HIST 371D Modern Central America
This course will explore the history of modern Central America (in particular El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), with particular attention to the historical factors that have created political and economic challenges during the twentieth century. We will cover topics including the indigenous population prior to 1492, the Spanish colonial past, independence and export-led growth, the role of the Catholic Church, liberal and conservative battles in the nineteenth century, revolutions of the early twentieth century, U.S. involvement and intervention, Civil Wars, and resulting mass migrations between the 1970s and the present day. We will focus in particular on the history of Central American communities in the Washington, DC area, with field trips to several relevant locations including the Shrine of the Sacred Heart on 16th St and the historic Salvadoran community in Mt. Pleasant.