"Spain: From Empire to Nation" - Research Seminar
- Regina Grafe - 847/491-7412 - Harris Hall Room 302
- Parkes Hall 212 - TuTh 11:00AM - 12:20PM
- This course examines Spain's difficult transition from largest Empire of the Western World to fractious European and Latin American nation states. It begins by focusing on the political, social and economic constitution of imperial Spain in Europe and the Americas and revises the transition to Bourbon rule around 1700. It goes on to investigate the reform movements of the 18th century, which tried to "rationalise" rule in Spain and the American territories. We ask if there was an 18th century revival of Spain, a `Spanish miracle', as some historians have argued or merely a limited recovery of some regions. Were regional elites in Spain and colonial elites in the Americas increasingly seeking independence from Madrid as a centre of social life, political governance and economic control?
The second part tries to understand the legacy that the old regime bequeathed to the 19th century states following the French invasion of Spain. Between 1806 and 1825 most of Spain's American territories became independent and a severe political, social and economic breakdown accompanied the war against Napoleon's armies in Iberia. Why did the Spanish Empire implode in the metropolis rather than explode in the colonies as the British Empire in North America? Finally we look at attempts to establish a republican order and social and inter-regional consensus in the face of the dismemberment of the Spanish Empire into (eventually)16 or 17 Latin American and European nation states. - Seminar
- Students should enroll in either 392 or 395 depending upon which evaluation criteria should apply.
For both the 392 and 395: Participation; midterm
For the 392: Final paper (short)
For the 395: Final research paper (long) - TENTATIVE UNTIL ORDER IS PLACED ON NORRIS WEBSITE
John Lynch, Bourbon Spain, 1700-1808 (Blackwell, 1994, ISBN 978-0631192459)
David R. Ringrose, Spain, Europe, and the "Spanish Miracle", 1700-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0521434867)
Jaime Rodriguez O, Independence of Spanish America (Cambridge University Press, 1998 ISBN 978-0521626736)
Ruth MacKay, "Lazy, Improvident People". Myth and Reality in the Writing of Spanish History (Cornell University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0801473142) - AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Europe or Americas
No P/N option (ANC grading only).
\Attendance at first class is mandatory (applicable to enrolled, waitlisted and all potential students).
No freshman enrollment in 395 - Attendance at 1st class mandatory
No P/N option for this section - Enrollment Requirements: Freshmen may not register for this course.
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Current as of 05/06/13 11:33:25 AM