First-Year Seminar--Non-Western History (103-6-20)

Topic

Conquest Cultures

Instructors

Paul F Ramirez
847/491-7444
Harris Hall Room 233

Meeting Info

Allison Residential Comm 1021: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Conquest is one of the most pervasive metaphors in global history and especially so in Latin America. This course explores the meanings of conquest in Latin America through analysis of some of the major textual and non-textual sources for the history of Spanish colonization. We will look at letters and chronicles of early encounters (Columbus, Díaz del Castillo, Cabeza de Vaca); annals, pictographs, and maps that shed light on non-European perspectives; and more recent reinterpretations of Spanish colonization in art, literature, and film. How do we account for the remarkable endurance of the conquest framework, in the past and present? The aim is to attend to the range of actors who participated as interpreters, military allies, and chroniclers, with special emphasis on women and people of native American and African descent; to examine how visual art, literature, and film translate historical topics; and to provide a critical introduction to some of the major themes in the historical study of colonialism and Latin America.

Learning Objectives

Students who complete this course should be able to 1) explain how experiences and narratives of Spanish colonization in the Americas shifted over time and space; 2) evaluate primary sources and the ways scholars have used them; 3) apply strategies of analysis and writing to develop a persuasive written argument.

Evaluation Method

Weekly participation (40%); Essay 1 (20%); Essay 2 (20%); Final Essay (20%)

Class Materials (Required)

All the assigned readings will be uploaded on Canvas

Class Notes

Concentration: Americas

Class Attributes

WCAS First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only