Week 1. Introduction and Overview
Tuesday, 24 January
What Factors Explain European Predominance?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Prologue” and “Chapter 1.”
What were the Advantages Behind European Predominance?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Chapter 2” through “Chapter 4”
Thursday, 26 January
How did Geography determine Differences in Food Production?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Chapter 5” through “Chapter 8.”
Week 2. The Initial Phase in the Caribbean
Tuesday, 31 January
How did Differences in Food Production create Differences in Disease and Writing?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Chapter 9” through “Chapter 12.”
How did Differences in Food Production create Differences in Technology and Social Organization?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Chapter 13” and “Chapter 14.”
Thursday, 2 February
According to Diamond, how did these Differences play out in the Spanish Conquest?
Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, “Chapter 18” and “Epilogue.”
Friday, 3 February
First Paper Assignment Due in One Week: Read the Details Here! Due at 5 pm on Friday, 10 February.
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Week 3. How Historians Do History
Tuesday, 7 February
Columbus in Context: Why Go to America?
1. The Santa Fe Capitulations, 1492.
2. The Granada Capitulations, 1492.
3. The Columbus’ Letter, 1492.
4. Columbus’ Warrant for a Second Voyage, 1493. All in one PDF on Blackboard
How Did the Encounter Proceed at the State Level?
1. Instructions to Columbus, 1497.
2. The Instructions of the Government of the Indies, 1501.
3. The Decree on Indian Labor, 1503.
Thursday, 9 February
How did the Spanish Government Respond?
1. The Advent Sermons of Antonio Montesinos, 1511. All in one PDF on Blackboard
2. The Royal Response to the Sermons of Antonio Montesinos, 1512.
Friday, 10 February
First Paper Assignment: Read the Details Here! Due at 5 pm on Friday, 10 February.
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Week 4. The Conquest of the Caribbean
Tuesday, 14 February
How did the Spanish Government Respond?
1. Palacios Rubios, “The Requirement,” 1512.
2. The Laws of Burgos, 1512-13.
How did this work out?
1. General Repartimiento of 1514.
2. Alonso de Zuazo, “State of the Indies.”
Thursday, 16 February
How do historians make sense of these documents?
Anderson-Córdova, “The Spanish Conquest and Colonization of Hispaniola,” (Read pages 29-42).
Friday, 17 February
Second Writing Assignment due in one week: Revise Your First Writing Assignment After Meeting with me. Due Friday, 24 February at 5 pm.
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Week 5. Taking A Step Back: History as a Discipline
Tuesday, 21 February
What makes History a Discipline?
Arnold, History, Chapters 1-3.
Which Sources? Which Approaches?
Arnold, History, Chapters 4-5.
Thursday, 23 February
How Do Historians Read Sources?
Arnold, History, Chapters 6-7.
Friday, 24 February
Second Writing Assignment due in one week: Revise Your First Writing Assignment After Meeting with me. Due Friday, 24 February at 5 pm.
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Week 6. The Conquest of Mexico
Tuesday, 28 February
Who were the Players in Mexico?
Victors and Vanquished, 1-78.
The Veracruz Petition. Skim the PDF from 63-101, but read 102-106 closely.
Thursday, 2 March
How did Cortez Proceed?
Victors and Vanquished, 79-126.
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Week 7. More on the Conquest of Mexico
Tuesday, 7 March
Why was the Conquest of Mexico so Hard? How Did Cortez Finally Win?
Victors and Vanquished, 127-213.
Thursday, 9 March
How Did Cortez Finally Win? What were the Consequences
Victors and Vanquished, 214-243.
Friday, 10 March
Third Writing Assignment: Arnold Paper. Due at 5 pm on 10 March.
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Week 8. Debating the Conquest of Mexico
Tuesday, 14 March
What do Historians debate about the Conquest of Mexico?
Carrasco, “Quetzalcoatl’s Revenge.”
Brooks, “Motecuzoma Xocoyotl, Hernán Cortés, and Bernal Díaz.”
Thursday, 16 March
MIDTERM
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Spring Break, 18 March to 2 April
Week 9. The Conquest in the Andes
Tuesday, 4 April
What Happened in Peru?
MacQuarrie, Last Days of the Incas, 15-85.
Thursday, 6 April
What Happened in Peru?
MacQuarrie, Last Days of the Incas, 86-137.
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Week 10. The Conquest in the Andes
Tuesday, 11 April
What Happened in Peru?
MacQuarrie, Last Days of the Incas, 138-192.
Thursday, 13 April
What Happened in Peru?
MacQuarrie, Last Days of the Incas, 193-258.
Friday, 14 April
Book Report: See the Assignment Here. But also read the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. Due at 5 pm.
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Week 11. The Conquest in the Andes
Tuesday, 18 April
What Happened in Peru?
MacQuarrie, Last Days of the Incas, 259-378.
Thursday, 20 April
What was the role of disease in all this?
Guilmartin, “The Cutting Edge,” on e-reserve.
Monday, 24 April
Draft Annotated Bibliography: Read the details here. Due at noon.
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Week 12. So How Should We Understand the Conquest?
Tuesday, 25 April
How Do Historians Understand the Conquest?
Restall, up through 99.
Thursday, 27 April
How Do Historians Understand the Conquest?
Restall, 100-157.
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Week 13. Class Presentations
Tuesday, 2 May
Presentations. Class participation grade requires written comments.
Monday, 4 May
Presentations. Class participation grade requires written comments.
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Week 14. Class Presentations
Tuesday, 9 May
Presentations. Class participation grade requires written comments.
Thursday, 11 May
Presentations. Class participation grade requires written comments.
Your Annotated Bibliography is due on 12 May at 5 PM. Remember to include a title page.
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Final Exam at 9 a.m.