William Suárez-Potts

This course examines the history of U.S.-Latin American relations since the early 1800s. It is organized chronologically but addresses political, economic, social, and cultural themes. The class considers both reasons for specific outcomes of U.S. - Latin American relations and their implications for the peoples most affected by them.

This course explores the relationship between international law and empire, from about 1500 to the present. In a period of expanding Western domination, international law developed, serving partly as a critical as well as apologetic discourse for Western imperialism. The seminar examines key primary sources and recent scholarship concerning this topic.