Which major empire was your current area once a part of?

[SeekTruthFromFacts]

This poll seems to omit both the American and Chinese empires, the two most powerful ones at this point in history. I know we normally complain about recentism, but they've both been around for a few centuries now.

 

[Arakhor]

There's a lot of empires missing and the United States certainly has not been an empire for 200 years.

 

[SeekTruthFromFacts]

...the United States certainly has not been an empire for 200 years.

The Shawnee and Lenape, among others, might beg to differ.

 

[Arakhor]

Remind me which Native American nations are still active in the UN?

 

[SeekTruthFromFacts]

The second sense of "empire" in the OED is:

"An extensive territory under the control of a supreme ruler (typically an emperor) or an oligarchy, often consisting of an aggregate of many separate states or territories. In later use also: an extensive group of subject territories ultimately under the rule of a single sovereign state."

Seems to describe the American territories in 1817 pretty well.

Remind me which Native American nations are still active in the UN?

None from North America, because the American empire still exists. The fact that you call them "nations", but they are excluded from the "United Nations", rather proves the point!

The OP talked about "current areas", not "current nation states".

But obviously this is just a silly poll - a wide range of interpretations isn't a bad thing.

 

[Colon]

Roman Empire, Carolingian Empire, Holy Roman Empire/Spanish Habsburgs/Austrian Habsburgs, France and Germany.

 

[Serutan]

Spanish - And until 1848 Mexico was one in extent if not in name.

 

[JohannaK]

Well Mexico was briefly an empire just after independence.

 

[Lexicus]

There's a lot of empires missing and the United States certainly has not been an empire for 200 years.

Of course the United States is an empire. The US military is not based and deployed all over the world for charitable reasons.

 

[Arakhor]

I didn't say that it wasn't an empire now or that it wasn't a superpower, just that it certainly hasn't been in that state for 200 years.

 

[Lexicus]

When do you think it became an empire, then?

 

[Arakhor]

Bearing in mind that I know very little about non-European history, I'd say that the Spanish-American War would probably be a good yardstick.

 

[MilesGregarius]

I'd be tempted to consider the US an "empire" with the Louisiana Purchase, which was over 200 years ago.

It was undoubtedly an empire with the conquest and annexation of California, Texas, et cetera during and following the Mexican War.

 

[Lexicus]

Bearing in mind that I know very little about non-European history, I'd say that the Spanish-American War would probably be a good yardstick.

Nah, the US was waging wars of conquest well before that.

 

[Arakhor]

Waging wars of conquest is usually a necessary step on the way to an empire, but it is hardly the only qualification.

 

[Lexicus]

Waging wars of conquest is usually a necessary step on the way to an empire, but it is hardly the only qualification.

Then please, explain what qualifications the US fulfilled after the Mexican War that it didn't fulfill before.

 

[Arakhor]

I'll refer you to #72.

 

[Vahnstad]

I think HRE/France and even spanish... (also habsburg, roman, nazi-germany and the dutch empire).

I live in Flanders

 

[Kyriakos]

I, and other vice-regents of god on earth, demand that the Byzantine Empire becomes part of the poll

 

[Arakhor]

I, and other vice-regents of god on earth, demand that the Byzantine Empire becomes part of the poll

If the Byzantines make an appearance, so would the sons of Osman.