History & Government

History and Government of Ecuador and Peru:

Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Peru, and Bolivia Semester

This course follows an outline examining topics including: Ancient Civilizations; The Foundations of an Empire/ From Incas to Oil; Conquest and Colonial Rule; Institutions of Latin America and the Origins of a Multiracial Society; Independence/ New Nations; the Arrival of Modern Politics and the Emergence of the Modern State; Political Stability; Positivism and Progress; Economic Prosperity; Modernization and the Social Environment; the Ending of the Old Order/ New Actors on an Old Stage; Development and Democracy Frustrated; the modernization of underdevelopment; Food Shortages, Starvation and Malnutrition; Migration to the City and Class Divisions; the Revolutionary Option/ The Shining Path; Indigenous Peoples; The Petroleum Generals; Women and Society; the Forgotten Majority; the Struggle for Survival and a New Way of Thinking; and Culture Redefined.

The historical information culminates in an intense study of current events and governments for all Ecuador and Peru. Students are required to keep up with readings, be prepared for class discussions, take several tests on historical information, and complete an in-depth research paper during this course.

History and Government of Southern Africa:

Southern Africa Semester

An intensive history course exploring the development of cultures and countries in southern Africa. We study the ancient tribes of the San, Kho-khoi, and Bantu. We visit middle Stone Age archaeological sites in Namibia and see cave drawings in Namibia’s Brandberg mountains. We discuss the Difaqane (“forced migration” in Sotho), and the reign of the Zulu chief, Shaka.

The course studies European exploration and colonization within southern Africa. We examine the settlement of the Boers, the Great Trek during the 1830’s, the Boer Wars, British rule, and other important historical events in southern Africa.

The course progresses to cover South Africa’s modern history, encompassing the Union of South Africa, Apartheid, the African National Congress, the Homelands, Reform, and the new government. The course covers Zimbabwe’s modern development from the British colony of Rhodesia to modern day Zimbabwe, and Namibia’s tumultuous growth from a German colony to independence in 1989. Discover information about Botswana’s progress from the Zulu tribes to a modern day country with popular elections and a fully democratic, multi-party, non-racial system of government.

The historical information culminates in an intense study of current events and governments for all of southern Africa.

History and Government of Mexico and Central America:

Mexican History

Studying Mexico’s pre-20th Century History, including the Olmecs (1200-600 BC), the Zapotecs of Oaxaca, and the temple center of Izapa, and the Maya were building stepped temple pyramids in the Yucatán Peninsula. The Aztecs were successors to this string of empires, settling at Tenochtitlán in the early 14th century.

Students study: the Mexican Revolution (1910-20; civil unrest appeared in 1966, when university students in Mexico City expressed their outrage with the conservative Díaz Ordaz administration; the oil boom of the late 1970s; the oil glut in the mid-1980s; President Carlos Salinas de Gortari; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and more.

Guatemala

Guatemala's many Mayan ruins and colonial buildings are its most impressive architectural attributes. One of the most intriguing cultural aspects is the infinite and exotic variety of the handmade, traditional clothing of Guatemala's Maya. The design of the women's colorfully embroidered tunics, capes and skirts dates back to pre-colonial days. Certain details of garment and design identify the wearer's group and village, and can also have multiple religious or magical meanings. Music and traditional dance also feature in many Mayan religious festivals.

In November 1999, Guatemala held its first peacetime elections in nearly 40 years. A new government was sworn in on January 14, 2000, under its recently elected right-wing president, Alfonso Portillo. An admitted murderer, Portillo won by claiming that if he could defend himself, he could defend his people. He vowed to clean up the judicial system, crack down on crime, tax the rich and respect human rights.

Honduras

Around the end of the 19th century, land on Honduras' fertile north coast was purchased by US fruit companies to ship bananas back home. Bananas accounted for 66% of all Honduran exports in 1913, making the companies extremely powerful players in Honduran politics. Each allied themself with a domestic political faction - the ensuing rivalries shaped Honduran politics in the first half of the 20th century.

During the 1980s, Honduras was surrounded by turmoil in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. When the Sandinistas overthrew the Nicaraguan dictator, the country became a haven for the Contras. Strong US influence, aid and military assistance maintained stability in Honduras throughout this period, as the US tried to destabilize Nicaragua. The US also trained El Salvadoran military at El Salvadoran refugee camps inside Honduras. When all this became public, the people were outraged. The government refused to sign a new military agreement with the US and told the Contras to leave Honduras.

El Salvador

El Salvador is predominantly a Roman Catholic country. During the civil war, the Catholic Church initially supported the government but grew increasingly outspoken against the oppression of the poor, and police and military attacks on leftist activists; many priests, nuns and other church workers were exiled or assassinated. Catholics in El Salvador remain deeply influenced by such 'liberation theology', though the Church as a whole eventually returned to its more conservative roots. More recently, evangelical Protestantism has won many converts in El Salvador and throughout Latin America, with its fiery sermons and claims of miracle healing.

By the 20th century, 95% of El Salvador's income came from coffee exports, but only 2% of the population controlled that wealth. Efforts by the poor majority to redress injustices were met with repression.

The Reagan government in the US, unnerved by Nicaragua's socialist revolution, funneled money (6 billion US dollars, all up) to the Salvadoran government. The military retaliated by decimating villages, causing 300,000 citizens to flee the country. In 1982, the ARENA party took power and death squads targeted trade unionists and agrarian reformers.

The historical information culminates in an intense study of current events and governments for these regions. Students are required to keep up with readings, be prepared for class discussions, take several tests on historical information, and complete an in-depth research paper during this course.

Assessment for all History courses: includes quizzes, tests, homework, and group projects. There is a midterm and a final exam. During this course, students will access, synthesize, and evaluate information to communicate and apply social studies knowledge to real world situations.