PLEASE HELP!!! i dont get this history essay question for my final!!! AMERICAN CENTURY RELATED AND GLOBAL POWR?

After the civil war, the United States became preoccupied with internal affairs at the expense of foreign affairs. The navy slowly dwindled and America rarely interfered with overseas conflicts. However, after this brief period of diplomatic inactivity, America began interacting with the world, from Latin America and Spain to the Philippines and China. Through this interaction, the United States steadily became a major World Power.