Module Identifier HY10720  
Module Title THE AGE OF DISCOVERY: THE CONQUEST OF THE AMERICAS 1492-1620  
Academic Year 2004/2005  
Co-ordinator Dr Karen Stober  
Semester Semester 2  
Mutually Exclusive HA10720  
Course delivery Lecture   18 Hours  
  Seminars / Tutorials   5 Hours 5 seminars plus essay tutorials of varying length  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours 2 HOUR 2 QUESTION CLOSED EXAMINATION  60%
Semester Assessment 2 X 2,500 WORD ESSAYS  40%
Supplementary Exam 2 HOUR 2 QUESTION CLOSED EXAM PLUS MISSING WRITTEN WORK   

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Assess critically the body of historical knowledge which discusses the European tradition of voyages of discovery, with particular focus on the discovery and conquest of the Americas, in its wider social and political contexts.

Comprehend and assess the different historical debates and analyses evident in related texts, ranging from the Middle Ages to recent scholarly works.

Assess the continuing impact of European settlement in South and Central America and Mexico.

Read, analyse and assess a range of different types of historical evidence relevant to the module, including appropriate literary evidence.

Comprehend the historical debates and problems regarding the impact of European settlement on native American society.

Express with increased confidence understanding and discuss related issues through writing in an academic context.

Work independently and as part of a group and take an active part in group discussions (not formally assessed)

Brief description

This module will focus on the discovery and conquest of South and Central America, and Mexico, discussing the careers of individuals like Columbus and Cortes. In doing so, it will provide an introductory history of the pre-conquest Americas, with particular focus on the Aztecs, the Maya and the Incas, assessing the impact of the contacts between the conquerors and the conquered, tying the results of this assessment into the wider context of contacts between peoples and cultures.

Aims

This module is intended to provide an introduction to the European tradition of voyages of discovery during the medieval and early modern period, focusing on the conquest of the Americas during the late fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. It will thus cover a currently unavailable area of history teaching in the department, introducing students to the history of medieval and early modern Europe, as well as looking beyond the immediate confines of western Christendom and discuss issues of lasting relevance, such as cross-cultural settlement.

Content

1.   Introduction I: the European tradition of voyages of discovery before Columbus
2.   Introduction II: Europe in the fifteenth century
3.   Columbus I: the first voyage
4.   Columbus II: later voyages
5.   The conquest of the mainland
6.   The Maya
7.   The Aztecs
8.   The Conquest of Mexico I
9.   The Conquest of Mexico II
10.   The Incas and their ancestors
11.   The Conquest of Peru I: Cajamarca
12.   The Conquest of Peru II: Cuzco
13.   The Conquest of Peru III: the legacy
14.   Exploiting the land: Bolivia ? Potosi
15.   The Spanish exploration of North America
16.   The discovery of the Amazon river
17.   Colonising Brazil
18.   Conclusions: conquests

Reading Lists

Books
Gibson, Charles (1966.) Spain in America Harper & Row
Moseley, Michael E. (c1992.) The Incas and their ancestors : Thames and Hudson
Williamson, Edwin. (1992.) The Penguin history of Latin America Allen Lane 0713990767
** Recommended Text
M D Coe The Maya
Cortés, H Letters from Mexico
Keen, B. (ed.) Latin American Civilisation ¿ History and Society, 1492 to the present
Hemming, John (1970.) The conquest of the Incas

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4