J. Pablo Silva  
Spring Semester 2006
History 201. Colonial Latin America

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Syllabus

Week 2: January 30
Week 3: February 6
Week 4: February 13
Week 5: February 20
Week 6: February 27
Week 7: March 6
Week 8: March 13
Week 9: April 3
Week 10: April 10
Week 11: April 17
Week 12: April 24
Week 13: May 1
Week 14: May 8

Required Texts

Assignments

Research Paper

Exams

Grading

 

 

Part 1. The Conquest (weeks 1-3)
Monday, 23 January
Why colonize?
  Introduction &
1. Columbus' Letter. Blackboard.
2. Inter Caetera. Blackboard.
3. The Treaty of Tordesillas. Blackboard.
   
Wednesday, 25 January
Why Spain and Who were the Spanish?
  1. Instruction to Columbus, 1497. Blackboard.
2. Instructions for the Government of the Indies.
3. Decree on Indian Labor.
4. Antonio Montesinos, "Advent Sermon."
5. Royal Response to the Sermon of Antonio Montesinos.
6. Palacios Rubios, "The Requirement," or Requerimiento. Blackboard.
7. Laws of Burgos.
8. Burkholder & Johnson, pp. 33-41.

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Monday, 30 January
What was the pattern of Conquest?
 

1. General Repartimiento of 1514.
2. Alonso de Zuazo. "State of the Indies."
3. Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdés, "Gold Mining."
4. Fernández de Oviedo, "If you decide to go to the Indies."
5. Oviedo, "The Adelantado."
6. Victors and Vanquished, pp. 29-78.

   
Wednesday, 1 February
Who were the Players in Mexico?
  1. Victors and Vanquished, pp. 79-126.

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Week 3
Monday, 6 February
How did the Conquest Come About?
  1. Victors and Vanquished, pp. 127-213.
   
Wednesday, 8 February
What was the Aftermath?
  1. Victors and Vanquished, pp. 214-243.
2. Burkholder & Jonson, pp. 44-80.
   
Friday, 10 February
Paper Topics are Due.

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Part 2. Debating the Conquest (weeks 4-6)
Week 4  
Monday, 13 February
How bad was the Conquest?
  Las Casas, The Devastation of the Indies.
   
Wednesday, 15 February
Did the Spaniards Care?
  1. The New Laws. Handout.
2. Francisco López de Gómora, "The Viceroy Announces the New Laws in Peru." Handout.
3. Gonzalo Pizarro, "Letter to Pedro de Valdivia." Handout.
4. Garcilaso de la Vega, "The Death of Gonzalo Pizarro." Handout.

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Week 5  
Monday, 20 February
How should we understand the Conquest?
 

1. Restall, Seven Myths, up through p. 99.

   
Wednesday, 22 February
How should we understand the Conquest?
 

1. Restall, Seven Myths, pp. 100-157.

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Part 3. Early Colonial Society (weeks 6-8)
Week 6  
Monday, 27 February
What was society like?
  1. Catalina Erauso, Lieutenant Nun.
   
Wednesday, 1 March
How did the Crown exert Authority?
  1. Ordinances of the Council of the Indies.
2. Colonialism.
   
Friday, 3 March
Paper Bibliographies are due. Remember to include a title page.

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Week 7  
Monday, 6 March
So Why Bother?
 
1. Europe in the Wider World.
2. European Demand.
   
Wednesday, 8 March
How did the Mining Economy Work?
  1. Diego Gualpa, "Account of the Discovery of Potosí." Handout.
2. Cieza de León, "Potosí." Handout.
3. José de Acosta. Handout.
4. Vásquez de Espinosa. Handout.

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Week 8  
Monday, 13 March
What did Colonists Believe?
 

1. Boyer, "Spiritual and Physical Ecstasies," pp. 77-100,
2. Boyer, "On her deathbed,"166-77.
3. Mills & Taylor, Handout.
4. Burkholder & Johnson, Chap. 3.

   
Wednesday, 15 March
What have you learned so far?
  Midterm.
   
Friday, 17 March

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Spring Break, 18 March to 2 April

Part 4. Exploitation and Profit (weeks 9-10)
Week 9  
Monday, 3 April
Sugar and the Colonial Project
  Burkholder & Johnson, Chap. 4 and 5.
Schwartz, "Safra," pp. 98-131.
   
Wednesday, 5 April
How does Latin American slavery compare?
  1. The Demographic cost of sugar.

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Week 10  
Monday, 10 April
What was Slavery Like?
  Boyer, 141-54, 249-68, 279-93.
Handout on Indian Labor.
Handout on African Dance.
   
Wednesday, 12 April
Was colonialism good for its citizens?
  Boyer, pp. 11-17, 101-11.
Burkholder and Johnson, Chap. 6.
   
Friday, 14 April

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Part 5. The Transformation and Dissolution of Colonial Society (weeks 11-12)
Week 11  
Monday, 17 April
How did Colonial Society Change?
  Boyer, pp. 130-140, 155-65.
Seed, To Love Honor and Obey, pp. 17-91.
   
Wednesday, 19 April
How did Colonial Society Change?
  Seed, pp. 95-189.

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Week 12  
Monday, 24 April
Why did Society Change?
  Burkholder & Johnson, Chap. 9.
Juan & Ulloa, Handout.
Campbell, The Spanish Empire in America.
   
Wednesday, 26 April
What were the implications of these changes?
  Seed, pp. 190-241.
Boyer, pp. 216-248.
 

 

Friday, 28 April
Introductions are Due. Remember to include a title page and your previous stages.

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Week 13  
Monday, 1 May
Was the cure worse than the disease?
  1. The Economic Crisis, Taxes...
2. The Tupac Amaru Rebellion.
   
Wednesday, 3 May
How did the problems show up?
  Boyer, pp. 178-84, 201-215.

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Week 14  
Monday, 8 May
Did the tensions lead to independence?
  Burkholder & Johnson, Chap. 10.
Boyer, pp. 294-308.
   
Wednesday, 10 May
How did independence come about?
  1. Lynch.
   
Thursday, 18 May

Final Exam is at 9 AM. Final Draft is Due. Remember to include a title page and all your previous drafts.

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Last Modified: January 22, 2006