This course will introduce the student to the history of Latin and South America from the year in which European explorers first discovered and began to colonize the region to the early 19th century, when many Latin and South American colonies declared their independence from European rule. The student will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place throughout Latin and South America during this 400-year period. By the end of the course, the student will understand how the interaction between native peoples and European settlers created diverse and complex colonial societies throughout Latin and South America, and why the colonies of the region eventually declared their independence from European political control. Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to: Think critically about the history of Latin and South America from the pre-colonial period though the beginning of the 19th century; Compare and contrast the political, economic, and social practices of the peoples of Iberia, Africa, and the Americas in the pre-colonial period; Analyze the political, social, and military interactions between Iberian explorers and conquerors and the indigenous peoples of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries; Identify how Spanish colonists settled Latin and South America in the 16th century and analyze the role played by imperial and religious institutions in colonization efforts; Assess the role of European Mercantile policies in the formation of colonial economies and trade networks; Analyze the structure of Spanish and Portuguese colonial societies and assess the role of women, indigenous peoples, and Afro-Latinos in these societies; Students will be able to assess the status of Latin and South American colonies in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 17th and 18th centuries and identity how European conflicts affected political and economic life in the colonies; Identify how the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century led to the rise of independence movements in the colonies of Latin and South America; Assess how political revolutions and wars for independence throughout Latin and South America ended European colonial control of the region, and compare and contrast the consequences of these revolutions for ethnic European and indigenous populations; Analyze and interpret primary source documents from the pre-colonial period though the beginning of the 19th century using historical research methods. (History 221)

This course will focus on the history of mankind's relationship with the natural world. The student will examine how environmental factors have shaped the development and growth of civilizations around the world and analyze how these civilizations have altered their environments in positive and negative ways. By the end of the course, the student will better understand the reciprocal relationship between human beings and the natural environment and how this relationship has evolved throughout human history. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: think critically about the historical relationship between humans and the natural environment; identify how early humans modified and adapted natural resources for agricultural and commercial purposes; analyze how human settlements altered the natural environment and evaluate how environmental factors shaped the growth of early civilizations; evaluate how new agricultural and commercial practices altered the natural environment across the globe during the Middle Ages; identify how environmental factors, such as disease and pollution, shaped political and social life in Europe during the Early-Modern Era; evaluate how the Columbian Exchange resulted in significant ecological and biological changes in Europe and the Americas and dramatically altered human societies on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean; analyze the impact of industrialization on human society during the Modern Era and evaluate how governmental and nongovernmental actors have attempted to ameliorate the negative environmental consequences of industrialization; identify current environmental challenges facing humanity and analyze these challenges from a historical perspective; analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents relating to environmental history using historical research methods. (History 364)

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Describe how Europeans solved their labor problems
Describe the theory of mercantilism and the process of commodification
Analyze the effects of the Columbian Exchange