A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean - (Viewpoints / Puntos de Vista) by Alan McPherson (Paperback)

About the Book

-Presents a concise account of the full sweep of U.S. military invasions and interventions in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean from 1800 up to the present day. For each era, author looks at five elements: causes, consequences, contestation, collaboration, and context to shed light on the economic, military, political, and cultural issues that have shaped U.S.-Latin America relations.---Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean presents a concise account of the full sweep of U.S. military invasions and interventions in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean from 1800 up to the present day.

• Engages in debates about the economic, military, political, and cultural motives that shaped U.S. interventions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, and elsewhere
• Deals with incidents that range from the taking of Florida to the Mexican War, the War of 1898, the Veracruz incident of 1914, the Bay of Pigs, and the 1989 invasion of Panama
• Features also the responses of Latin American countries to U.S. involvement
• Features unique coverage of 19th century interventions as well as 20th century incidents, and includes a series of helpful maps and illustrations

From the Back Cover

Since its early days, the United States has intervened hundreds of times in the affairs of Latin American countries--from spying and proxy wars to major military invasions. Interventions range from direct self-interest -- annexing Spanish and Mexican territory, or protecting U.S.-owned plantations and canals in Central America--to activities more generally oriented toward spreading U.S.-style democracy -- training Latin American fighters to topple leftist governments, taking down strongmen in Panama and Haiti, and fighting drug cartels. A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean presents a concise account of the full sweep of U.S. military interventions in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean from 1800 up to the present day. For each era, author Alan McPherson looks at five elements -- causes, consequences, contestation, collaboration, and context-- to shed light on the economic, military, political, and cultural issues that have shaped U.S.-Latin America relations. McPherson also gives voice to the many Latin Americans who resisted U.S. intervention--as well as to those who may have invited or accommodated it. The larger historical sweep of European colonization, westward expansion, the World Wars, the Cold War, and post-Cold War anxieties provides crucial background to these events. Engaging and thought-provoking, A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean is an eye-opening compilation of two centuries of an important aspect of the history of the Americas.

Review Quotes

"Alan McPherson has written a clear, succinct, and engaging account of the history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a synthesis aimed at classroom use, and will work admirably in that regard.... McPherson has produced a worthy and accessible addition to the available textbooks on U.S.-Latin American relations."
--Gregory Weeks, The Latin Americanist, Vol. 61, No. 2

About the Author

Alan McPherson is Professor of International and Area Studies, ConocoPhillips Chair in Latin American Studies, and Director of the Center for the Americas at the University of Oklahoma. He has published eight books, including the prize-winning Yankee No! Anti-Americanism in U.S.-Latin American Relations (2003) and The Invaded: How Latin Americans and their Allies Fought and Ended U.S. Occupations (2014).