Course Description

To understand contemporary Latin America, we must first unpack its colonial history. The colonial legacy runs deep in the region. We see it etched on maps that detail current linguistic and national boundaries; it lingers in patterns of urbanization, race relations, and cultural practices. This course provides an overview of the region’s colonial history from the late 1400s to the early 1800s. It introduces students to key aspects of colonial Latin American history, including the socioeconomic, political, cultural, and environmental conditions that shaped life in the region during this period. We will examine key themes like empire building and colonial government, slavery, mining and manufacturing, trade, urbanization, social rebellions and revolutions, and the pervasive changes made to Latin America’s environment over three hundred years of European colonial rule. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach and draws from secondary sources in history, anthropology, geography, sociology, and environmental science. Course materials will also include various primary documents, art, film, and literature to provide insight into the varied and complex history of colonial Latin America. Fulfills both the Social Science Area E requirement and the Country/Regional requirement for the International Plan.