Fractious Friendships: The United States and Latin America in the Twentieth Century

From the vantage point of ordinary men and women, statesmen, businessmen, and scholars, this course explores how Latin Americans in various countries viewed and engaged with the United States during the twentieth century. We will look at how perceptions of the United States formed across Latin America and how and why they changed over time (or why they did not). The ultimate aim is to uncover the reasons for the sometimes amicable, but often strained, ties between Washington and its hemispheric counterparts. Prominent topics include imperialism, nationalism, war, diplomacy, popular culture, consumerism, and industrialization.