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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills by utilizing methods of inquiry used by
historians and other social and behavioral scientists.
2. Utilize critical thinking skills to assess and distinguish between the factual and interpretative
sources of information and analysis of Mexico's historical events.
3. Analyze Mexico's social, economic, political and cultural independence and revolutionary
movements that created one institutionalized party system.
4. Assess contemporary Mexican history in comparison to the past.
5. Integrate geographic knowledge with cultural and historical knowledge as to how the Mexican
experience moves through both time and space.
6. Identify and employ innovative and non-traditional source materials such as literature, music,
cinema, and art to analyze race relations and Mexican colonial and independent history to
define their national identity.
7. Examine, evaluate, and discuss the experiences, roles, achievements, and contributions of
women and ethnic groups to the Mexican society.
8. Evaluate Mexican social, political, and economic policies in the shaping of the
marginalization, exploitation, and oppression of Indigenous communities and
women in Mexican society.
9. Analyze the student movement and the Zapatista rebellion as the first postmodern revolution
in Latin America.
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I. Pre-Columbian Civilizations
A. Mesoamerica societies: Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan and Toltec
B. Aztec arrival to the Valley of Mexico; unwanted newcomers, 1270
C. Rise of the Aztec Empire: Aztec philosophy and thought, 1325-1520
II. European Society and Religion
A. Columbus encounter with the Arawak people: 1492
B. Development of the encomienda system
C. Hernan Cortes arrival to Mexico and the Quetzalcoatl legend
D. The Fall of Tenochtitlan: establishment of New Spain
III. New Spain, the Jewel of Spain
A. New Spain: social, economic, political and religious systems
B. The formation of a class and caste society
C. Indigenous conversion to Christianity
D. The role of the Catholic Church in New Spain
IV. Demise of the Spanish Empire
A. The Bourbon movement to restructure the colonies
B. Mestizo and Indigenous social and economic unrest
C. Criollo political discontent and their failure to gain independence
D. Mestizo and Indigenous caste and class war of Independence
V. A Nation is Born, Conservatives vs Liberals: 1821-1876
A. Criollo v Mestizo civil wars for political and economic power
B. The role of the church in the Mexican post independent society
C. U. S. war against Mexico: 1846-1848 and The French intervention: 1855-1860
D. Chicano movement: the development of a Mexican cultural national identity
E. Benito Juarez: Laws of Reform to bring stability and progress to Mexico
VI. Porfirio Diaz and the Liberal Laws: 1876-1910
A. Uneven economic development in Mexico
B. Open door economic policies and the U.S. investments
C. The hacienda system: Indigenous labor in the peonage system
D. Urban and rural social discontent
VII. The Mexican Revolution: 1910-1917
A. The Magonista movement and the Liberal Party
B. Francisco I. Madero and the elite's rebellion
C. Francisco Villa, Pascual Orozco and the Army of the North
D. Venustiano Carranza, Alvaro Obregon and the Constitutionalist Army
E. Emiliano Zapata and the Indigenous Army of the South
F. The Role of Women in the Revolution
VIII. The Victory of the Constitutionalist Army: the Mexican Constitution of 1917
A. The emergence of the middle class
B. Alvaro Obregon and the creation of the new man: The Cosmic Race: 1920s
C. Plutarco Elias Calles and the caudillismo: a turn to the right
D. The church rebellion and the Cristero War
IX. Cardenismo and the Age of Populists' Reforms: 1934-1940
A. Lazaro Cardenas and the execution of the Mexican Constitution
B. Land reform: The Ejido system
C. Nationalization of the oil, land and natural resources
D. Labor, social, and educational reforms
X. The Formation of the Institutional Political Party (PRI)
A. The institutionalized revolution and a turn to the right
B. PRI party and the political corruption: 1940-2000
C. Union organizing and social discontent
D. Student movement, Olympic Games and Ordaz' students' massacres: 1968
XI. Post Modern Revolutionary Movements: 1971-1994
A. Student and intellectual response to the 1968 massacre: guerrilla movements
B. Emergence of the organized left and the formation of the Revolutionary Democratic
Party (PRD)
C. National Liberation Zapatista Army, (EZLN): Maya rebellion in Chiapas
D. Emergence of right wing political party: National Action Party (PAN)
E. PAN and PRI alliance to defeat the EZLN and PRD
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Aztec Thought and Culture. Leon-Portilla, Miguel. University of Oklahoma Press. 1963 (classic)
Broken Spears. Leon-Portilla, Miguel. Beacon Press. 2010 (classic)
The Chiapas Rebellion: The Struggle for Land and Democracy. Gilly, Adolfo. Duke University Press. 1998 (classic)
The Course Of Mexican History, 10th ed. Meyers, Michael, William Sherman, And Susan Deeds. Oxford University Press. 2019
Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution. Poniatowska, Elena. Cinco Puntos Press. 2006 (classic)
Massacre in Mexico. Poniatowska, Elena. Viking Press. 1975 (classic)
The Mexican Revolution. Gilly, Adolfo. New Press People's History. 2006 (classic)
The Underdogs: Mariano Acuela. WW Norton & Company. 2014 (classic)
Mexico From the Olmecs to the Aztecs: 8th ed. Coe, Michael D. Javier Urcid, et al. 2019