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Southwest Vistas: The Border in American History
The story of United States history generally advances westward from the establishment of the original British colonies. But the Spanish colonial experience also shaped our history, just as its legacy continues to influence American life and culture. How does our understanding of U.S. history and Texas history expand when seen through the broader perspective of the western hemisphere? How does the U.S.-Mexico border, where cultures meet, represent a key to our past as well as our future?
In June 2006, Humanities Texas partnered with the University of Houston and the University of Texas at El Paso to hold "Southwest Vistas: The Border in American History," a pair of residential teacher institutes in Houston (June 4-7) and El Paso (June 11-14). Designed for teachers of U.S. history, Texas history, and world history, the institutes explored the U.S.-Mexico border, comparing the histories of the Americas on either side.
Each day of the two institutes featured engaging lectures as well as dynamic, interdisciplinary seminars exploring U.S., Texas, and Latin American history. Seminars centered on the use and interpretation of primary sources and aligned with the TEKS for Social Studies. Topics included the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the era of European colonization, immigration history, the arts in British and Latin America, and the development of border culture.
Teachers selected for this institute received housing, materials, a travel allowance, a stipend, and continuing professional development credit.
Sponsors and Partners
Humanities Texas, the University of Houston, and the University of Texas at El Paso sponsored "Gateway on the Gulf" with major funding from a We the People grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.