History 3401W Syllabus







History 3401W Syllabus GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES Iberian (i.e. Spanish and Portuguese) colonization of America initiated the interconnected, transatlantic world in which we live today. Therefore, this course will focus on the relationship between Europe and the Americas, on the one hand, and especially the interactions of diverse peoples in the Americas: Spanish, Portuguese, Africans, and various indigenous peoples. We will consider how Spain and Portugal could "conquer" and control the Americas for three centuries and what factors led to independence for most of the region by 1825. At the end of the semester, we will also consider the legacies of colonialism in Latin America today and the implications of this history for its place in the contemporary world. We will also take seriously the actions, on a spectrum of resistance to accommodation, of the colonized who created a racially diverse and hybrid culture and society that is still evident in Latin America today. Covering four centuries (roughly 1400 to 1825) and numerous countries, the history of pre-contact and colonial Latin America is immense and complex. In order to make sense of such a vast topic, we will be comparing primarily three core areas that correspond to the modern nations of Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES A course that qualifies for the historical perspectives requirement must focus both on historical content and how historians create that knowledge. Therefore, this course will be concerned with questions of the “how and why” as well as the “what” of Latin American history. We will discuss how historians do research and their debates over historical interpretation. You will read different kinds of primary documents from the period being studied and practice analyzing them as a historian would. Finally readings will include a mix of macro and micro perspectives; the latter will allow you to put yourself in the place of diverse historical actors (e.g. an indigenous peasant, a Spanish missionary, a slave woman) in order to imagine how they saw the world, what interests they had, or how they might have reacted to specific problems or events. WRITING INTENSIVE The discipline of history is rooted in the skillful interpretation, analysis, and production of primarily -written texts. Writing proficiency is best achieved through focused and repeated practice; therefore, this course will offer many opportunities for you to develop your written communications skills while also introducing to you many of the key concepts, expectations, and assumptions essential to the field of history. The University guidelines for Writing Intensive courses require that: writing is integrated into the course throughout the semester written assignments include a cumulative minimum of 10-15 pages of formal, polished writing the course will include explicit instruction in the skills and concepts that constitute successful writing. at least one formal assignment will involve revisions based on instructor feedback and resubmission at least 1/3 of the final course grade will be tied directly to the students’ written work Written assignments in this course will consist of both informal (which is not synonymous with irrelevant) writing and more formal, analytical papers, each of which have important functions. Informal writing will help you to better organize your thoughts, think critically about a specific topic, and communicate those thoughts to a reader. Through the more formal essay assignments, you will learn how to formulate a research question, assess the validity and limitations of related historical arguments, distinguish between primary and secondary sources, develop a cogent argument based on those sources, and (for at least one assignment) make appropriate revisions in response to instructor and/or peer feedback. The University provides a helpful writing support service to students, free of charge, that offers consultations with writing specialists, a wide range of useful resources online, and other services; check out the Center for Writing’s Student Writing Support program at either of their locations, 15 Nicholson Hall or 9 Appleby Hall, or online at http://writing.umn.edu/sws/index.htm. READINGS The following books can be purchased at the University bookstore or read on reserve in Wilson Library: Rampolla, Mary Lynn. A Pocket Guide to Writing in History. 5th Ed. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Townsend, Camilla. Malintzin’s Choices: An Indian Woman in the Conquest of Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006. Andrien, Kenneth J. Andean Worlds: Indigenous History, Culture, and Consciousness under Spanish Rule, 1532-1825. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001. Andrien, Kenneth J., ed. The Human Tradition in Colonial Latin America. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources Inc., 2002. Mattoso, Katia M. de Queirós. To Be a Slave in Brazil, 1550-1888. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1986. In addition, we will read articles and documents available through online journals, as PDFs on the course website, or as handouts. It is your responsibility to access online readings; we recommend printing them and keeping them organized. From website: Username: student; Password: hist3401 Reading should be completed by the class period for which it is listed. *Lectures and in-class activities are designed to complement, not reiterate, the readings; you will be held responsible on papers and exams for material covered in class as well as in the readings.* PAPERS In order to help students learn to read critically and then assess in writing the work published by historians, all writing-intensive courses at the 3000-level in the history department now require an article review that: (1) summarizes the author’s argument, and (2) evaluates the article's strengths and weaknesses, especially how well s/he supports that thesis with evidence. Reviews will be pre-circulated and discussed in sections. You will have a chance to analyze issues that arise from the readings in two (2) papers (5 pages, 12-point font, typed, double-spaced) due Thurs. Oct. 15 and Thurs. Nov. 19. Sample topics will be handed out before papers are due. All writing-intensive courses require that students re-write at least one paper; you are required to rewrite Paper 1 (due Tues. Nov. 3) and have the option to rewrite Paper 2 (due Tues. Dec. 15). The re-write must address suggestions on content, argument, and organization, as well as grammar and style; it will receive a separate grade. Extensions will be granted only for emergencies and must be cleared in advance with the professor or T.A. Unexcused late papers will be docked one third grade each day. The papers should not be simply book reports or summaries, but rather your analysis of primary sources within the given historical context. You should pose a thesis statement at the beginning, follow through with an argument supported with evidence from the readings and lectures, and come to a resolution at the end. You are required to draw from at least one primary document in addition to other readings and lectures. Refer to your “Reading and Analyzing Historical Documents Handout” http://www.hist.umn.edu/hist3401/primarysources.html. If you would like to explore a topic in greater depth, you have the option of writing one research paper (10 pages) instead of the two short papers. Details to follow. History Majors: this course can serve as preparation for the following senior paper seminar themes, especially if you choose the research paper option: War, Conflict, and Diplomacy; Empire; Race, Ethnicity, Migration; Economy, Enterprise, and Environment; and Culture, Religion, Ideas, Media. DISCUSSION Weekly discussion sections offer you a chance to practice analyzing both secondary works and primary sources with your fellow classmates and to work on writing skills. To get the most out of them, you are responsible for having read that week's required material and thought about the questions on the reading guides. You are also responsible for reading any circulated article reviews before your section. Because this is a writing-intensive course, you will also be required to turn in short writing assignments as announced by your T.A.. These will be designed to help you learn the historical material, practice writing skills, and prepare for longer papers. Please note that discussion constitutes 15% of your grade; you will be graded on attendance, participation, and written assignments. EXAMS Rather than a midterm, there will be 5 quizzes, of which the highest 4 scores will count toward your grade. (In other words, you can drop or miss 1 quiz.) The first will be a short (15 minutes) map quiz in class on Thurs. Sept. 17. You will need to be able to identify the following places: Mexico City, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Veracruz, Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, Havana, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Quito, Bogotá, Caracas, Brazil, Salvador (city in Brazil), Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Peru, Lima, Cuzco, Potosí, Chile, Buenos Aires, Asunción. Quizzes 2-4 consist of I.D. terms, short answer and/or grammar questions; quizzes start at the beginning of class on Tues. Oct 6, Tues. Oct 27, and Tues. Dec. 1, and last for ½ hour. More information on each quiz will be announced at least one week in advance. Quiz 5 will be a second map quiz with a twist. For this quiz you will need to be able to identify the same places but based upon “jeopardy”-type clues:I recommend that you make a list of these places and record appropriate info on them from the lectures and readings throughout the semester. Quiz 5 may also include I.D. terms and/or grammar questions. There will be a take-home final essay exam due no later than 4 p.m. on Mon Dec 21. Details will follow. GRADING As will be given for outstanding work, Bs for strong, above-average work, Cs for adequate work, Ds for marginal work, and Fs for failing or incomplete work. Final grades will be calculated according to the following weights: 2-Paper Option Article Review 5% Paper 1 10% Paper 1 Rewrite: 15% Paper 2 (if you do rewrite, each worth 10%) 20% Discussion and Short Writing Assignments: 15% Quizzes (top 4 scores out of 5): 15% Final exam: 20% Research-Paper Option Article Review 5% Proposal, bibliography, thesis/intro 10% First Draft 10% Final Draft 25% Discussion and Short Assignments: 15% Quizzes (top 4 scores out of 5): 15% Final exam: 20% Quiz Dates (9:45-10:15 a.m. in class, except for Quiz 1 which is 9:45-10:00) Th. Sept. 17: Map Quiz 1 Tues. Oct. 6: Quiz 2 Tues. Oct 27: Quiz 3 Tues. Dec. 1: Quiz 4 Th. Dec. 10: Quiz 5 Paper Due Dates (in class except for final) Th. Oct. 15: Paper 1 Tues. Nov. 3: Rewrite 1 Thurs. Nov. 19: Paper 2 Thurs. Nov. 19: 1st Draft of Research Paper (if you choose that option) Tues. Dec. 15: Optional Rewrite 2 (or rewrite of research paper) Mon. Dec. 21: Turn in take-home final no later than 4 p.m.. University and College Policy Statements For further information and policies, see: http://advisingtools.class.umn.edu/cgep/ and http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Student/ACADEMICMISCONDUCT.html Scholastic Dishonesty Scholastic dishonesty is any act that violates the rights of another student with respect to academic work or that involves misrepresentation of a student's own work. Scholastic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one's own anything done by another), inventing or falsifying research or other findings with the intent to deceive, submitting the same or substantially similar papers (or creative work) for more than one course without consent of all instructors concerned, depriving another of necessary course materials, and sabotaging another's work On plagiarism: Students are expected to express themselves and to sustain an argument in their own prose. They should not submit written work that does not properly acknowledge transcription or that includes excessive quotation of the works of others. If you want to quote from a published work, you must put the passage in quotation marks and cite the references. If you wish to express what an author is saying in your own words, you should include reference to the author concerned to indicate that the ideas are hers/his and not yours. All incidents of scholastic dishonesty are to be reported. Contact the committee's executive secretary, (Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services, 106 Johnston Hall, [612] 625-3846), for more information. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities The Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota is committed to providing for the needs of enrolled or admitted students who have disabilities as defined under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. University policy requires reasonable accommodations to be made for students with disabilities on an individualized and flexible basis."Any student with a documented disability condition (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, systemic, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations should contact the instructor and Disability Services at the beginning of the semester." Disability Services, 230 McNamara Alum Ctr, (612) 624-4037 TTY/voice, http://ds.umn.edu. 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