LA HARBOR COLLEGE
History 019- History of Mexico
3.00 Units (UC:CSU)
“History studies not just facts and institutions, its real subject is the human spirit”
“Language is the archives of history”
Fall 2015
Section#0747
11:10am-12:35pm
Tuesdays & Thursdays
Room NEA 127
Contact Information
Instructor: Mario G. Valadez
Office: Faculty Office 163
Office Phone: 310-233-4571
E-mail: valademg@lahc.edu Voice Mail: 310-233-4571
Office Hours: M 10-11am
T 7am-8am
W 10-11am
TH 7-8am & 4-6:50pm
F by Appointment
Class website: http://www.professormgvaladez.com/ Grades: www.engrade.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProfValadez Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProfValadez13
College Mission
Los Angeles Harbor College promotes access and student success through associate and
transfer degrees, certificates, economic and workforce development, and basic skills
instruction. Our educational programs and support services meet the needs of diverse
communities as measured by campus institutional learning outcomes.
Course Description
This course examines the history of Mexico including Indian Mexico, the Spanish Conquest,
War of Independence, the Age of Santa Anna, the Period of the Reform, and the Reign of
Diaz. The Revolution of 1910 and the Period of Reconstruction are also included. A review of
contemporary Mexico together with its cultural, social, political, and economic trends
concludes the course.
Student Learning Outcomes
The Student Learning Outcomes are as follows:
1. Analyze the major civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Spanish conquest in terms of
motivation, implementation, and its repercussions for native peoples.
2. Examine the effects of the Bourbon Reforms on political and social governance and
their relevance for the leadership of Mexico’s War of Independence.
3. Assess the influence of imperialism, both European and U.S. on Mexican history.
4. Describe the political, economic, religious and social development of Mexico in the 20th
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and 21st centuries.
5. Identify, locate, and analyze primary and secondary sources that are pertinent to the
study of Mexican history.
Required Book
Meyer, Sherman, Deeds, The Course of Mexican History, 9th Edition, Oxford University
Press, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0199730384
Classroom Policies
It is essential that we work together as a class to create an environment in which everyone can
learn. Please put on silent mode all cell phones, iPods, or other electronic devices. If you are
caught using them in class, you will be asked to turn them off. Side conversations or any
disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated. The 1st time is a warning. The second offense will be
considered a breach of the student code of conduct and you will be asked to leave and you will
be referred to college administrators. Please refer to the class schedule for details about the
“Standards of Student Conduct.” If you want to use a recording device, you must consult
with me in advance. You may use your computer to take notes (sit in the first two rows). If you
are caught using your computer for a different purpose, you will be asked to turn it off.
No food in the classroom.
Students with Physical or Learning Disabilities
If you are requesting an accommodation come see me and contact Special Services and
Programs at (310) 233-4629. The office is in Cafeteria 108. Special services provide a wide
range of support.
Attendance and Participation
You are expected to attend every meeting of all classes. If you are unable to attend a class, email me at valademg@lahc.edu. Whenever absences “in hours” exceed the number of hours
the class meets per week, the student may be excluded from class by the instructor. Students
not in class when the role is taken will be counted absent Any student who has more than three
(3) hours of absences will be dropped from the class. Leaving class early will result in an
absence. Attendance may also be taken at the end of the period. Regular and prompt
attendance and note-taking on class discussion and films are very important for the successful
completion of the course. The information presented in discussions and lectures will augment
the material in the reading assignments. Before coming to class, students will be expected to
read the assigned chapters in the required books.
Two In-Class Writing Assignments 50 points
Two writing assignments will be given at any time during the semester.
There are 2 writing assignments that consist of answering questions on lectures, discussions,
films, and readings. Each assignment is worth 25 points. The writing assignment must be at
least 2 pages in length. Follow the writing assignment rubric, which is on the class website.
These assignments are in-class assignments. If you are absent there are no make-ups for these
assignments (no exceptions).
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Timeline and Map 25 points
The following website http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline_2/
will be used to create the timeline. This assignment is worth 25 points and can’t be made up
under any circumstances (no exceptions). The timeline is due December 10. We will discuss
the details in the coming weeks.
Five Quizzes 50 points
Each is worth 10 points. Questions will focus on the lectures, readings, and films. Quizzes
can’t be made up under any circumstances (no exceptions).
Two Examinations 100 points
Each exam is worth 50 points.
The examinations may consist of a combination of the following true-false, multiple choice,
chronology, short answers, geography, matching question and/or essay questions. Make-up
exams will be given if the absence was due to extenuating circumstances such as a serious
illness or an unavoidable accident. If this is the case you have 1 week from when the exam was
given to provide the instructor with proof of an extenuating circumstance. The make-up exam
will be essay questions.
One Primary Source Analysis 25 points
The essay is to be typed, 4-5 pages in length, size 12 font, Times New Roman, double-spaced,
and turned in on the due date. The essay requires that you consult primary and secondary
sources. Wikipedia is not an acceptable source. You must cite your sources according to the
Chicago style. The primary source analysis paper is due on November 24. Late submissions
will not be accepted under any circumstance. You will be submitting your paper to
turnitin.com. The instructions will be on the class website professormgvaladez.com. We will
discuss the details in the coming weeks.
Final Examination 50 points
The final examination is cumulative. It will consist of a combination of the following truefalse, multiple-choice, chronology, short answers, identifying geography, matching questions,
and/or essay questions.
Extra Credit
There will be some extra credit opportunities. The instructions for theses assignments are
online. A two-page summary, which answers the online questions, on a visit to a museum may
be turned in for 10 points. Three extra credit assignments are the maximum number that can be
submitted. The assignment requires that you visit three different museums. Double
submissions for the same museum will not count. The extra credit assignment must be turned
in as a hard copy. Submitting extra credit assignments via email will not be accepted. In order
to receive credit you will need to provide evidence of your visit such as ticket stub or museum
literature. Also, the museum visit has to be related to the historical eras covered in the course.
To receive full credit you need to consult with me before you begin any assignment. If you
submit extra credit assignments without discussing them with me first, you will not receive full
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credit. Lastly, if you enroll in Service Learning you can earn 25 points. Come see me for the
details. December 10 is the last day to turn in any extra credit assignments.
Grading
Grades will be posted online: engrade.com. Please keep track of your grade during the
semester. If there are any errors come see me immediately or send me an email.
Final grades will be calculated on a point (300) and percentage basis.
Total Points 300
Assignments:
Points
Timeline
25
In-Class Writing Assignments 50
Quizzes
50
Exams
100
Paper
25
Final Exam
50
Your Score
Grading Scale
100%-90% 270-300
89%-80% 240-269
79%-70% 210-239
69%-60% 180-209
59%-0% 0-179
=A
=B
=C
=D
=F
Academic Dishonesty
Students are expected to exhibit honesty in all aspects of the learning process. Plagiarism is a
student’s failure to distinguish his or her own words and ideas from those of a source consulted
by the student. Whenever exact words are used, quotation marks or an indented block indicator
of a quotation must be used. Academic dishonesty, such as copying or using unauthorized aids
on examinations, and plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not your own work, will
result an automatic F on the assignment and may be subjected to disciplinary action (Board
Rule 9803.12 states, "dishonesty, such as cheating, or knowingly furnishing false information
to the Colleges" shall be subject to disciplinary action).
Disclaimer
Students in this class may be subjected to material which the student may find offensive. These
may include visual or text representations from the following areas:
Sex
Profane language
Religious theories
Economic theories
Important Dates
Last day to drop or change full term classes without incurring fees(online) September 13, 2015
Last day to drop a full-term classes with a “W” (online) November 22, 2015
Note: The instructor reserves the right to amend, add, and/or delete any of the above
mentioned items. You will be notified promptly of any changes. See the class website for
updates: http://www.professormgvaladez.com/
Class Schedule: (subject to change)
Readings are online: http://www.professormgvaladez.com/
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Week 1
Sept. 1
Sept. 3
Week 2
Sept.8
Sept.10
Week 3
Sept.15
Sept.17
Introduction to History 19
Overview of Mexico’s Geography, Population, and Society
Film: Hecho en México
Rodriguez, “Where did Mexicans come from?” (online: class website)
Introduction to Mesoamerica: Ancient Origins to the Olmec Culture
Maugh, “Writing on Olmec Slab is Hemisphere’s Oldest” (online)
The Course of Mexican History chapter 1
The Classic Period: Teotihuacan to the Mayans
The Course of Mexican History chapter 2
The Post-Classic Period: Toltecs to the Aztecs
The Course of Mexican History chapters 3 & Film: The Aztecs
Aztec Society & Medieval Spanish Society to 1521
Nader, “The Spain that Encountered Mexico” (online)
The Course of Mexican History chapters 4-5
Week 4
Sept.22 The Encounter & the Fall of Tenochtitlan
Sept.24 Quiz 1 The Encounter & the Fall of Tenochtitlan
The Course of Mexican History chapter 6 & 7
Film: The Other Conquest
Week 5
Sept.29 Exam I New Spain 1521: Colonial Administration, Economy, & Church
The Course of Mexican History chapters 8,9, 10
Oct.1
Race, Class, and Gender in New Spain
The Course of Mexican History chapters 11, 12
Gates, “The Black Grandma in the Closet” Black in Latin America
(online)
Week 6
Oct.6
Women in Colonial Period & Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
The Course of Mexican History chapter 11, p. 167-177
Film: I, the Worst of All
Oct.8
Quiz 2 Colonial Spain under the Bourbons 1700-1810
The Course of Mexican History chapters 13 & 14
Week 7
Oct.13 War of Independence: 1810 Hidalgo’s Social Revolution
The Course of Mexican History chapter 15
Film: Hidalgo: La Historia Jamás Contada
Oct.15 The First Mexican Empire 1822 to the Age of Santa Ana
The Course of Mexican History chapters 16, 17 & 18 p. 249-255
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Week 8
Oct.20 The Texas Revolution 1836 & the Mexican-American War 1846-1848
The Course of Mexican History chapters 18 & 19
Oct.22 The Mexican-American War 1846-1848
Film: The Mexican-American War
Week 9
Oct.27 Quiz 3 War of the Reform and French Intervention
The Course of Mexican History chapter 20
Oct.29 Juarez and the Modern Republic
The Course of Mexican History chapters 21 & 22
Week 10
Nov.3 Exam II The Porfiriato: Order and Progress
The Course of Mexican History chapters 23,24, 25
Nov.5 Challenges to the Diaz Regime: Madero & Labor Unrests
The Course of Mexican History chapters 26 & 27
Week 11
Nov.10
Nov.12
The Mexican Revolution 1910
The Mexican Revolution 1910
The Course of Mexican History chapters 28, 29, 30
Film: Pancho Villa: Outlaw Hero
Week 12
Nov.17 Quiz 4 Obregon 1920 to Calles 1934
The Course of Mexican History chapters 31 & 32
Nov.19 Mexico under Cardenas 1930s & the Nationalization of the Oil Companies
The Course of Mexican History chapters 33 & 34
Week 13
Nov.24
Paper Due World War II to the Massacre of Tlatelolco 1968
The Course of Mexican History chapters 35 & 36
Film: Mexico: The Frozen Revolution
Nov.26
Thanksgiving Holiday
Week 14
Dec.1 Oil, Crisis, NAFTA, & the Zapatistas
The Course of Mexican History chapters 37 & 38 Film: Zapatista
Dec.3 Quiz 5 Fox, the Election of 2000, & The Fall of the PRI
The Course of Mexican History chapters 38 & 39
"Mexico's Fox Creates Stir by Flying Virgin Banner." (online)
Smith, James F., and Mary Beth Sheridan. "An End to the PRI Era -- and a
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Way of Life." (online)
Week 15
Dec. 8 Calderon & the Drug War
Mexico, Before and After Calderon's drug war (online)
Dec.10 Timeline Due The Return of the PRI 2012
Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto Assumes Presidency Amid Protests (online)
With 'El Chapo' Gone, Mexicans Brace for Drug Cartel Turf War (online)
Drug War No More (online)
Week 16 Finals Week Dec.15
Final Exam Tuesday, 10:30am-12:30pm
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