Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte... William McKinley? Does America's 25th president really deserve a place on the list of historical figures who conquered vast regions and established an empire? He seems to be an ill-fitting member of this elite group. Yet, there he was, commander-in-chief when the US burst beyond its continental bounds and reached across the seas. But was America an empire? Is it one today? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen examine the humble origins of the man and the repercussions of the "splendid little war" he waged.