SPAN 307: History And Politics Of Mexico
Examines Mexico's history and its peoples from indigenous periods to the arrival of Europeans and Spanish colonization including the mission system and rancherias of California, New Mexico, and Colorado. Focuses on the independence movement and Mexico's relationship with the United States during westward expansion. Examines the 20th century by focusing on the Mexican Revolution and the factors which have resulted in continuous northern migration.
Instructor: Dr. Rafael Gomez
Instructor: Dr. Rafael Gomez
Course Narrative
This course provided me with an opportunity to learn about the history of the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world. As a student of Mexican descent, I looked to this class in hopes of broadening my understanding of my own personal identity. With a comprehensive review of Mexico’s history, from pre-Columbian times to the contemporary era, this course fulfilled Major Learning Outcome 3: Literary and Cultural Knowledge.
We began the semester by discussing the indigenous populations of Mesoamerica before contact with the Spanish and through the Conquest. Being aware of the unique cultures of the Aztec, Maya, Mixtec, and many other indigenous groups is a key aspect to understanding the traditions and beliefs of the modern day indigenous people of Mexico. As we learned about the Spanish conquest and the colonial era, many of the legacies of this time period became clear to me. Apart from the architecture and the structure of governance, one of the things that stood out to me the most was the division of land among the wealthy and the establishment of ejidios. The legacy of inequality and resentment from the colonial period came to a boil with the onset of the Mexican Revolution of 1810. Patriots the likes of Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos gave their life for independence. After the war followed almost a century of power struggles where figures like Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Benito Juarez, and Porfirio Diaz left their mark on the history of this nation. Faced with domestic problems, as well as an increasingly expanding neighbor to the North, Mexico entered a new century with the onset of yet another great war. The outcome of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 created a new structure of power in the government, one which would see the Partido Revolucionario Institucional take a hold of the country for more than 70 years in what some historians have referred to as the “perfect dictatorship”.
Understanding the rich and complex history of this country gave me an important window into some of the problems faced by it today such as poverty and emigration. With this in mind, the class required each of us to keep up with current events in Mexico and to share them with our classmates. By discussing contemporary issues and framing them in a historical context this course helped me gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Mexican.
We began the semester by discussing the indigenous populations of Mesoamerica before contact with the Spanish and through the Conquest. Being aware of the unique cultures of the Aztec, Maya, Mixtec, and many other indigenous groups is a key aspect to understanding the traditions and beliefs of the modern day indigenous people of Mexico. As we learned about the Spanish conquest and the colonial era, many of the legacies of this time period became clear to me. Apart from the architecture and the structure of governance, one of the things that stood out to me the most was the division of land among the wealthy and the establishment of ejidios. The legacy of inequality and resentment from the colonial period came to a boil with the onset of the Mexican Revolution of 1810. Patriots the likes of Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos gave their life for independence. After the war followed almost a century of power struggles where figures like Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Benito Juarez, and Porfirio Diaz left their mark on the history of this nation. Faced with domestic problems, as well as an increasingly expanding neighbor to the North, Mexico entered a new century with the onset of yet another great war. The outcome of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 created a new structure of power in the government, one which would see the Partido Revolucionario Institucional take a hold of the country for more than 70 years in what some historians have referred to as the “perfect dictatorship”.
Understanding the rich and complex history of this country gave me an important window into some of the problems faced by it today such as poverty and emigration. With this in mind, the class required each of us to keep up with current events in Mexico and to share them with our classmates. By discussing contemporary issues and framing them in a historical context this course helped me gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Mexican.
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