The colonial period began with the discovery of Hispanola by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and most Latin American countries gained their independence in the nineteenth century. ... Goods such as sugar, cotton, coffee, indigo, tobacco, silver and copper were produced and exported in great quantities. ... The final topic of colonial legacies is politics. From an early point in the history of Latin America, the regions have enjoyed a certain level of autonomy. ... Politically, Mexico is one of the most provincial and violent countries in Latin America as regions espouse autonomy granted from colo...

• Word Count: 2984
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

However, the history of the US in Latin America is much more ambiguous than the vision of a great nation freeing Latin Americans from dictatorship and sowing the seeds of liberty and democracy; instead, the US has all too often acted in its own interests and has allied itself with some very unsavory characters to promote such interests. ... America's imperialist tendencies already were manifested in the subjugation of various Native American tribes and a key piece of legislation that would help determine US foreign policy for years to come and have repercussions to this day. ... While...

• Word Count: 3500
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate