Span 309: History & Politics of Latin America
Surveys Latin American history focusing on the development of political and social structures since the independence movements of the 19th century. Emphasizes Latin phenomenon as caudillismo, indigenismo, the Church and liberation theology, and the revolutionary movements in the 20th century.
This class was very similar to Span 307, except this course encompassed the history and politics of every Latin American country. It was also taught by Dr. Gomez and was likewise a very enjoyable learning experience for me. We learned about the indigenous people of each country, the colonization process, the African influence in certain countries due to the slave trade, the role of the church, wars and conflicts, and political history, among other things. We also learned about the revolutionary movements which created the independent Latin American countries that we have today, as well as the key leaders involved. It was valuable to me, because previously the only Latin American countries that I knew anything about were Spain and Mexico. Dr. Gomez stressed the importance of geography in this class, just as he did in Span 307. Geography is often a key factor in the outcomes of war, access to markets, and other important factors that determine the history and success of a country. This course satisfies MLO 1: Language Proficiency, and MLO 3: Literary and Cultural Knowledge.