An introduction to various aspects of life in Latin American countries from early times to the present. Focusing on the social and political development of Latin America, the course will reveal the unity and diversity that characterize contemporary Latin American culture. Typical topics for study include: the precolumbian civilizations and their cultural legacy; the conquistadores and the colonial period; the independence movements; the search for and the definition of an American identity; the twentieth-century dictatorships; and the move toward democracy. This course will be offered in 2022-23, and in alternating years thereafter. This course satisfies the Inquiry Practicum requirement.