2:30-5:15P     TR     BH144

Above section meets second eight weeks only
A portion of the above section reserved for majors
Above section meets with LTAM L401, L501 and HIST T500

Late 19th-century Puerto Rican poet Lola Rodríguez de Tió once wrote
that Cuba and Puerto Rico are the two wings of the same bird.  Both
islands share a similar culture and have comparable historical
developments, yet, today, they live very different realities: Cuba is
the only socialist republic on the hemisphere while Puerto Rico
celebrated 100 years under United States control.  What explains these
differences if their histories are apparently so similar?  The course
will explore these issues through the study of key historical
processes from first inhabitation through the present, giving
particular attention to the 19th and 20th centuries.  Topics to be
addressed include: the social and economic repercussions of slavery;
the impact of United States intervention on the islands; the effects
of industrialization on Puerto Rican economy and politics; the Cuban
Revolution and migration to the United States.  All of these topics
will be examined form the perspective of both external forces and the
experiences of the men and women who lived and made their histories.

Readings will include two general texts, plus one to three short
monographs and a short packet.  Documentaries and films are also part
of the course material.  The course requirements include three essay
exams and one 4- to 5-page paper.