History of Latin America

Course Description:
This course traces 200 years of Latin American history from independence from colonial rule to the present day. It examines the complex ethnic and cultural influences that have shaped various Latin American societies, including the emergence of mass society in the twentieth century, and the key role of the ?masses? as political actors in the Mexican, ?Peronist? and Cuban revolutions. The course also considers the responsibility of the military juntas in state terrorism and the complex processes of healing and cultural memory in Uruguay, Chile and Argentina.

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(PALAS 340) History of Latin America

Prof. Dr. Liria Evangelista

Program in Argentine and Latin American Studies

Universidad de Belgrano

Programa del curso 2010 / Course Syllabus 2010

Course Information
MW 2:30-4 PM (C9)

Instruction in English

Contact Information
Liriaevangelista@hotmail.com

Course Description

This course informs about the formation and evolution of the societies in Latin
America with a focus in Argentina. Using a comparative approach, the course
begins with the wars of independence and goes on to tell the story of the complex
ethnic and cultural components that impacted in the formation of the Latin
American societies. The course will discuss the emergence of the Masses in the
Twentieth Century, and their key role as political actors in the Mexican, the
?Peronist? and the Cuban revolutions. The course also reflects on the responsibility
of the Military Junta in State Terrorism and the complex process of historical and
cultural memory in Uruguay, Chile and Argentina

Course Requirements

Students are expected to do close readings, participate in class, and do an oral
presentations in pairs. The requirements also include a midterm and a final exam.
In addition to this, each student will be expected to make a significant contribution
to the classroom dialogue. A 75% Attendance to classes is mandatory to keep the
regular student status. An electronic system keeps track of attendance. Students
have to slide an electronic card every class to comply with attendance policy. For
oral presentations, it is strongly recommended that students read an article from
our electronic library (such as Jstor or / Wilson Web). Wikipedia is not an acceptable
source for research. UB holds to the view that plagiarism constitutes intellectual
theft and is a serious breach of acceptable conduct. Any student caught plagiarizing
will immediately be given a ?no credit? for all courses taken in the semester.

Grading Policy

Class participation: 10%
Oral Presentation: 20%
Mid-Term Exam: 30%
Final Written Exam: 40%
For a better understanding of the comparable table for grading: check the student
handbook (page 9) in orientation kit packet.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Liria Evangelista, ed. Course Reader
Academic Calendar
Week 1
Presentation of the course. The crises of the Spanish Empire
Week 2
Revolution and Independence Wars. The case of Brazil.
Mandatory readings:
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire. (63-118)
b) Hillman, Richard. Understanding Contemporary Latin America. (27-49)
c) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians. (13-64)
Primary source: War to the Death, by Simón Bolívar
Week 3
The formation of the New Republics: 1820-1870
Civil Wars: 1820-1860 ? Towards the new national states. Social and Political
agents. Argentina: unitarios and federales. Thinking the future Nation. Intelectuals
and politics (The Generation of 1837). Ideological and cultural matrix: civilization or
barbarism.
Mandatory readings:
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire. (119-148)
b) Halperín Donghi, Tulio. Sarmiento, Author of a Nation. (114-123)
c) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians.(64-86)
Primary source: Rosas´s Ribbons and Rituals, Domingo F. Sarmiento
Week 4
Monday August 16: National Holiday / No class
The new republics: national unification and state building. Political and social
antagonisms. Social subjects and nation.
Mandatory readings:
a) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians.(86-110)
d) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire. (149-178)
Primary source: Civilization and barbarism, Domingo F. Sarmiento
Week 5
Neocolonial order: 1870-1910 ? Immigration, europeization, modernization.
Mandatory readings :
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire. (179-211)
b) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians.(111-126)
Primary sources: Our América, José Martí and Ariel, José Enrique Rodó
3
Week 6
The Mexican Revolution- Argentina and the crises of integration: Sáenz Peña Law-
Towards Latin American Democratization.
Mandatory Readings:
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire. (same chapter-focus on Mexico)
b) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians. (127-139)
c) http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mex-revolution.htm
Primary Source: José Vasconcelos, The Cosmic Race
Week 7
Crises and Transformation: (1914-1945) Nationalisms. Introduction to Latin
American Populism.
Mandatory Readings:
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire.(213-243)
b) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians.(140-166)
Primary Sources: Lourival Fontes, Getulio Vargas: a consummate speech writer
José Barbosa, Cathecism of a getulista
Week 8
The ?first peronism?: 1945. The populist state: social, political and cultural
characteristics. Eva Perón´s role.
Mandatory readings:
a) Luna, Félix. A Short History of the Argentinians. (167-223)
b) Fraser, Nicholas and Navarro, Marysa. Eva Perón. (102-167)
Primary source: Maryza Navarro, Juan and Evita Perón: Family Portrait
Week 9
Latin America during the Cold Wars- The 1960´s: the era of revolutions.
Mandatory Reading :
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire (245-305)
Primary sources: Ernesto ?Che? Guevara, General Principles of Guerrilla Fighting
Carlos Marighella, Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla
Humberto Ortega, Nicaragua: the strategy of victory
Week 10
National Security Doctrine. Dictatorship in the Southern Cone. Disappearances and
state terrorism- Argentina: the Malvinas War- Human Rights Organizations and
Democratic Transitions.
Mandatory Reading
a) Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire (306-321)
b) Guzmán Bouvard, Marguerite. Revolutionizing Motherhood. The Mothers pf
Plaza de Mayo. (1-62)
Week 11
Midterm Exam
4
Week 12
Monday October 11: National Holiday / No class
(Cont.) Debate on historical memory.
Week 13
Democratic Transitions in the Southern Cone. Revolution in Nicaragua. El Salvador:
civil wars.
Week 14
The 1990´s and globalization. The crises of 2001 in Argentina. Conclusions.
Week 15
Final Written Exam

Required Bibliography

Felix Luna, Brief History of Argentina
John Ch. Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire
Chasteen John and Tulchin, Joseph. Problems in Modern Latin American History, a
Reader. USA/Delaware: Scholarly Resources, 1994

Suggested Bibliography

Thomas Skidmore and Peter Smith, A Contemporary History of Latin America
(UB Library 042989/ 90)
Booklet 1
- Richard Hillman, Understanding Latin America, Chapter 3
- John Charles Chasteen and Joseph S. Tulchin (eds.), Problems in Modern Latin
American History: A Reader, Chapters 3, 4, 9
- Bradford Burns, Latin America: Conflict and Creation, Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Bradford Burns, The Poverty of Progress, Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 7
- Leslie Bethell, Ideas and Ideologies in Latin America, Chapters 2
Booklet 2
- Joseph Tulchin, Argentina and the United States: A Conflicted Relationship,
Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Robert Levine, The Vargas Regime, Chapters 1-5
- Jules Benjamin, The U. S. and the Origins of the Cuban Revolution, Chapters 2-9
Booklet 3
- Walter LaFeber, Inevitable Revolutions, Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5
- Stephen Rabe, Eisenhower and Latin America, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
- Lester D. Langley, America and the Americas: The United States in the Western
Hemisphere, Chapters 2-9