Course Description
Brazilian history and culture from pre-Columbian times to the
present. How Brazil and its people have been shaped by
colonialism, economic cycles of boom and bust, slavery, regional
cleavages, shifts from monarchical to republican to dictatorial
to democratic forms of government, and incomplete attempts to
expand access to prosperity and political power.
Athena Title
History of Brazil
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HIST 3230, LACS 3230
Prerequisite
Any HIST course or ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101E or ENGL 1101S or ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions through gathering and weighing of evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of Brazil has shaped social, cultural, racial, and national identities and encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
Topical Outline
- Week 1: Course Introduction
- Week 2: European discovery and Portuguese settlement (1500-1600)
- Week 3: Colonial sugar economy and slavery (1600-1700)
- Week 4: Minas Gerais gold rush and discontent with colonial rule (1700-1808)
- Week 5: The three-decade process of independence (1808-1840)
- Week 6: The Brazilian Empire: Politics and Economy (1840-1889)
- Week 7: The Brazilian Empire: Intellectual and Cultural Changes (1840-1889)
- Week 8: The First Republic (1889-1930)
- Week 9: The Vargas Regime (1930-1945)
- Week 10: The Populist Republic (1945-1964)
- Week 11: Industrialization and Modernization (1945-1964)
- Week 12: The Military Dictatorship (1964-1979)
- Week 13: Democratization (1979-1993)
- Week 14: Neoliberalism (1994-2002)
- Week 15: The Left in Power (2003-Present)
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
