HIST 316
Colonial Latin America (GL) (WI)
Catalog Entry
HIST 316
Colonial Latin America (GL) (WI)
Three hours lecture: (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of History at the 100 level.
A topical survey beginning with the conquests of Mexico and Peru by Spain and (to
a lesser extent) Brazil by Portugal. Focus is on the impact of Spanish colonialism
on native Americans and on the evolution of Hispanic-American institutions, family
and kinship patterns and economic behavior.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course
Detailed Description of Content of Course
o Introduction: The First Americans
o Conquest of Mexico and Peru
o Conquest of Brazil and the Spanish periphery
o The Political Organization of Colonial Latin America
o Resistance and Accommodation in Indian and Slave Society
o The Church and State
o The Economic Organization of Colonial Latin America
o Mining in Colonial Latin America
o Urban Colonial Latin America
o Rural Colonial Latin America: The Hacienda and Plantation
o Women in Colonial Latin America
o Kinship and Family in Colonial Latin America
o Origins of the Independence Movements
o Independence
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The course will be conducted by the lecture/discussion method.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues,
acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of pertinent historical events
and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument
and interpretation.
Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate
and analyze primary and secondary source evidence, processing and organizing the resultant
data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills to
the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss, for example, historical
social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address issues
such as the causes and consequences of historical change and continuity.
Students will understand the various cultures, races, social structure, and political
complexities of Latin America on the Eve of the independence movement.
Assessment Measures
Knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this course will be measured
using an array of assessment tools that may include, among other things, class attendance
and participation, written examinations, formal writing assignments of various types,
and informal writing assignments. All exercises are designed to expand the student's
ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose
persuasive arguments.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
Date Action Reviewed by
October 2010 Reviewed and Approved by Sharon Roger Hepburn
04/2011
March 01, 2021