4cr Beginning in 1492, the Caribbean region has vacillated between the periphery and center stage of global history. Its strategic location within the Atlantic basin has, at various points, propelled nations in the Caribbean into importance disproportionate to the nations' size, wealth, or political influence. Examples of this phenomenon include the Encounter (arguably the most important event in world history); the Haitian Revolution, with its profound consequences for the United States, Europe, and Africa; and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which served as a historical fulcrum in the trajectory of the Cold War. This course follows the dramatic trajectory of Caribbean history from 1492 to the present, introducing themes that include the European conquest; transformation into sugar colonies; slavery; the Haitian revolution; abolition; the introduction of U.S. economic, military, and political hegemony; the Cuban revolution and subsequent crises; and some contemporary issues.