HIST H421/H521 Prof. Michael Snodgrass

Spring 2004 Cavanaugh 503S 278-7761

Cavanaugh 217 Office Hours: M 2:30-5:00

M/W 1:00-2:15 misnodgr@iupui.edu

United States-Latin American Relations: Historical Perspectives

Since they achieved independence in the early 1800s, Latin Americans have looked towards the United States with a mixed sense of admiration, betrayal, curiosity, and mistrust. Our southern neighbors may emulate our institutions, welcome our investments, and consume our products. But they remain determined to uphold their political autonomy, economic independence, and cultural traditions. This course examines the history behind this ambivalent relation between Latin America and the United States.

We explore the historical development of a broad range of issues and trends, including: the strategic, economic, and ideological factors that shape U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America; the causes and consequences of US military and covert operations in the region; economic relations; and patterns of cultural exchange, including Latin American immigration to the U.S.A. Particular attention will be paid to the changing images and perceptions of Latin America in the United States as well as how Latin Americans view the ‘Colossus of the North.’

Consistent with IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning, this course is designed to develop student skills of critical and comparative analysis, improve writing proficiency, and enhance one’s capacity to organize and express his or her thoughts. Students will sharpen these skills by writing short essays, engaging in classroom discussions and constructive debate, and preparing for examinations.

Required readings:

* Lars Schoultz, Beneath the United States: A History of U.S. Policy Toward Latin America

* Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer, Bitter Fruit: The Story of an American Coup in Guatemala

* Ruben Martínez, Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail

* ERROL readings posted to the library’s Electronic Reserves system. (To access these readings, go to http://errol.ulib.iupui.edu/, click Snodgrass under instructor, click on our class H421 and then enter the password HISTH421 to open the documents.)

* Online documents (listed below in course schedule) are accessible through

a) the website addresses listed on this syllabus or

b) direct links via the syllabus posted to the Oncourse system or

c) via the syllabus posted at the History Department website:

http://www.iupui.edu/~history/spring04/spring04.html

(* Students are advised to print all ERROL and online documents as soon as possible.)

This syllabus, class announcements, lecture outlines, assignments, and grades will be posted to Oncourse (go to https://oncourse.iupui.edu/). Students unfamiliar with the Oncourse system may find a “Getting Help” guide at the website or see the professor for assistance.

Course requirements and grading (based upon 1,000 total points):

Two exams (200 points each) = 400 points

Two essays (200 points each) = 400 points (assignments to provided in class)

Class participation = 100 points

Critical reading analyses (4H25 points) = 100 points*

* Students will prepare four brief (1-2 pages) critical reviews of selected readings based upon questions provided on the previous day’s lecture outline and posted to the Oncourse system (under the SCHEDULE tab). Students may choose to write the critical reading reviews on any four of the seven days indicated in the course schedule by an asterisk (*).

History graduate students enrolled in H521 will research and write a 15-20 page historiography essay in lieu of the two examinations. Guidelines and due dates will be provided in class.

Final grade scores: A (1,000-930), A- (929-900), B+ (899-880), B (879-830), B- (829-800), C+ (799-780), C (779-730), C- (729-700), D (699-600), F (599 or less).

Remember...

* You are expected to attend all classes and come prepared to discuss all reading assignments. Class participation grades reflect active participation in classroom discussions.

* All late assignments will be penalized as follows: one grade (B to C) for assignments not turned in on due date, and two full grades (B to D) for assignments turned in more than one week late. ASSIGNMENTS MORE THAN TWO WEEKS LATE ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

* Be sure to save all papers on your hard drive and a diskette and to retain graded assignments until final grades are posted. Check Oncourse to ensure your grades are recorded correctly.

* Plagiarism and cheating will be punished in accordance with university policy, as outlined in the Indiana University Academic Handbook (p.123) and the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002 (p.36). The following is from the School of Liberal Arts official statement on plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the use of the work of others without properly crediting the actual source of the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, entire articles, music or pictures. Using other students’ work (with or without their permission) is still plagiarism if you don’t indicate who initially did the work. Plagiarism, a form of cheating, is a serious offense and will be severely punished. When an instructor suspects plagiarism, he/she will inform the student of the charge; the student has the right to respond to the allegations. Students whose work appears to be plagiarized may be asked to produce earlier drafts of work or all the books/articles used in a paper or speech. Students should, for this reason and as a protection in cases of lost papers, retain rough drafts, notes, computer files and other work products for three weeks after the end of each semester. The penalties for plagiarism include reprimands, being failed for a particular take-home exam, paper, project or the entire course, disciplinary probation, or dismissal. Faculty, after consulting with their chair and/or the School of Liberal Arts Dean of Students must notify students in writing of their decision. Students have the right to appeal such decisions by submitting petitions to the Academic Affairs Committee. Petitions can be obtained in CA 401. For further information, see ‘Code of Student Ethics,’ available in CA 401.”

COURSE SCHEDULE

Jan. 12 US-Latin American Relations Today

Jan. 14 Early US-Latin American Relations

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, xi-13

The Monroe Doctrine: http://www.freedomshrine.com/documents/monroe.html

T. Jefferson’s view of Monroe Doctrine: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/thomas.htm

Jan. 19 ** Martin Luther King, Jr. Day **

Jan. 21 Mexico Encounters Manifest Destiny

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 14-38

Manifest Destiny defined: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/osulliva.htm

President Polk’s declaration of war on Mexico: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/polkswar.htm

Jan. 26 Life on the New Frontier

Jan. 28 William Walker, The Grey-Eyed Man of Destiny

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 39-77

Feb. 2 (*) Americans in Cuba, Cubans in the USA

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 78-124

ERROL: Marti, “Cuba and the United States” & “The Truth About the US”

Feb. 4 The War of l898

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 125-151

The Platt Amendment: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/platt.htm

Feb. 9 The American Military Government in Cuba

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 152-204

Hoosier Senator Beveridge supports US foreign policy:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1898beveridge.html

Domestic opposition to US foreign policy:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1899antiimp.html

Feb. 11 (*) Bananas and Black Gold: economic integration in the Americas

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 205-219

ERROL: Brown, “Foreign and Native Born Workers in Porfirian Mexico”

Feb. 16 Mexico, l9l0: Revolution on the Border

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 220-52

Feb. 18 ** No Class **

Feb. 23 Oil and Revolution in Mexico

Feb. 25 (*) Merchants and Marines in the Caribbean Basin

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 253-289

ERROL: LeGrand, “Living in Macondo”

Mar. 1 Examination #1

Mar. 3 (*) Anti-imperialism at home and abroad

President Coolidge defends US policy of intervention:

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/cc101.htm

John Dewey’s opposition to US policy:

http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/ailtexts/dewey.html

Jay Lovestone, American Imperialism (read chapters I-III):

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/cc101.htm

Mar. 8 Learning to be Good Neighbors

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 290-315

Mar. 10 (*) Pan-Americanism during WWII

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 316-331

Fein, “Everyday Forms of Transnational Collaboration”

(*posted as pdf file to Oncourse under Schedule)

Mar. 15 ** Spring Break Week **

Mar. 22 The Cold War in Latin America

Schlesinger/Kinzer, Bitter Fruit

Essay #1 due today

Mar. 24 The Cuban Revolution

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 332-348

JFK’s Alliance for Progress (March l961):

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1961kennedy-afp1.html

Mar. 29 (*) Yankee Go Home!

ERROL: a) Castro, “The Duty of a Revolutionary”;

b) Zolov, “Discovering a Land ‘Mysterious and Obvious’”

Mar. 31 The CIA in Chile

Apr. 5 Revolution in Central America

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 349-66

Apr. 7 Counter-revolution in Central America

Apr. 12 (*) Debating US Policy in Central America

ERROL: a) Committee of Sante Fe, “Saving the New World From Communism”; b) National Bipartisan Commission, “Central America in Revolt”; c) Reagan, “The Fear of Communism,”d) Noam Chomsky, Turning the Tide, pp.1-33

Apr. 14 The Panama Connection

Apr. 19 Mexican Migrants at Home and Abroad

Martínez, Crossing Over

Essay #2 due today

Apr. 21 The Politics of Cocaine

Apr. 26 The War on Drugs

Apr. 28 Free Trade in the Americas

Schoultz, Beneath the United States, 367-86

ERROL: Silverstein, “Busted Coverage”

Wypijewski, “GE Brings Bad Things to Life”

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20010212&s=wypijewski

May 3 US-Latin American Relations: Future Perspectives

OR

Examination #2 (TBA after student referendum)