J. Pablo Silva  
Fall Semester 2005
History 202. The History of Modern Latin America

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Syllabus

Week 2: September 5
Week 3: September 12
Week 4: September 19
Week 5: September 26
Week 6: October 3
Week 7: October 10
Week 8: October 24
Week 9: October 31
Week 10: November 7
Week 11: November 14
Week 12: November 21
Week 13: December 28
Week 14: December 5

Required Texts

Assignments

Research Paper

Exams

Grading

 

 

Introduction (week 1)
Friday, 26 August
What is Latin America?
  Introduction to the Course. Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 15-27.
   
Monday, 29 August
How was Latin America colonized and how did it become independent?
  Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 29-117.
   
Wednesday, 31 August
What are the contours of Latin America's 19th Century?
  Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 119-211.
   
Friday, 2 September
What are the contours of Latin America's 20th Century?
  Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 213-321.

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Section 1. Independence and the Early Republican Period (weeks 2-4)
Monday, 5 September
What caused Independence?
  Background to Independence in Spanish America, Handout.
   
Wednesday, 7 September
How did Independence Come About?
  Independence in Mexico and Central America, Handout.
   
Friday, 9 September
What were the Consequences?
  Independence in South America, Handout.

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Week 3
Monday, 12 September
Why was there no ideological consensus?
  Reread Chasteeen, "Postcolonial Blues."
Documents on Colombian Liberalism. Handout.
   
Wednesday, 14 September
Why was there no ideological consensus? II
  Documents on Mexican Liberalism. Handout.
   
Friday, 16 September
Why was there no ideological consensus? III
  Documents on Mexican Liberalism. Handout.
Friday, 16 September Paper Topics are Due.

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Week 4  
Monday, 19 September
How About Argentina?
  Early Liberals in Argentina, Handout.
   
Wednesday, 21 September
How did Liberalism Evolve?
  Later Liberals in Argentina, Handout.
   
Friday, 23 September
What was happening to the Economy?
  Map Quiz
Reread Chasteen, "Progress."
From Bust to Boom, Handout.

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Section 2. From Chaos to Export Booms (weeks 5-8)
Week 5  
Monday, 26 September
How did Latin American Societies Change?
  Reread Chasteen, Neo-Colonialism
The Transformation of Argentina, Handout.
Wednesday, 28 September
How did Latin American Societies Change?
  The Transformation of Brazil, Handout.
Friday, 30 September
Was this a good thing?
  Burns, The Poverty of Progress, pp. 1-50.

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Week 6  
Monday, 3 October
Was 19th-Century Development a Good Thing?
  Burns, The Poverty of Progress, pp. 51-131.
Wednesday, 5 October
Was 19th-Century Development a Good Thing?
  Burns, The Poverty of Progress, pp. 132-154.
Thursday, 6 October Paper Bibliographies are due. Remember to include a title page.
   
Friday, 7 October
EXAM

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Week 7  
Monday, 10 October
Were Latin American Societies Totally Divided?
  Chasteen, National Rhythms, pp. 1-88.
   
Wednesday, 12 October
Were Latin American Societies Totally Divided?
  Chasteen, National Rhythms, pp. 91-163.
   
Friday, 14 October
Were Latin American Societies Totally Divided?
  Chasteen, National Rhythms, pp. 165-204.

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Fall Break, 16 October to 24 October

Week 8  
Monday, 24 October
Why didn't the good times last? WWI & the Depression.
  Thorpe on Economic Crisis, Handout.
   
Wednesday, 26 October
Why didn't the good times last? The Dutch Disease.
  Barham and Coobe article, Handout.
   
Friday, 28 October
Why didn't the good times last? Social Tension.
  Historiography Assignment Due in Class.
Gonzalez, The Mexican Revolution, pp. 1-59.

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Section 3. From Populism to Dictatorship (weeks 9-14)
Week 9  
Monday, 31 October
How did the Mexican Revolution Come About?
  Gonzalez, The Mexican Revolution, pp. 60-159.
   
Wednesday, 2 November
How did Mexcio Stabilize?
  Gonzalez, The Mexican Revolution, pp. 160-220.
   
Friday, 4 November
Was the Revolution Good for Mexico?
  Gonzalez, The Mexican Revolution, pp. 221-270.

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Week 10  
Monday, 7 November
What did Populists want? The case of Vargas
  Reread Chasteen, "Nationalism."
Levine, Father of the Poor, pp. 1-49.
   
Wednesday, 9 November
Was the Estado Novo progress?
  Levine, Father of the Poor, pp. 50-96.
Thursday, 10 November Argument Summaries are Due.
   
Friday, 11 November
Was Vargas good for Brazil?
 

Levine, Father of the Poor, pp. 97-161.

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Week 11  
Monday, 14 November
How did Fidel Castro ever come to power?
  Reread Chasteen, "Revolution."
Wright, Latin America in the era ..., pp. xi-38.
   
Wednesday, 16 November
What was the impact of Cuban Revolution?
  Wright, Latin America in the era ..., pp. 39-109.
   
Friday, 18 November
What was the impact of Cuban Revolution?
 

Wright, Latin America in the era ..., pp. 111-147.
Program of the Popular Unity Coalition.

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Week 12  
Monday, 21 November
How did Elites React?
  Wright, Latin America in the era ..., pp. 149-164.
Reread Chasteen, "Reaction."
Wednesday, 23 November
Why did the US support Dictators?
  Kirkpatrick, "Dictators and Double Standards," in the Packet.
Wednesday, 23 November
Introductions are Due. Remember to include a title page and your previous stages.
   
   
Friday, 25 November
Thanksgiving Break, No Class

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Week 13  
Monday, 28 November
The Nicaraguan Revolution
  Wright, Latin America in the era ..., pp. 165-185.
Children of Cain, pp. 273-329.
   
Wednesday, 30 November
A New Age of Chaos?
  Children of Cain
   
Friday, 2 December
A New Age of Chaos?
  Children of Cain

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Week 14  
Monday, 5 December
Why Neo-Liberalism?
  Reread Chasteen, "Neoliberalism."
"Debt-Led Growth & Disaster." Handout.
   
Wednesday, 7 December
What hath neo-liberalism wrought?
  "The New Paradigm," handout.
Thursday, 8 December Final Draft is Due. Remember to include a title page and all the previous stages that I have looked at.
   
Friday, 9 December
 Conclusion and Review

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Last Modified: August 24, 2005