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Latin American History (HIST 365)

“Poor people inhabit rich lands”
- E. Bradford Burns

Fall 2018, Truman State University
BH 212, MWF 1:30-2:20
Office: MC 227 

Marc Becker
marc@truman.edu
Office Hours: typically MWF 12:45-1:15, but better to make an appointment
Phone: x6036

Description
This course surveys the history of Latin America from independence from European colonial powers at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. We will examine a variety of issues including inequality, leadership styles, democracy, religion, and gender.
            See the syllabus addendum on Blackboard for additional class policies.

Readings

Virginia Garrard, Peter V. N. Henderson, and Bryan McCann, Latin America in the modern world (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2017) w/ sourcebook 2V PK – ISBN#: 9780190910747; website: http://www.oup.com/us/garrard

Assignments and grades

Assignment                                                                                         Points
Daily identification terms (3 pts ea.)                                      100 pts
15 Weekly quizzes (5 pts ea.)                                                  75
14 Primary source analyses (20 pts ea.)                                 280
Research paper proposal (Oct 24)                                            45
Primary source analysis (Nov 7)                                           100
Research paper (Dec 7)                                                          200
Final exam                                                                              200

 

Daily identification terms. We will begin each class period with identifying and giving the significance of one of the key terms listed at the end of each chapter in the textbook. These will be graded on a scale of 1 to 3 points. One point indicates an incorrect response, two summarizes material from the text, and three demonstrates analytical and critical thinking that extends beyond the textbook.

Weekly quizzes. A weekly quiz is on the Blackboard webpage for each chapter from the textbook. Complete the quiz by class time on Monday.

Primary source analyses. Write a one-page essay analyzing one of the primary sources (your choice) in the source book. The essays must be typed and are due each Friday.

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 Oct 24. 45pts.

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. Have me approve the source in advance, 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 Nov 7. 100pts.

Research paper: Write a research paper on a topic related to Latin American 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. Due Dec 7. 200pts.

Final Exam. The final exam is comprehensive (200 pts).

Class Schedule

Week 1 (Aug 20-24)   Intro & Geography
            Read: Prologue

Week 2 (Aug 27-31)   Independence
            Read: ch. 1

Week 3 (Sept 5-7)       Regionalism
            Read: ch. 2

Week 4 (Sept 10-14)   Liberalism
            Read: ch. 3

Week 5 (Sept 17-21)   Exclusion
            Read: ch. 4

Week 6 (Sept 24-28)   Modernization
            Read: ch. 5

Week 7 (Oct 1-5)        Imperialism
            Read: ch. 6

Week 8 (Oct 8-12)      Progress
            Read: ch. 7

Week 9 (Oct 15-17)    Populism
            Read: ch. 8

Week 10 (Oct 22-26)  Modernity
            Read: ch. 9

Week 11 (Oct 29-Nov 2)        Revolutions
            Read: ch. 10

Week 12 (Nov 5-9)     Dictatorships
            Read: ch. 11

Week 13 (Nov 12-16) Cold War
            Read: ch. 12

Week 14 (Nov 26-30) Neoliberalism
            Read: ch. 13

Week 15 (Dec 3-7)      Identities
            Read: ch. 14

Final Exam: Tues, Dec 11, 1:30-3:20


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