HomeMy WebLinkAboutHIS-132Bergen Community College
Department of History and Geography
HISTORY 132: THE SPANISH SPEAKING CARIBBEAN
& CENTRAL AMERICA SINCE 1898
Professor Ilan Ehrlich, Ph.D.
iehrlich@bergen.edu
Credits/Hours: 3 credits / 3 hours
General Education Course: Pending
Prerequisites: None
Meeting Times: Monday, Wednesday, 3:15-4:30pm
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12-1 p.m. and Tuesday, 5-6pm in A-332
The Spanish speaking Caribbean and Central American countries have served since
1898 as a United States “backyard,” incubator of revolutionary movements, Cold War
playground and more recently, a way station for drug traffickers. Many of these nations
continue to struggle with the legacy of United States backed military governments and
their northern neighbor’s insatiable appetite for drugs. This unique set of countries
provides a lens by which to appreciate themes of local and global importance.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify major periods and figures in the Spanish speaking Caribbean and Central
America since 1898.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the narrative framework and factual basis of
Caribbean and Central American history since 1898.
3. Identify and analyze the important political, economic, social, intellectual and
religious forces that shaped the above period.
4. Summarize and interpret the continuity and change that occurs in the Spanish
speaking Caribbean and Central America from 1898 until the present.
5. Demonstrate the ability to develop a thesis and support it with historical evidence
both in writing and orally.
6. Demonstrate basic research skills by locating and using source materials.
7. Summarize, paraphrase and quote historical information in properly cited
written analyses.
8. Demonstrate the ability to state and support an interpretation of historical issues
concisely, coherently and logically.
Policy Statement
As a general education course, writing and critical thinking will feature prominently.
Essays and/or research papers will be based on analysis of primary source materials.
These may include personal accounts, official testimonies, newspaper and magazine
articles or other useful documents.
Evaluation:
Grades will be based on the following rubric:
First essay: 33%
Second essay: 33%
Take home final exam: 34%
All essays will be assigned at least two weeks in advance. Late work will not be accepted
for any reason nor shall extensions be granted. In addition, either of the first two essays
may be rewritten for a higher grade. Last but not least, class participation is roundly
encouraged. Those who participate on a regular basis and do so in constructive fashion
will gain up to five points on their final mark.
Electronic Devices:
As a matter of etiquette and basic respect, cell phone use is prohibited once class begins.
Under no circumstances is texting permissible and those who do so may be asked to
leave.
Academic Dishonesty
In accordance with school policy, academic dishonesty of any sort shall not be tolerated.
Students must submit their own work and properly credit all outside sources. Essays
bearing the marks of plagiarism shall receive a grade of 0 and will greatly damage any
chance for success in the class.
Students With Disabilities
Students who require accommodations in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) can request these services from the Office of Specialized Services.
To learn more about how to apply for services, please visit: http:www.bergen.edu/oss.
Required Reading List:
Children of Cain: Violence and the Violent in Latin America by Tina Rosenberg
I, Rigoberta Menchú by Rigoberta Menchú
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
Class Schedule:
Part I: Military Intervention and Occupation by the United States: 1898-1945
January 23: The Monroe Doctrine
January 28: The Roosevelt Corollary
January 30: The Dominican Republic: The Perpetual Colony
February 4: United States Marines Occupy the Dominican Republic, 1916-1924
February 6: The Cuban War of Independence becomes The Spanish American War
February 11: United States Intervention in Cuba: 1902-1934
February 13: United States Intervention in Nicaragua and the Reaction of Augusto
Sandino
February 18: The United Fruit Company’s Latin American Empire
February 20: Banana Republics
Part II: The Cold War Years: 1945-1989
February 25: Jacobo Arbenz Attempts to Reform Guatemala
First Essay Due
February 27: The CIA Backed Guatemalan Coup of 1954
March 4: I, Rigoberta Menchú
March 6: The Cuban Revolution
March 11: Communism in Cuba
March 13: Che Guevara: The Harsh Angel
March 25: The Somoza Family Regime in Nicaragua, 1936-1979
March 27: The Sandinista Revolution of 1979
April 1: The Governments of José Napoleón Duarte in El Salvador, 1979-1989
April 3: The Experiment
April 8: Rafael Trujillo’s Military Dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, 1930-1961
April 10: The Costa Rican Counterpoint
Part III. Current Trends: 1990-Present
April 15: Cuba’s Special Period
Second Essay Due
April 17: Pope John Paul II Visits Cuba
April 22: Managua, 1990
April 24: Panama, 1992
April 29: Central America: the Tormented Isthmus
May 1: Reaching the Untouchables: The Difficulty of Uprooting Drug Gangs
May 6: The Central American Free Trade Agreement
May 8: Poverty and Migration
May 13: Take Home Final Exam Due