Environmental History of Latin America 1492-Present

From the development of sugar as the major slave commodity of the 18th century Caribbean to the “Water Wars” in the Bolivian highlands at the turn of the 21st century, race, labor, and imperialism in Latin America have been shaped in relation to the natural environment. This course explores the role of the environment in the colonial and modern history of Latin America. Together, we will examine how the environment shaped the processes of conquest, displacement, settlement, and trade, as well as how these processes transformed the natural environment throughout the hemisphere.