How the US went from a bunch of colonies to super power in under 10 minutes

For those Americans interested in U.S. history and how the rise of American power affected global politics, have we found a gem for you.

A big hint: it involved purchasing land. Also, there were some invasions.

Also Read: This mistress tried to get the future President to back Germany in WWI

American foreign policy has come a long way, evolving from the country from the foundation of the American experiment in democracy to the global superpower as we know it. Military and economic power at home not only affect how America sees the world and deals with other nations but also how those countries interact with the U.S.

Many of us know America is a country founded on war with the idea that we, if left to our own devices, could co-exist peacefully with the world and be a responsible player on the world stage. For the most part, we were right. Our early, limited wars we fought with a sense of necessity – to keep the seas free for American merchants to conduct trade and to affirm our independence from the British Empire.

But not every American politician was content with this philosophy.

If the United States had kept every country it invaded, purchased every territory it negotiated, and acquired all the land ever proposed by American politicians, it might span the globe today. Countries like the Philippines, Iceland, Nicaragua, Cuba, and territories like Greenland have all caught American's attention at some point.

Politicians met with mixed success on acquiring these lands, of course. But the 20th century brought with it great power and great responsibility.

The digital news website Vox made this outstanding explainer video on just how we came from a confederation of colonies to a global superpower – and what might be next with the incoming President, who is known to think a little different.

Watch the video below, and visit Vox's YouTube page for more. There's a lot of great history there.