Modern Latin America (saylor.org)

This course will introduce you to the history of Latin America from the early 19th century, when many Latin American colonies declared their independence from European rule (predominately Spain and Portugal), to the present day. This course fulfills one of the required six geographical concentration courses for the History major. This course also fulfills one of the requirements for the History minor.

In this course, you will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place throughout Latin America during this crucial 200-year period of nation-state formation and engagement with the rest of the world. The units in the course are set up chronologically, but at the same time the units address the development and history of specific Latin American regions, including Mexico, Central America, and South America, and nation-states. Each unit includes representative primary-source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as efforts by independent Latin American nations to create stable economies in the 19th century in the face of colonial and mercantile systems, the political and economic conflicts among independent states and European imperial powers, the emergence of often extreme left-wing and right-wing political and social movements in the 20th century, the developmental challenges that many Latin American nations face today, and the recent ascendance of certain Latin American nations economically, politically, and socially.

By the end of the course, you will understand how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states. You will be able to think critically about the history of Latin and South America from the 19th century to the present.