Reform and Rebellion: Mexico, 1700-1867

Catalog description

This course focuses on Mexico's difficult transition from colony to nation. We will examine the key political, social, economic, and cultural developments during this period. Major topics will include: the paradoxical eighteenth century, which saw Mexico emerge as the most prosperous region of the Spanish empire, even as social and economic tensions deepened; the outbreak of peasant rebellions in the early nineteenth century; the elite-led movement for independence; the economic decline and political turmoil of the early republic; foreign interventions by the United States and France; and the rise of the Liberals as Mexico's dominant political force. P