Mexican History (HIST 392)
“Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States.”
–Common Mexican saying
| Fall 2016, Truman State University VH1300, TR 9:00-10:20 Office: MC227 |
Marc Becker |
Description
This course surveys the history of Mexico from the earliest human inhabitation to the present. It will present different interpretations of the major themes and developments in Mexican history. A goal is to understand Mexico from the perspective of the Mexicans rather than from the point of view of the United States. It is important to understand, however, that Mexico is not a singular homogenous entity; there are “many Mexicos.” In particular, this course will emphasize the creation of Mexican identities, the role that Indigenous peoples and women have played in that creation, and how that role has changed over time.
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 Mexico. 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.
Readings
The following are the required books for this class. Read the assignments before class so that you are prepared to carry on an intelligent discussion of the material in class. Lectures and discussions will complement the readings and assume the base level of knowledge that they present, so it is critically important that you keep up with the readings.
Joseph, G. M., and Jürgen Buchenau. Mexico's Once and Future Revolution. Durham: Duke University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780822355328
Joseph, G. M. and Timothy J. Henderson. The Mexico Reader. Durham: Duke University Press, 2002. ISBN: 0822330423
Meyer, Michael C., William L. Sherman, and Susan M. Deeds. The Course of Mexican History, 10th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780199913817
Assignments and grades
Course grades will be based on the following assignments. You can check your grade progress on the class Blackboard web page (grades are calculated out of a total of 1000 possible points, and not the percentage of completed assignments as displayed in Blackboard). Assignments are due at the beginning of class, and I do not accept “drop and run” papers or papers submitted without the physical presence of the student. Grades on late assignments will be penalized 10 percent for each day that they are late. You are free to submit assignments electronically, but I will not acknowledge receipt nor provide feedback on such submissions. You may verify receipt and grade on Blackboard. Successful completion of all assignments is required to receive credit for this class.
Assignment Points
Weekly response papers (15 x 20 pts ea) 300 pts
Secondary source analysis (Sept 27) 100
Primary source analysis (Oct 11) 100
Research paper (Dec 8) 200
Final exam (Dec 15) 200
Participation 100
Weekly response papers: Prepare a one-page written response to each week’s readings. Briefly state the authors’ main arguments and the evidence that they use. Examine the use of sources, methodology, and theory. Provide your own assessment or critique of the readings. Due Tuesday of each week (20 pts ea.).
Research paper: Each student is required to write a research paper on a topic related to Mexican history. The paper must be 15-20 pages long, typed, double spaced, and include page numbers, citations and a bibliography. The format should follow Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. You must use a minimum of six scholarly sources (books and journal articles) and one primary source. This project will be developed in a series of stages. Keep each of these assignments in a portfolio or folder, and hand in the entire portfolio with each subsequent assignment. Meeting all of these deadlines is a requirement to receive credit for the research paper.
Sept 15: Research paper proposal, including 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.
Sept 27: Analyze one of the scholarly books you will use in the writing of your research paper. Bring the book to me so that I can approve it before you begin writing the essay. This paper should be typed, double-spaced, and about 3 pages long, and include citations, a bibliography, and page numbers (100 pts).
Oct 11: Select a primary sources 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, 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 (100 pts).
Beginning Nov 1: Oral presentations. In your presentation, tell us what questions you addressed in your research project, what you expected to find (your thesis), a summary of your actual findings, and your conclusions. Naturally those who present earlier will have more tentative conclusions than those who present at the end of the semester. Please feel free to include visuals and other materials in your presentation.
Nov 29: Peer review of research papers. Bring a draft of your research paper to exchange with another student. Read and comment on the other student’s paper and return by the next class period.
Dec 8: Final research papers due. When handing in your final draft, please be sure to include copies of all of the previous assignments including the peer-reviewed draft.
Participation: The participation grade is not based on attendance (although this is expected and required), but on an active engagement with classroom discussions (100 pts).
Final exam: The final exam is cumulative (200 pts).
Class Schedule
Week 1 (Aug 23/25) Introduction and geography
Read: Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part I (“The Search for Lo Mexicano”)
Week 2 (Aug 30/Sept 1) Ancient civilizations
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part I (“Pre-Colombian Mexico”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part II (“Ancient Civilizations”)
Week 3 (Sept 6/8) Conquest
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part II (“Colliding Worlds”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part III, pp. 95-130 (“Conquest and Colony”)
Assignment: Thursday, Sept 8: Meet in the library classroom, Pickler 103.
Week 4 (Sept 13/15) Colony
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part III (“The Colony of New Spain”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part III, pp. 131-67 (“Conquest and Colony”)
Assignment: Research paper proposal (due Thurs, Sept 15)
Week 5 (Sept 20/22) Independence
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part IV (“Reform and Reaction”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part IV, pp. 169-95 (“Trials of the Young Republic”)
Week 6 (Sept 27/29) Santa Anna
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part V (“The Trails of Nationhood”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part IV, pp. 196-238 (“Trials of the Young Republic”)
Assignment: Secondary source analysis (due Tues, Sept 27)
Week 7 (Oct 4/6) Benito Juárez
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part VI (“Liberals and Conservatives”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part IV, pp. 239-72 (“Trials of the Young Republic”)
Week 8 (Oct 11) Porfiriato
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part VII (“Modernization of Mexico”)
Joseph/Buchenau, Mexico's Once and Future Revolution, chs. 1-2
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part IV, pp. 273-93 (“Trials of the Young Republic”)
Assignment: Primary source analysis (due Tues, Oct 11)
Weeks 9-10 (Oct 18/20/25/27) Mexican Revolution
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part VIII (“Revolution”)
Joseph/Buchenau, Mexico's Once and Future Revolution, chs. 3-4
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part V, pp. 297-402 (“Revolution”)
Week 11 (Nov 1/3) Reconstruction
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, Part IX (“Revolution”)
Joseph/Buchenau, Mexico's Once and Future Revolution, chs. 5-6
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part V, pp. 403-60 (“Revolution”)
Assignment: Begin oral presentations (Nov 1)
Week 12 (Nov 8/10) Rise of the Perfect Dictatorship
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, ch. 35
Joseph/Buchenau, Mexico's Once and Future Revolution, ch. 7
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, VI (“The Perils of Modernity”)
Week 13 (Nov 15/17) 1968
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, ch. 36 (“The Lull and the Storm”)
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part VII, pp. 553-637 (“From the Ruins”)
Week 14 (Nov 29/Dec 1) EZLN
Read: Meyer, Sherman, and Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, chs. 37-40
Joseph/Buchenau, Mexico's Once and Future Revolution, ch. 8-9
Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, Part VII, pp. 638-86 (“From the Ruins”)
Assignment: Peer review (due Tues, Nov 29)
Week 15 (Dec 6/8) Immigration
Read: Joseph/Henderson, Mexico Reader, VIII (“The Border and Beyond”)
Assignment: Research paper (due Thurs, Dec 8)