence since before the days of the American Revolution. Before the United States became a powerful global empire, ordinary Americans sought to conquer a continent, making war against Native Peoples. In this episode, historian Alan Taylor explains what drove common farmers to cross the Appalachians despite a royal proclamation forbidding such settlement.

Alan Taylor is professor emeritus of history at the University of Virginia and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

America250 podcast series:

Episode 1: Thomas Paine's Common Sense

Episode 2: Ideas of the American Revolution

Recommended reading:

American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 by Alan Taylor