HIST/LAS 3401 (FALL 2009) TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAM

Turn in your exam to Professor Chambers(1218 Heller) no later than 4 p.m. on Mon. Dec. 21. If she is not there, give it to staff in the History Office (1110 Heller between8-12 a.m. or 1-4:30 p.m.). All students must turn in a hard copy of the exam by the deadline, but if you turn it in after hours (by slipping it under the office door) email an electronic copy as well for confirmation that it is received.

Although the conclusion (pp. 233-43) to Andrien’s Andean Worlds was not required reading, you may find it helpful as you begin a general comprehensive review of the semester.

Tip: Do not simply write all the information you know about a given topic. You should organize logical arguments which include thesis statements, evidence from lectures and readings to illustrate your points, and a conclusion. Writing clearly (and proofreading) will allow you to make the best case possible for your ideas. You should cite sources as appropriate, but you may use either in text parenthetical citations or footnotes. Note: final exams can be single-spaced to save paper. This is an open book exam, but you must write your answers on your own.

Part I: Essay on Unit III (40%):

For one of the following questions, write an essay of 750-850 words (about 1 ½ pages single-spaced). For Part I you must draw from at least one primary source.

1. Imagine that three of the historical figures below met to discuss their grievances (e.g. against their European monarch, colonial government officials, and/or creole or peninsular elites) and their plans to address them. Keeping in mind upon which issues they might agree or disagree, recreate their historic discussion. Choose people who will reflect a diversity of views, social status, region, time period, and source material (i.e. incorporate at least some primary documents): Túpac Amaru II, Eugenio Sinanyuca, A tailor from Bahia, Miguel García, Angela Batallas, Simón Bolívar, María Antonia Bolívar, and/or José María Morelos.

2. George Reid Andrews asserts that the independence struggles in Spanish America, “so often labeled ‘revolutions,’ in fact fail[ed] to produce anything remotely approaching a genuine social revolution” (p. 105). Using as examples the Andean insurrections of 1780-82 (not necessarily just Túpac Amaru), the Haitian Revolution, and either the independence movement led by Bolívar in South America or Hidalgo/Morelos in Mexico (i.e. three examples in total), discuss the degree to which revolutionary change was proposed and actually occurred in these societies and the causes of either change or continuity.

Part II: Comprehensive Essay (60%):

For one of the following questions, write an essay of 1000-1100 words (about 2 pages, single-spaced). Remember, this essay must include material from all three units of the course.

1. Historian Steve Stern asserts that "a strategy of defense which depended upon colonial institutions to resist exploitation tied the natives more effectively than ever to Hispanic power." Nevertheless, many did try to resist colonial oppression. Evaluate Stern's thesis by analyzing the often subtle and sometimes more open interplay of exploitation and resistance in colonial Latin America from the conquest through independence. Discuss whether his model can be applied effectively to other groups/themes (e.g. African slaves, women, the process of religious conversion). Consider whether methods of resistance and/or their effectiveness changed over this period.

2. One of the legacies of colonialism in Latin America was the formation of multiracial societies. How did identities of race/ethnicity shape the social structure and political events throughout the colonial period and how did they change over time? Consider, for example, the role race/ethnicity played in the conquest era, in the economy, in the culture, in religious transformation, and in rebellions and independence movements. (You do not need to focus on all these themes but certainly more than one.) Be sure to define your terms (such as race, ethnicity, and/or caste) clearly and use them in a consistent manner.

3. Camilla Townsend presents the aftermath of the fall of Tenochtitlan as a series of paradoxes: “The Indians were violently defeated; the Indians could never be permanently defeated. Their lives would never be the same again; for many of them, their daily activities went on quite unchanged. . . Women were no longer the complementary equals of men but rather were deemed to be inferior and allowed fewer legal rights, yet women continued to do most of the talking in the markets and a good deal of it in the courts” (177). Choosing specific and diverse examples from all three units of the class, discuss your understanding of this statement and the extent to which it might apply to the entire colonial period throughout Spanish and Portuguese colonies.

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