HIST 108   Modern Latin America

An introduction to major political and social transformations across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of the Americas, covering the period from 1800 to the present. Students build foundational knowledge on movements for independence, postcolonial struggles for sovereignty, efforts at national building, and revolutions and political violence. Students learn about major figures from throughout the region from Benito Juárez to Che Guevara and Rigoberta Menchú. Coursework equally emphasizes the experiences of ordinary people, particularly members of marginalized groups such as Indigenous communities, Afro-Latin Americans, rural peasants, and the urban poor. Class time combines interactive lectures with discussions of historical texts by Latin American actors in translation, with graded assignments including exams and analyses of primary sources. Students successfully completing the course are well-positioned for further academic study of Latin American topics across departments and for travel, work, and/or research in the region.