HST 1016 - Latin American History II

3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits

Course Description
This course will give a broad overview of the history of Latin America and the Caribbean from the independence wars in the early nineteenth century until the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on the socioeconomic, cultural, and political structures and processes that shaped and continue to influence life in Latin America. Key issues such as colonialism, nationalism, democracy, and revolutionary movements will be examined critically in light of broad comparative themes in Latin American and world history. Geographically, the course will consider Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole, although some countries (such as Cuba, Mexico, and Argentina) will receive more attention than others. This course meets the following Raider Core CLO requirement: Exhibit Curiosity. (prereq: none)

Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify the geopolitical make-up of Latin America and the Caribbean
Identify several key events and major turning points in modern Latin American and Caribbean history
Demonstrate an awareness of Latin America’s diversity and historical significance through comparison of countries and cultures
Apply and use key concepts relevant to Latin American history, such as imperialism, inequality, populism, socialism, neoliberalism
Recognize the diverse ways that people exercised political power during the 19th and 20th centuries through official and extra-official channels
Contextualize current events in Latin America and the Caribbean in relation to historical processes
Analyze the origin and transformations of the concept “Latin America”
Read for a dedicated purpose across different genres and forms of writing
Communicate effectively through presentations, discussion, and written work

Prerequisites by Topic

None

Course Topics

Overview of wars of independence
Export economies
Slavery and abolition
Nation-building projects and challenges
Spanish-American War
Porfiriato
The Mexican Revolution
Post-Revolutionary Mexico
United Fruit Company, Panama Canal, and Neo-Imperialism
Socialism, feminism, and challenges to the established order
Cold War politics and economics
The Cuban Revolution
Revolution, populism and dictatorship
U.S. interventions
Liberation theology
Armed insurrection and Civil War in Central America
Human rights movements and Truth Commissions
Socialism and Neoliberalism
Colombia: The FARC and the War on Drugs
Indigenous rights and the Pink Tide
Migration patterns

Coordinator
Margaret Dwyer

Announcement

The Raider Return

Milwaukee School of Engineering

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HST 1016 - Latin American History II