The Path of Empire: A Chronicle of the United States as a World Power

"The Path of Empire: A Chronicle of the United States as a World Power" by Carl Russell Fish is a recount of how America grew to be a world power during the 19th century. It explores America's growth on the global stage, facing tricky diplomatic problems and gaining new land, starting from when the Monroe Doctrine was created and leading up to big events in how America dealt with other countries. It starts by looking at the world after the Napoleonic Wars, and how everyone in Europe wanted peace, while the Americas wanted to be free. The book talks about important people like Czar Alexander I of Russia and Prince Metternich of Austria, and how they dealt with other countries, compared to how Spanish America wanted to be democratic. The book explains why the Monroe Doctrine was important, because it showed that America was standing up for itself in the Americas and stopping Europe from having too much influence. According to Fish, the Monroe Doctrine was a turning point for America in foreign relations, as it influenced the US's future actions with other countries.