Faculty
Rosalba Cazón-López and Marianne Kongerslev

Course Coordinator
Merete Borch

The course is based on History of the Americas [1] which covers the history of the Americas from the late 18th century to the 1920s. Some knowledge of the early period is recommended.

Course participants will acquire a knowledge and understanding of the core events and processes in the economic, social and political development of the Americas from 1930 onwards. This will establish a context and framework for the later study of politics, economics and markets, society and culture.

The course traces the history and development of the US and the countries of Latin America in the years after 1930. It considers both domestic policy developments and foreign policy issues.

Coverage includes the New Deal, the impact of the Second World War and the Cold War, Vietnam, Watergate, the Reagan era and the Clinton years. The course considers the foreign policy dilemmas and the domestic tensions – around race and culture - that characterized the period. In assessing the development of the Latin American countries, the course surveys the impact of economic, and social cleavages and the ways in which they structured the politics of the different central and south American countries.

History of the Americas [2] pays particular attention to relations between north and south America during the latter half of the twentieth century. Within this context, it examines the US response to leftist movements in Latin America and episodes such as the Cuban Missile crisis.

Individual oral examination (25 min. including grading)

The course uses lectures and group activities. There is an emphasis upon student participation. There will also be regular screenings of films and documentaries on US and Latin American history.

All the teaching is in English

Further reading, appropriate weblinks and discussion questions for each class are posted on SiteScape, the CBS intranet system