1

HIW 350
History of South America
Spring 2009 – K301 - MW 2:00 to 3:15, CA 212
Instructor: José L. Rénique
Office: 298 Carman Hall, Ext. 4998 Office Hours: M 3:15-4:15
E-mail: jrenique@aol.com

Course Description

This course concentrates on the southernmost and the largest part of Latin America. Our main
goal is to examine the process of nation-making in South America, from the birth of the republic
(1820s) to the present. We do so by using different approaches, from economic and political
analysis to “history from below” as well as comparative history. We begin by examining the
colonial background of South American nations and we finish exploring the social movements
that currently struggle to redefine the nation-state to make it more inclusive and responsive to the
historically neglected majorities. Although we study the region as a whole we mainly focus on
some specific cases: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Venezuela.

Required Readings
The following books are available at Lehman Bookstore:
• Bouvard, Marguerite Guzman. Revolutionizing motherhood: the mothers of the Plaza
de Mayo, Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources, Inc., 1994.
• Fraser, Nicholas and Marisa Navarro. Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron, W. W.
Norton & Company, 1996.
• Kozloff, Nikolas. Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Left , New York:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
Several handouts and articles will be part of the course bibliography. They will be either
distributed in class or are available on-line.

Evaluation
• Geographic Quiz (minus 5% of the final grade in case of failure): February 18
• Written Assignment (60%): Two papers of at least 1,200 words (4 pages), 30 points each.
See separate instructions for detailed guidelines. Please take note that, under any
circumstance I will receive e-mailed papers in this course. Due date: March 11 and
May 11
• Final examination (20%): an open book in-class exam based on weekly readings and
films. Date: TBA
• Participation (20%): this takes into account not only attendance but interventions in
class discussion; to receive a high participation grade it is necessary to do the assigned
readings before each class and be prepared to discuss it (see Lehman web site).

Topics and Classes

January 26
Introduction
January 28
Legacies of the Past: Colonial Background
Readings: Handouts
February 2
Birth of Republic: the Wars of Independence
Reading: John C. Chasteen, “Independence”
 2

February 4
Early Republic: Difficult Beginnings
Reading: R. Schneider, “A Region of New Nations from Colonialism to Consolidation”
February 9-11
Rise and Fall of Oligarchic Republics
Readings: R. Schneider, “Consolidation and Development” and “The New Century
Dawns”
February 16
No class
February 18/23
From the Great Depression to the Cold War
Readings: R. Schneider, “From the Great Depression into the Cold War” and
“Depression, the Cold War and Weak Leadership”
February 25
The Populist Challenge: the case of Peronism (1)
Film: “Evita: The Woman Behind the Myth”
March 2/4
The Populist Challenge: the case of Peronism (2)
Reading: Fraser & Navarro, Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron
March 9/11
From Radicalization to Revolution: From “Che” Guevara to Salvador Allende
Readings: Ernesto Guevara, “The Motorcycle Diaries” (excerpts) and Inti Peredo, “Defeat
in Bolivia”
Film: “Che”
Due Date: Paper 1 (Wed. 11)
March 16/18
Dictatorships and Dirty Wars in the South Cone
Readings: R. Schneider, “Coups, Military Regimes, and Ends of Tunnels” and McSherry,
J. Patrice. “The Undead Ghost of Operation Condor” in
http://www.logosjournal.com/issue_4.2/mcsherry.htm
Film: “Investigating Operation Condor”
March 23/25
Democratic Transitions and Neo-Liberal Reforms
Reading: R. Schneider, “Twilight of the Generals and Dawn of Democracy”
March 30
The struggle for Human Rights
Readings: Agosin, Marjorie and Cola Franzen. “A visit to the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo”
in Human Rights Quarterly 9(3), August 1987, 426-435.
April 1/6
Film: “The Pinochet Case”
April 8/17
Spring Recess
April 20
The Neoliberal Reform
April 22/27
Neoliberal Reform and New Social Movements.
Reading: Tupac Saavedra, “Bolivia: The Rise of Evo Morales” in
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/blog/2006/01/bolivia_the_ris_1.html
Film: “Cocalero.” See also: “Bolivia: Leasing the Rain” (videorecord)
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bolivia/thestory.html
April 29
The return of the Left (1)
Reading: Kozloff, Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Left
May 4/6 The return of the Left (1)
Film: “Chavez: Inside the Coup” (2003)
May 11/13
 3

Due Date: Paper 2 (Mon. 11)

Review and Conclusions
 4

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
The essential purpose of these assignments is to refine a fundamental academic skill: writing
analytical papers (as opposed to descriptive papers) based on specific case studies and using
several sources. In writing your paper you should comply with the following guidelines:
(a) Start by following the indications for “reading for writing” (see below)
(b) Make sure that you structure your paper around a specific thesis.
(c) In assembling your paper followed the three-part structure (introduction-argument-
conclusion) where each part plays a crucial role in conveying effectively your ideas. And
of course, write clearly and persuasively.
(d) In writing your paper you must use at least ONE book and TWO articles from the
bibliography provided for each topic. In case you want to add a non-listed title you need
my authorization.
(e) Use the MLA style for quoting. Be particularly careful in avoiding plagiarism.
(f) Do not use illustrations unless they are an important part of your argumentation.
(g) Neither a plastic cover nor a separate title page is necessary.
(h) Proof-read and edit your final draft.
(i) Length and presentation: 1,200 words paper or around 4 pages, 1.5 line spacing, font
size should be 12 pt, set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides

Essay 1
The Rise of Populism
General Topic
Discuss the nature and dynamics of populism and its impact on South American politics.
Case Study
In order to tackle the general topic we will use Argentina’s Peronista Movement as a case
study. We will do so by focusing on one of the leading figures of this movement: Eva
Duarte de Peron better known as Evita.
Approach
It is not the story of Evita what you are supposed to write. The nexus between Evita’s
development as a leader and the rise of populism is what you must focus on.
Questions
The following questions could guide your exploration:
a. What is populism? Can the Peronista Movement be classified as populist? Why?
b. What factors (economic, social, political, cultural) created conditions for the rise
of the Peronista Movement? What changes in Argentinian society made possible
the transformation of Evita into a national leader?
c. What was Evita’s role in the rise of Peronismo?
d. What kind of legacy left Peronismo on Argentinian politics?
Sources
Book
• Fraser, Nicholas and Marisa Navarro. Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron, W. W.
Norton & Company, 1996.
Articles
• Conniff, Michael. “Introduction” in Populism in Latin America. Tuscaloosa and
London: University of Alabama Press, 1999.
• Elena, Eduardo. “What the People Want: State Planning and Political Participation in
Peronist Argentina, 1946-1955” in Journal Of Latin American Studies, 2005, 37(1), pp. 81-
108
• James, Daniel. Doña María’s Story. Life History, Memory, and Political Identity,
Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2000, pp. 45-100 (REQUIRED).
• James, Daniel. "October 17th and 18th, 1945: Mass Protest, Peronism and the
Argentine Working Class" in Journal of Social History, 21:2 (Summer 1988): 441-461.
 5

• James, Daniel. "Tales told out on the borderlands": Doña María's story, oral history,
and the issues of gender” in Gendered worlds of Latin American women workers: from
household and factory to the union hall and ballot box. Edited by John French and Daniel
James, Durham, N.C.: Duke Univ. Press, 1998, p. 31-52.
• Zabaleta, Marta. “Eva Peron And Diana Spencer: Victims Or Accomplices Of Cultural
Uniformity?” in Canadian Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies 1999 24(48), pp.
259-276.

Essay 2
Please choose one of the following topics

Topic 2.1
The Struggle for Human Rights
General Topic
To discuss the origins and social impact of the Human Rights movement that emerged
throughout the South Cone in reaction to the policies of repression applied by the military
dictatorships of the 1970s.
Case Study
To gain a better understanding of the general topic we will use the case of Argentina’s
Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
Approach
More than a “history” of the organization you should focus on explaining its origins and
how they conceived their struggle.
Questions
The following questions could guide your exploration:
a. What do we mean by “human rights” and what traditions of respect for them
had existed in Argentina?
b. What kind of context explains the transformation of regular family women into
activists? Why did they choose to organize themselves as “mothers”?
c. How did they conceived their struggle in the highly repressive context
prevailing in Argentina at that time?
d. What kind of impact did the Mother’s actions have?
Sources
Book
• Bouvard, Marguerite Guzman. Revolutionizing motherhood: the mothers of the Plaza
de Mayo, Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources, Inc., 1994.
Articles
• Bosco, Fernando. “The Madres De Plaza De Mayo And Three
Decades Of Human Rights' Activism: Embeddedness, Emotions, And Social Movements” in
Annals Of The Association Of American Geographers 2006 96(2), pp. 342-365.
• Franco, Jean. “Gender, Death, and Resistance. Facing the Ethical Vaccum” in Fear
at the Edge. State Terror and Resistance in Latin America. Edited by Juan Corradi,
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992, pp. 104-119.
• Navarro, Marysa. “The personal is political: las Madres de Plaza de Mayo” in Power
and popular protest: Latin American social movements. Edited by Susan Eckstein.
Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1989, p. 241-258.
• Pieper Mooney, Jadwiga E. 'Militant Motherhood' Re-Visited: Women's Participation
And Political Power In Argentina And Chile” in History Compass 2007 5(3): 975-994.
• Sikkink, Kathryn. “From Pariah State To Global Protagonist: Argentina And The
Struggle For International Human Rights” in Latin American Politics & Society 2008 50(1),
pp. 1-29.
 6

• Suarez, Marcelo, “The Heritage of a ‘Dirty War’: Psychological Aspects of Terror in

Argentina, 1976-1988” in Journal of Psychohistory, 1991, 18(4), pp. 469-505.

Topic 2.2
The Return of the Left
General Topic
Discussing the origins of the current rebirth of the Left in Latin America as expressed in
the rise of a new brand of social movements and a new generation of leftist leaders
(Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, Lula, etc.).
Case Study
No specific group, region or nation but South America as a whole is taken as a subject in
this paper.
Approach
More than recording the variety of movements and regimes that account for the “rise of
the new left” you should focus on discussing how your sources have explained this event.
Questions
The following questions could guide your exploration:
a. What is the Left and what has been its historical role in South America?
b. What factors led to its evaporation from the political scene in the 1980?
c. What is the context in which the reappearance of the Left has taken place?
d. What differences of similarities can you establish between the “old” and the
“new” South American Left?
Sources
• Castañeda, Jorge. “Latin America’s Left Turn” in Foreign Affairs, May/June 2006
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060501faessay85302/jorge-g-castaneda/latin-america-s-
left-turn.html
• Kozloff, Nikolas. Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Left , New York:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
• Derham, Michael. “Undemocratic Democracy: Venezuela and the Distorting of History” in
Bulletin of Latin American Research, 2002 21(2), pp. 270-289.
• Dunkerley, James. “Evo Morales, The 'Two Bolivias' And The Third Bolivian Revolution”
in Journal of Latin American Studies, 39(1), February 2007.
• Ellner, Steve. “Leftist Goals and the Debate over Anti-neoliberal Strategy in Latin
America” in Science & Society, 2004 68(1), pp. 10-32.
• Shifter, Michael. “In search of Hugo Chavez” in Foreign Affairs, May/June, 2006
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060501faessay85303/michael-shifter/in-search-of-hugo-ch-
vez.html
• Rodríguez, Francisco. “An Empty Revolution: The Unfulfilled Promises of Hugo Chavez”
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20080301faessay87205/francisco-rodriguez/an-empty-
revolution.html

READING FOR WRITING

(a) To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. In other words, more
than reading primarily to extract information do read looking for ways of thinking
about the subject matter. That means
(b) Asking questions such as How this text is argued? How is the evidence (the facts,
examples, etc.) used and interpreted? How does the text reach its conclusions?
 7

(c) Begin to make some judgments about context: What audience is the text written for?
Who is it in dialogue with? In what historical context is it written? All these matters of
context can contribute to your assessment of what is going on in a text.
(d) Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs. What concepts are defined and
used? Does the text appeal to a theory or theories? Is any specific methodology laid out?
If there is an appeal to a particular concept, theory, or method, how is that concept,
theory, or method then used to organize and interpret the data? You might also examine
how the text is organized: how has the author analyzed (broken down) the material?
(e) Examine the evidence (the supporting facts, examples, etc) the text employs: What
counts as evidence in this argument? Is the evidence statistical? literary? historical? etc.
From what sources is the evidence taken?
(f) Critical reading occurs after some preliminary processes of reading. Begin by skimming
research materials, especially introductions and conclusions, in order to strategically
choose where to focus your critical efforts.
(g) When highlighting a text or taking notes from it, teach yourself to highlight argument:
those places in a text where an author explains her analytical moves, the concepts she
uses, how she uses them, how she arrives at conclusions. Look for the large patterns
that give purpose, order, and meaning to those examples. The opening sentences of
paragraphs can be important to this task.
(h) When you begin to think about how you might use a portion of a text in the argument you
are forging in your own paper, try to remain aware of how this portion fits into the whole
argument from which it is taken. Paying attention to context is a fundamental critical
move.
(i) When you quote directly from a source, use the quotation critically. This means that you
should not substitute the quotation for your own articulation of a point. Rather, introduce
the quotation by laying out the judgments you are making about it, and the reasons why
you are using it. Often a quotation is followed by some further analysis.