Reading and composition courses based upon primary historical documents and secondary historical scholarship. These courses provide an introduction to core issues in the interpretation of historical texts and introduce students to the distinctive ways of reading primary and secondary sources. Courses focus on specific historical topics but address general issues of how historians read and write. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

For four centuries, Spanish imperial authorities struggled to consolidate control over a vast Pacific frontier stretching from Chile to California and the Philippines. Despite often being referred to as the “Spanish Lake”, the monarchy’s grip over this space was never absolute. It had to be endlessly negotiated and renegotiated at local and regional levels in response to the challenges posed by distance, disease, terrain, and more. This course will trace this history, revealing how indigenous peoples, pirates, witches, slaves, criminals, and other groups navigated, resisted and avoided colonial rule in the Pacific World for centuries. Primary and secondary source readings will allow students to closely analyze the political, religious, cultural, and economic dimensions of these contested encounters to better understand how they complicated colonial activities and shaped the development of the broader empire. Class meetings are designed to improve student’s critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and will consist of discussions and writing workshops. Coursework will include a few short papers and one final research paper.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills