Lets see what these prominent historians think Despite national myth to the contrary, during the long 19th century the United States engaged in imperial expansion. American imperial ambitions manifest themselves in expanding across the North American continent, obtaining overseas holdings, and influencing other nation-states through economic or military action. From its earliest westward expansion shortly…
All posts tagged Latin America
Cortes and the Aztecs
How did Cortes subdue the once-great empire? The Conquistador’s desire to explore new worlds, gain political power and win fame and fortune motivated their actions and had a great impact on the New World. Licensed by the Spanish Crown, they endured extreme challenges to search for “The Indies” and its coveted spices. But primarily, it…
The Invasion of Grenada
Posted on Author R.F.M. WilliamsPosted in Military History, US/Latin American RelationsLeave a Reply
Showcasing American Power after Vietnam Operation Urgent Fury kicked off on October 25, 1983. Despite no actual threat to national security posed by the small island nation, the Regan administration cited far-fetched dangers as reasons for the invasion. Protecting American citizens by quelling unrest and preventing outside influence in the Western Hemisphere allowed President Ronald Reagan and…
The Porfirato: Nationalist Reactions to Neocolonialism in Mexico
Despite securing hard-fought independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Latin America experienced a neocolonial resurgence that renewed feelings of oppression throughout the region. Neocolonialism was generally reinforced by strong-man, caudillo-type leaders. These people usually came to power by leveraging a supposed link with the commoner, only to bend to outside influence under the…
Marxist Guerrilla Successes in Cuba and Nicaragua
A quick look at two successful Marxist revolutions during the Cold War American imperial investment in Latin America created a predictable response of violent Marxist communist revolution. Marxism was the natural reaction to centuries of colonial, neocolonial, and imperial exploitation, and suppression of the Latin American economy. After the United States overthrew a democratically elected…
The United States and Guatemala
After anti-immigrant rhetoric culminated in a mass shooting in El Paso, it’s increasingly important to remember one of the reasons we’ve arrived at this point. History is not well suited for predicting the future, but it is perfect for explaining how we got to where we are. Regarding central American immigration, the United States’s influence…
The United States and Guatemala in the first half of the 20th Century
After anti-immigrant rhetoric culminated in a mass shooting in El Paso, it’s increasingly important to remember one of the reasons we’ve arrived at this point. History is not well suited for predicting the future, but it is perfect for explaining how we got to where we are. Regarding central American immigration, the United States’s influence…
Operation PBSUCCESS
Early CIA regime change operations During the Cold War, the United States maintained nominal control over the Western Hemisphere — Latin American in particular. U.S. foreign policy attitudes toward its southern neighbors are characterized as paternalistic at best and interventionist at worst in the centuries leading up to World War II. The early nineteenth century…
How Neoliberal Principles Failed the People of Latin America
And ushered in a new era of socialist government Throughout the 20th Century, Latin America experienced a consistent pendulum shift between left and right political and economic systems of government. Whether through revolution, election, or coup, one side of the political spectrum would usually follow the other in short order. Neoliberalism is an era of…