Latin American History is a high school level course, adapted from college-level materials with a focus on primary source analysis and critical thinking. Latin American History spans from the birth of Spanish America (out of the ashes of the indigenous societies disrupted or destroyed by the conquistadors) to the modern day.
Latin American History makes use of a narrative approach paired with manifold primary sources to provide students with a single story line to bridge twenty national histories. Students will explore the complex peoples, cultures, and politics of this diverse region while also coming to terms with just how the modern United States cannot truly be understood without the added context of our neighbors to the south.
Major topics of Latin American History:
- The Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean, and Central and South America
- The Birth of Spanish America
- Brazil and the Portuguese
- The Colonies and the Colonized
- The Age of Revolution
- Postcolonial Blues
- Progress and Reform
- Neocolonialism, Nationalism, and New Revolutions
- The Cold War
- Neoliberalism Now
This is a 16-week class for teens working at a high school level. Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recordings are available for students who must miss a session.
Link to Required Books:
- Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America (4th Edition) by John Charles Chasteen
- Born in Blood and Fire: Latin American Voices – A Reader (2nd Edition) by John Charles Chasteen
- Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer
The textbooks are the latest revisions of books currently in use at respected universities across America. Ada Ferrer’s book on Cuba won the Pulitzer Prize in 2022.
