HI 453: US-Latin American Relations

  • Disclaimer: Obviously all instructors, including me, change course assignments and books with some frequency. Thus the course you take may not be exactly that described below. The course philosophy, approach and expectations, however, remain constant, so this description is an accurate if somewhat general guide of what to expect.

    Course Summary

  • This course traces the historical evolution of relations between Latin America and the US from the early nineteenth century to the present. Since the announcement of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States has played a growing role in the affairs of Latin America. Latin Americans have looked at the increasing power and influence of their northern neighbor with a mixture of admiration and fear. Trade, investment, and debt, revolution, security issues, environmental problems, and other hemispheric issues bind together North and South America. Geographical proximity, NAFTA, the fast growing Hispanic population in the US, and US superpower status dictate that US-Latin American relations will remain important.
  • Students examine the most significant eras and issues in inter-American relations -- the myth and reality of the Monroe Doctrine, Manifest Destiny & expansionism, filibustering in Central America, Dollar Diplomacy, the Good Neighbor Policy, Alliance for Progress, and US opposition to revolution.

    Participatory, Inquiry-Guided Learning
  • Learning is not a spectator sport. Intellectual exchanges involving all students and the instructor enrich learning for all. Studying history involves an accumulation of knowledge about the past and an understanding of the forces that shape the past and present. But we must also learn to communicate that knowledge, in writing and orally, to others. You must be ready to share your analyses in class. Obviously, you must be IN class to participate, so regular attendance is necessary. Short-answer exam questions are based on class activities, including videotape and slide presentations. Essays require knowledge of general themes & concepts developed in lectures and discussions supported with historical specifics from the reading and video presentations.

    Educational Objectives

  • Students will learn to analyze historically the relationship between foreign policy development and events within various nations. Students will learn to use historical evidence to analyze
    • major events in US-Latin American relations
    • internal and external forces that shape foreign policy
    • the long-term impact of past policies
    • policy alternatives for the future
    • critical evaluation of the short-term and long-term impact of foreign policies
    In addition to honing analytical skills, students will get considerable practice in communicating what they learn both orally and in writing.

    Required Reading

  • Generally 2-3 books, plus Internet sources constitute the core on class reading. The raw material for our inquiry is a collection of documents, Latin America and the US: A Documentary History, edited by Robert H. Holden and Eric Zolov, supplemented by additional online primary sources. This is a very inductive approach—we'll build our understanding of US-Latin American relations one small piece at a time. Once we've established our understanding of what a group of documents means, we'll compare our interpretation with that of other scholars in another scholarly monograph of collection of essays.

    Typical Assignments and Grading

    • Classroom Activities count for about 30% of grade:
    • Participation in Discussions
    • Attendance--should be near perfect
    • Students give two oral reports based on group-produced wiki pages
    • Written Exercises about 70% of grade
    • Students write 10 brief (400-600 word) answers to "Thought Questions" as well as several longer analytical essays

    Your Job: Interactive, Participatory Learning

  • Learning is not a spectator sport. Intellectual exchanges involving all students & the instructor enrich learning for all. Your job is to be here and be alive! Studying history requires accumulating knowledge about the past & understanding the forces that shape past & present. We must also learn to communicate knowledge, in writing & orally, to others. You must be ready to share your analyses in class. Obviously, you must be IN class to participate.