History 288: Pacific Islands

Topics: Samoa, Annexation, Colonial Policies, World War II, Nuclear Issues, Decolonization

After completing the assigned readings and attending class, you should be able to:

T = “Tides of History” (Howe, Kiste, Lal)
F = Stewart Firth’s “Nuclear Playground”
no “T” or “F” = Campbell textbook

describe:

1. how Samoan history is comparable to the histories of other Pacific islands (95-100, 181-182).
   
2. the annexation of the Pacific islands: who, where, when, why, and how perceived (135-148).
   
3. the treatment of the indigenous peoples under colonial powers in New Zealand & Fiji (156-161).
   
4. how World War II impacted the Pacifc, especially islander experiences (T149-169).
   
5. the testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific: why, who, where, when, and impact (F1-56).
   
6. where, when and how decolonization occured in the Pacifc (197-211, F54-56).
   
7. the characteristics of modern societies in the Pacific: migration (215), remittance (214), foreign aid (214), bureaucracy (218-219), and regionalism (215-218).