With Christopher Columbus's voyages to the New World, Spain became a major power in South and Central America, then tried to expand into what is now the United States. The Spanish Conquest of America: Prehistory to 1775 follows early explorations in the Western Hemisphere, the founding of the first European colony in the U.S., Spain's expansion, conflicts with Great Britain and France, and the founding of the missions of California.

As Spanish settlers moved north and Americans moved west, issues involving land, peoples, and resources complicated colonial expansion. Independence for Latino America: 1776-1821 chronicles the settlement of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas, focusing on the Latino experience through the Mexican Independence Movement.

This new title sets the scene for one of America's most exciting historical periods, tracing the newly won independence of Mexico and countries in South America, the concept of manifest destiny, the Alamo, the gold rush, the Civil War, vaqueros, and Mexican song and folklore. Students will also find discussions of Anglo attitudes toward Latinos and the role of Mexican-American workers.

Struggling to Become American: 1899-1940 covers Puerto Rican and Cuban immigration, along with Mexican migration, and spotlights Latinos who fought for the United States during World War I. Students will also learn about conditions on the U.S. homefront, where Latino laborers were recruited to work in the steel, meatpacking, construction, and other industries. The author also describes early Latino-American struggles for acceptance, particularly during the Great Depression.

Track the struggles and progress of Latino Americans through the mid-1980s. As the U.S. economy grew, so did the need for cheap labor. In many parts of the United States, Latino Americans and Latino immigrants provided the solution. Latinos also joined other groups in the fight for civil rights, seeking political and economic equality with Anglo counterparts. The result was a new sense of Latino-American identity.

This volume reflects recent significant changes in the Latino experience in the United States. Legislation that resulted in an immigration pool no longer dominated by Europeans opened the door for U.S. Latinos to become major players in business, entertainment, sports, government, and the arts. But even though the group makes up a size-able percentage of the American population, education, medical care, employment, housing, and other concerns continue to be issues.