Office: 201 Rolfs Hall
Office hours: Tuesdays,
12:30-1:30 and Thursdays, 12:50-1:40
Required
Readings: All
books are available from Goering’s Book Store 1 (next to Bageland on NW
1st Avenue)
Reading
assignments should be completed by the last day of
class during the week for which they are listed.
Keen and Haynes. History
of Latin America,
7th edition, Haughton-Mifflin.
Alfred W. Crosby, Jr. The Columbian Exchange: Biological
and Cultural Consequences of 1492.
Alexandra Parma Cook and Noble
David Cook. Good
Faith and
Truthful Ignorance: A Case of Transatlantic Bigamy.
Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs.
Chasteen,
John Charles. National
Rhythms, African Roots.
Fraser, Nicholas and Marysa Navarro. Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron.
Highly Recommended for history majors:
Richard Marius and Melvin E. Page.
A Short
Guide to Writing About
History (5th edition), Pearson/Longman, 2005.
Course Description
Latin American history is generally divided into two epochs: The
Colonial and the National Periods Addessing the former, we will
examine the formation of the early modern Iberian states
of Spain and Portugal and their expansion into the Americas. Key
themes will include the character of Iberian society in the 15th
century, some of the principal consequences of the Conquest, discussion
of the culture of indigenous Americans as well as Africans, the
relations between these groups, and the characteristics of colonial
society in the Americas. For the mature colonial society we will
examine the Bourbon reforms, the social, economic, and political
tensions in the 18th century, and the wars of independence leading to
the collapse of the Spanish empire in the 19th century.
For the National Period our survey will include the results
of political independence,
integration in the world economy in the 19th century, and
the development of industry and agriculture in the 20th. Political,
social and economic structures will be examined from the perspective of
how they have affected the lives of the masses. Special attention will
be paid to the enduring features of
these structures and to the paradox of why poverty
and violence have been a dominant feature of life in this potentially
rich land.
The course will include lectures, class and group discussion, group
projects, and film. Your grade will be based on a short
reaction paper as a part of a group report, unannounced quizzes, two
exams, a mid-term and
final, and class
participation, which will take into account group work, attendance and
punctuality.
Should an exam or assignment
deadline be missed, a valid excuse must be provided in writing for a
makeup
exam or the waiver of the deadline. All papers are due in class on the
day
assigned; papers will be penalized one letter grade for each day
that a paper is late. Exams may not be made up beyond a reasonable
time.
Cell phones must be turned off
during class.
Electronic media policy. Email
will be accepted for messages only. Any
discussion of class material, writing assignments, policies, or issues
must be
done in person during regularly scheduled office hours. All required
assignments must be submitted in hard copy, in class, on the day
assigned.
Under no circumstances will
papers be accepted via email or fax.
Course Requirements
1. Mid-term exam, partial essay format: 25%
2. Cumulative Final exam, partial essay format: 35%
3. Analytical paper: (1,000-1,500 words) 20%
4. Unannounced quizzes 10%
4. Class participation: 10%
Students with Disabilities
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with
the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will
provide documentation to the student who must then provide this
documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.
Links
Class Notes (See Today's Notes
above)
Paper
Specifications
Special
Assignment
Class Schedule*
Week 1
Introduction to the course. Texts, exams, requirements, and
procedures.
Overview of the geography of Latin America
Homework assignment: As neatly and accurately as possible, draw a free
hand map of Latin America. At minimum, label nations, principal
rivers, mountain ranges, and salt water bodies.
Next, consult a multi-featured map of Latin America such as the one
below. Copy this map as accurately as possible, and compare your
original map to your copy. Look for areas of greatest discrepency
and focus on improving your knowledge of those areas. A pop quiz
on Latin American geography is a distinct possibility.
Political map of Latin America:
http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/hotopics/hispanicheritage/latin-america-political-map.jpg
The Native American background including the high
civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca.
http://mayaruins.com/
Readings: Keen and Haynes, pp. xiii-36
Week 2
The emergence of the modern Iberian states
The age of European
discovery and exploration: an
overview
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 2
Week 3
The Caribbean and the Conquest of the mainland: Mexico,
Peru and Brazil
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 3
Complete Crosby
Week
4
Iberian governance in the Americas
Demography, land and labor
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapters 4 and 5
Week
5
Colonial Brazil
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 6
Week 6
The Bourbon and Pomboline Reforms
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 7
Week 7
Wars of Independence
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 8
Week 8
Midterm Review and Exam
Exam will consist of two essays and twenty objective questions.
Review and mid-term
Week 9
The problem of creating nation-states under
constitutional governments. Concepts: Liberalism vs. conservatism; the
failure
of constitutional governments and the rise of the caudillos. Examples
from
Argentina (Rosas), Mexico (Santa Ana),and Brazil (Dom Pedro I).
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 9
Week 10
Spring Break!
Week 11
The
Wars of National Consolidation and mid-century constitutions: Mexico at
mid-century: La Reforma and Ley Lerdo, The
fall of Rosas and the Liberal triumph in Argentina, Dom
Pedro II’s peaceful revolution in Brazil
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 10
Complete Azuela
Week 12
Sarmiento and the roots of dependency in Argentina. The Chilean
Republic.
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 11
Week 13
Mexico in the late 19th
and 20th Centuries. The Porfiriato, the Mexican
Revolution, and Reconstruction; Reform under Cárdenas.
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 12
Complete Chasteen
Week 14
Argentina in the late
19th and 20th Centuries. The Golden Age,
European Immigration; Yrigoyen and the Radical Civic Union.
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 13
Week 15
Brazil
in the late 19th and 20th
Centuries The First Republic, Vargas and
the Estado Novo.
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 15
Complete Frazier/Navarro
Week 16
Monday, April 24th: Paper Due
Wednesday: Review for comprehensive Final Exam, which
will
be similar to mid-term in structure.
Readings: Keen and Haynes, Chapter 17
* Schedule should be checked frequently for minor adjustments.