Fall 2003

HIS 310K • Latin Amer Civ: Colonial Exper

Course Description

This course will examine the vast range of peoples and experiences of the area now known as Latin America from pre-history until the independence wars of 1810. The course will be divided into three sections. The first will discuss the three cultures- European, Native American and African- which came together following 1492, and the process by which they merged. The second section will examine the Spanish and Portuguese colonial states in detail- how it functioned, how it dealt with challenges from within and without, and how it evolved. The final section will review the decline and fall of the Iberian colonial enterprise- the economic crisis which presaged the collapse of empire, the attempts at reform by the colonial powers, and the wars that severed the ties between metropolis and colony. This course is intended as an introduction to the rich history of Latin America.

Grading Policy

Map Quiz (10%) Class participation (10%) Two mid-term exams (25% each) Final exam (30%)

Texts

Brown, Latin America: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL PERIOD Reading Packet

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