At the beginning of the twentieth century, the United States was trying to manage a growing economy, population, and international reputation. In a world of competing powers, the U.S. was attempting to find its place in the world order. This came to fruition during the Spanish-American War which started as a war of liberation but was the first step in building the American "Empire". Under Charismatic leaders such as Teddy Roosevelt, the Spanish-American War signaled to the world the rising influence and power of the United States. We had on Clay Risen who is a Political editor at The New York Times. Risen has written widely about spirits for newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, and the Washington Post. Some of his work includes the spirits bestseller American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Favorite Spirit. He is also the author of several popular American histories, including A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination, The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act, and the The Crowded Hour: Teddy Roosevelt, the Rough Riders and the Dawn of the American Century which was a NYT notable book of 2019.