Immediately following the devastating Haitian earthquake of January 2010, many Haitians sought refuge in the neighboring Dominican Republic (D.R.) but their arrival resulted in escalating tensions between the two nations. Despite protests from human rights groups, the D.R. has initiated massive deportations targeting Haitians, whether they arrived legally or illegally. Additionally, a law passed in January 2011 stripped some Dominicans of Haitian descent of their citizenship. [7:28]

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Describe Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic and Spanish exploration of the Americas, and the importance of these voyages to the developing Atlantic World
Explain the importance of Spanish exploration of the Americas in the expansion of Spain’s empire and the development of Spanish Renaissance culture

Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who is commonly thought to have been on a search for the fountain of youth. He is remembered for colonizing the Caribbean, and for discovering Florida and trying to establish a colony there. [4:54]