HIS 246 - History of Latin America I

Semester Hours: 3

This course will survey the history of the cultures and civilizations of Latin America from its first inhabitation to the independence period in the nineteenth century. Six major themes will be addressed: the development of the great Amerindian civilizations, the encounter between Europeans and Amerindians, the making of a colonial society in Spanish America and Brazil, the struggles leading to the collapse of colonial rule, and the civil wars of independence. The main focus of this survey is to provide an understanding of how the complex interaction between the different cultures that met in the Americas shaped these colonial societies, and how some elements of this legacy persisted and/or were transformed by different social groups before and after independence.

Pre-requisites: none.