Latin-American History Since 1820

Catalog description

This course examines the history of modern Latin America from the period of independence in the early nineteenth century until the present day. Students will learn about the geographic and political development of the region, the development of various economic models, and the widespread extraction of labor focusing on This African slavery and Indigenous exploitation. The course examines significant events and historical trends in local, national, regional and global contexts. The goal of this class is for students to think critically and analytically about important issues and themes in Latin America, and to understand how historical events have shaped this region. We will look mostly chronologically at important historical themes such as social, economic, gender, and racial conditions, as well as politics, focusing on events throughout select Latin American nations and regions. The course will focus on the following periods: the Independence and post-Independence period of the Spanish Americas (1810-1850); the period of Brazilian Empire (1808-1889); the integration of Latin America into the modern world economy (1850-1914); the rise of oligarchic and military governments (1914-86); Latin America and the US in the Cold War (1945-1989); and concludes with the recent rise of the Populist New Left and the Conservative Right backlash and violence that has recently threatened many nations of Latin America. This course fulfills the requirements for Bachelor of Arts: Humanities (BA), International Cultures (IL), General Education: Humanities (GH) and fulfills the requirement for Latin American Studies Major and Minor as well as the general credit requirement for the History Major.