Marc Becker's Home Page

Teaching
Future Courses
Philosophy
Student Projects
Resources


Research
Ecuador
Interests
Vita

download pdfAndean History (HIST 390)

Ama Killa, Ama Llulla, Ama Shua
(“Don’t be lazy, don’t lie, don’t steal”)

Fall 2019, Truman State University
MC201, TR 1:30-2:50
Office: MC 227

Marc Becker
marc@truman.edu
Office Hours: TR noon-1:20, and sometimes Tues 3-5
Phone: x6036

Description
This course presents a cultural and political history of the Andean region of South America. Before the arrival of Europeans the high Andean mountains were home to the majestic Inka empire, known as Tawaninsuyu. The arrival of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532 contributed to its collapse, yet 250 years later Tupac Amaru led a massive Indigenous uprising from which the famous rapper took his name. More recently the Andes were home to brutal military dictatorships such as that of Augusto Pinochet in Chile and the bloody Shining Path guerrilla insurgency in Peru. We will examine unique historical developments in this part of the world. The themes we will analyze include the influence of geography on early Andean civilizations, the cultural impact of conquest, land and labor systems, popular resistance movements, revolutions, military governments, neoliberalism, and the politicization of ethnic identities.
            This course meets the Intercultural Perspectives requirement of the Liberal Studies Program. As such, it will provide you with a greater knowledge and appreciation of cultural diversity through the study of encounters of Indigenous, European, and African worlds in the Andean region. Hopefully this course will make you more aware of how culture has been used for political and social ends, including confronting racial discrimination, economic exploitation, and social injustice.
            See the syllabus addendum on Blackboard for additional class policies.

Readings

Dangl, Benjamin. The Five Hundred Year Rebellion: indigenous movements and the decolonization of history in Bolivia. Chico, GA: AK Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781849353465
Larson, Brooke. Trials of Nation Making: Liberalism, Race, and Ethnicity in the Andes, 1810-1910. Cambridge, UK, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. ISBN: 0521567300
McSherry, J. Patrice. Predatory states Operation Condor and covert war in Latin America. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2005. ISBN: 978-0-7425-3687-6
Serulnikov, Sergio. Revolution in the Andes: the age of Túpac Amaru. Durham: Duke University Press, 2013.: 9780822354987
Yupangui, Diego de Castro. History of how the Spaniards arrived in Peru. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Comp, 2006. ISBN: 0872208281

Assignments

Assignment                                                                                         Points
Response papers (100 pts ea.)                                                 500 pts
Research paper proposal (Sept 25)                                           50
Primary source analysis (Oct 31)                                           100
Research paper (Dec 5)                                                          200
Documenting the Peruvian Insurrection (Dec 10)                  150

Response papers: Prepare a three-page written response to each assigned book. The essays must be typed, double-spaced, and include citations and page numbers. 100pts each.

Research paper proposal: Submit a paragraph describing your project, the research questions you seek to address with the project, a hypothesis of what you expect to find (the thesis statement of your research paper), and a preliminary bibliography of sources that you plan to use. Due Sept 25. 50pts.

Primary source: Select a primary source related to your research topic from the microfilm collection (http://library.truman.edu/microforms/subject_list.htm#Latin%20American%20History). Try to find something that relates as closely as possible to your research topic. Bring the source to class on Oct 29 to have me approve it (or have me approve it before that date), and then write a paper (typed, double-spaced, about 3 pages, citations, bibliography, page numbers) analyzing the document and its historical perspective. Attach a copy of the document to the essay. Due Oct 31. 100pts.

Research paper: Write a research paper on a topic related to Andean history. The paper must use a minimum of six scholarly sources (including at least one book and one journal article) and one primary source, and should be 15-20 pages long, typed, double-spaced, and include citations, a bibliography, and page numbers. The format should follow Mary Lynn Rampolla, A pocket guide to writing in history 9th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2018). Due Dec. 5. 200pts.

Documenting the Peruvian Insurrection. We will assign each student one reel of this microfilm collection (https://avalon.searchmobius.org/record=b3933400~S11) on the Shining Path insurrection. Write a paper summarizing and analyzing the contents of that reel. We will discuss our findings during the final exam period (Dec 10). Yes, attendance is mandatory. 150pts.

Class Schedule

Aug 20: Intro & Geography
Aug 22: Yupangui, Intro

Aug 27: Yupangui, ca. 1-55
Aug 29: Yupangui, ca. 55-115

Sept 3: Yupangui, ca.115-72; Yupangui essay due
Sept 5: Serulnikov, foreword – ch. 4

Sept 10: Serulnikov, chs. 5-8
Sept 12: Serulnikov, chs. 9-12

Sept 17: Serulnikov, chs. 13-17; Serulnikov essay due
Sept 19: Meet in the library classroom, Pickler 103

Sept 24: Larson, Intro - ch. 1
Sept 25: Larson, ch. 2; research proposal due

Oct 1: Larson, ch. 3
Oct 3: Larson, ch. 4

Oct 8: Larson, ch. 5 & Conc; Larson essay due
Oct 9: no class, fall break

Oct 15: McSherry, front matter & ch. 1
Oct 17: McSherry, ch. 2

Oct 22: McSherry, ch. 3
Oct 24: work on microfilm assignment

Oct 29: McSherry, ch. 4; approval of primary source
Oct 31: McSherry, ch. 5; primary source assignment due

Nov 5: McSherry, ch. 6
Nov 7: McSherry, ch. 7-8; McSherry essay due

Nov 12: Dangl, Intro-ch. 1
Nov 14: Dangl, chs. 2-3

Nov 19: Dangl, chs. 4-5
Nov 21: Dangl, ch. 7-Conc.; Dangl essay due

Dec 3: Current events readings TBA
Dec 5: Research paper due; discussion of research papers

Final Exam: Tues, Dec 10, 11:30-1:20pm: Documenting the Peruvian Insurrection assignment due


| Marc Becker's Home Page | marc@yachana.org |