Empires, which perform their rule over diverse peoples and cultures through various means, are some of the oldest forms of political organization in history, in the words of historian William McNeill. To this, we could add that they also exert their authority and influence over diverse environments across vast stretches of land and sea, and in recent times, even air and space. The purpose of this undergraduate research seminar is to investigate how empires over the past 500 years have shaped environments of both the colonies and the metropoles, as well as the living conditions and cultures of their inhabitants.