This project examines the development of a global spatial order in the long 19th century, paying special attention to the continuity of the spatial format “nation state cum empire” that emerged in the late 18th century. The project consists of two case studies: France and its links with its colonies in Asia and Africa, and the US in its relationship to and in comparison with Central and South America. In doing so, this project (1) nuances global history narratives, too often shaped by a central focus on the British Empire, (2) questions periodizations of the rise of the nation state spatial format, and (3) links the nation state cum empire format with other spatial formats under the global condition.