I.  ANNOUNCEMENTS:

IMPORTANT DATES:
 

FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE:

FINAL EXAM TAKE HOME

"Plagiarism consists of any of the following: quoting directly from any source of material--including other students' work and materials purchased from research consultants-- without appropriately citing the source and identifying the quoted material;  knowingly citing an incorrect source, using ideas (i.e., material other than information that is common knowledge) from any source of material--including other students' work and materials purchased from research consultants-- without citing the source and identifying the borrowed material" (Student Handbook, p. 42).

Copying other student's work in any way, cheating on exams or any assignments, and any other form of academic dishonesty, no matter how minute or extensive, will result in an automatic grade of "F" for the course and automatic referral to the Dean's office for possible disciplinary action by the university.

REQUIRED READINGS:

 Meyer and Sherman. The Course of Mexican History.  Oxford, 1999
 Pozas, Ricardo. Juan the Chamula.  University of California Press, 1962
 Rochfort, Desmond. Mexican Muralists: Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros. NY: Universe, 1993.
 Fuentes, Carlos. The Death of Artemio Cruz. NY: Noonday, 1991

Additional readings distributed in class, on reserve at the library, and linked to this syllabus.

• Search the Internet
• U. of Dayton Library and Online Resources from Ohiolink
• U. of Dayton Department of History Homepage
• H-NET Humanities Project
• History Computerization Project

• Document Analysis Worksheet
• Written Work Guidelines

• Peer Review Worksheet
• Citations:  Chicago Manual of Style
• Citations:  Internet Sources

This course will survey Mexican history from the era of the Maya and Aztec civilizations to the present. Students will analyze and describe trends in Mexican History; explain the causes of major historical changes; describe the roles and functions of Mexican institutions; explain how visual arts, literature and other forms of cultural expression are connected to historical developments;  assess Mexico's progress in fulfilling the promise of the 1910-1917 Revolution, and analyze U.S. policies towards Mexico.

Mexico is one of the two nations which share a border with the United States and the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world.  It contains the largest city on earth, Mexico City, and some of the wealthies and poorest people in the Western Hemisphere.  It has a long history of western influence dating to the Cortez conquest and an even longer history of very advanced and sophisticated civilization including the Aztec and Maya.  It was the seat of Spanish conquest and government but by the beginning of the 19th century became independent.

By 1848 Mexico lost 50% of its territory to the United States and that fact has lingered at the forefront of the Mexican national consciousness.  As Mexicans are fond of saying, "Too far from God, and so close to the United States."  Yet Americans know little about their Southern neighbor even though our histories are intertwined and our futures closely tied.  As modern demographic trends have demonstrated, hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States and among Hispanics Mexicans lead the group.  One can hardly go far in Texas or California without realizing how close the two societies have become.  Therefore, an understanding of Mexico is an integral part of understanding the United States and its future.

1.  GENERAL:
Reading all the assignments by the beginning of the assigned week, regular attendance to lectures, TBD document reviews, a term paper, two exams, and a comprehensive final exam.  All students are strongly encouraged to ask questions throughout the lectures, and ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION--DISCUSSION participation is worth 10% of the final grade which WILL often make the difference between one grade and another.

Due dates are cast in stone! There will be no make up exams and late assignments, including assigments not turned in at the beginning of class the day they are due because of absence, will not be accepted resulting in a failing grade for that assignment/exam.  Only in the case of extreme family or personal emergency, with prior discussion and a written doctor's letter, will I even begin to consider a deviation from this policy.

2.  ATTENDANCE:
There is no attendance policy.  However, students are required to attend classes regularly and should not miss more than three classes during the semester. Please remember that the lectures, discussion, and the readings are the core of this course.

3.  CLASS EVALUATION:
DISCUSSION/DOCUMENT REVIEWS    10% ( 50 points)
TERM PAPER PROJECT                            20% (100 points)
EXAMS                                                       40% (200 points)
FINAL EXAM                                             30% (150 points)
_________________________________________________
TOTAL                                                        100% (500 points)

The grading scale is:
450-500 points = 90-100% = A
400-449 points = 80-89%   = B
350-399 points = 70-79%   = C
300-349 points = 60-69%   = D
299-below                           = F
STUDENT PROGRESS WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION!

4.  TERM PAPER:  Juan the Chamula concerns an indigenous group of Tzotzil-speaking Indians living in the mountain highlands in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. It has been recognized as one of the most skillful handlings of Indian themes in Mexican literature. Place the book, Juan the Chamula, into its historical perspective. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

VI.  WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

Week 1 (August 20)

• Requirements, Introduction

Mexico before Cortez:

1. The Mature Aztec Empire:  Political Organization
2. Socio-Economic Structure
3. Aztec Culture
4. Aztec Religion and Human Sacrifice

Tuesday:    Mexico before Cortez:

Thursday:    Cortez and Conquest;  FILM: Conquistadors

1. An Old Tale repeated again
2. Conquest as an Intellectual and Psychological Legacy

THURSDAY:  NO CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. The Imperial System
2. Colonial Society
3. The Indian

TUESDAY:  NO CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Accession of the TUESDAY:  The Colonization of Mexico
1. Bourbon Dynasty
2. The Spanish Enlightenment
3. The Bourbon reforms in Mexico
4. Mexico in the Late 18th Century

Week 6 (September 24)
FILM:  Mexican Independence

TUESDAY:  The Colonization of Mexico

THURSDAY:  The Bourbon Reforms

Week 7 (October 1)
READ:  Meyer, Chpts. 18-21

The Early Mexican Republic
 
1. Dynastic Crises and Revolt
2. The Early trials of Nationhood
3. Iturbide
4. Centralists and Federalists, Conservatives and Liberals
5. Santa Ana and the Mexican War

Week 8 (October 8)
READ:  Meyer, Chpts. 22-25
FILM:  The Mexican War
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848
Official US Army History of the Mexican War
 

Texan Independence/The Mexican War

Week 9 (October 15)
READ:  Meyer, Chpts. 26-29
 

Searching for the Soul of Mexico:  Mid-Century Liberals and Conservatives

1. Benito Juarez and La Reforma
2. The French Intervention

The Republic Restored and Cinco de Mayo

The Porfiriato

1. Politics under Diaz
2. Search for Modernity
3. Mexico on the Eve of Revolution

***EXAM 1 ON TUESDAY***

The Mexican Revolution:  The Military Phase

1. Pretense Without Progress
2. Francisco Madero and the Failure of Moderate Reform
3. Chaos and Neo-conservatism:  Carranza and Calles
4. The Constitution of 1917

The Mexican Revolution:  The Constructive Phase

1. Progress and Pretense
2. Lazaro Cardenas, 1934-1940

TERM PAPER DRAFT DUE TUESDAY FOR IN-CLASS PEER REVIEW

PEER REVIEW DUE THURSDAY

Art and the Image-Making of a Revolution
Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros.
Orozco
Rivera

Orozco's Zapata

Orozco's American Civilization - The Gods of the Modern World

Mexican History in Literature

***EXAM 2 ON THURSDAY OF WEEK 13***

Week 15 (November 26)
READ:  Meyer, Chpts. 40-45.

Mexico Since 1940:  The Revolution Matures

1. The Industrial Boom
2. The Industrial State Consolidated
3. Demographic Boom and Migration to Urban Areas
4. Petroleum rescues the PRI, 1976-1982

Week 16 (December 3)

The Future of Mexico:  Progress Pauses and Restarts?
The End of PRI Rule

THURSDAY IS THE LAST DAY OF CLASS!!!