HIST 105-06, Early Latino America, Spring 2012

Abstract

With all the recent debates over the place of Latin American immigrants in the United States, it is easy to forget that Latinos have been, in fact, an integral part of this nation for centuries. In this exploration of the history, culture, economy, and politics of the Latino populations in North America and the United States from the sixteenth century to the 1940s, this class will attempt to answer the following question: how would our understanding of U.S. history change if we began with St Augustine instead of Jamestown? We will pay particular attention to race relations and gender roles and to U.S. imperial relations with Mexico and the Caribbean. In addition to secondary works, this class uses a variety of primary sources from travel accounts to diaries, from novels to ballads, and encourages students to develop their analytical skills when dealing with different media.