MODERN HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

MM5007

Academic Year of enrolment:

2022

Year of supply:

2022/2023

Type of Course:

Characterising

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in PHILOLOGY, LINGUISTICS AND LITERARY TRADITIONS

Disciplinary Sector:

MODERN HISTORY

Language:

Italian

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

PIZZORUSSO Giovanni

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

108

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the main lines of the general history of the modern age based on the manual indicated for the corresponding examination of the Laurea triennale course.

Objectives

In the context of the educational objectives of the Master course in Philology, Linguistics and Languages of the Performing Arts, the course of the History of the Americas in the Modern Age aims to contribute to the various aspects of

knowledge and understanding:
to develop an in-depth knowledge of developments in the history of the Americas from the colonial period to the independent states, contextualizing these events in the general understanding of European and global history; to establish connections between political-constitutional, economic, social and cultural history; to examine the various historiographical interpretations on the subject (the age of revolutions; Atlantic history); to activate the use of different sources (biographies, normative texts, correspondence)

ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
develop the application of knowledge in a comprehensive way, with the critical analysis of events contextualizing them in the context of complex and multidisciplinary issues and giving them an organization accomplished through individual work on texts also in a foreign language (English, Spanish) to be discussed in seminars in the classroom

autonomy of judgment:
to encourage a critical and autonomous analytical approach to the sources and texts of American historiography, with a comparative look at modern history in general

communication skills:
develop ownership of a specific language for oral and written communication of the knowledge and skills acquired

learning ability: preparation for the achievement of the ability to develop autonomously a method of study and historiographic analysis at the height of higher education paths (PhDs) and access to training paths for teaching in school

Contents

Title: THE AMERICAS AND THE ATLANTIC REVOLUTIONS (18TH-19TH CENTURIES) (6 CFU)

At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, major revolutions take place in the Americas that are also wars of independence from European colonial powers (the United States versus England, Haiti versus France; Latin American states versus the Iberian powers). This phase takes place while Europe is also marked by the French Revolution, which constitutes a momentous moment in world history. The course will deal with this period of American history and its connections with Europe and the various outcomes that follow, while also providing an overview of the five-seventeenth-century premises of New World history.

Extended Syllabus

The following topics will be covered in the course:
The birth and development of the Spanish Empire (imperial institutions; exploitation of Indian forced work and demographic collapse of the Indians; role of the Catholic Church; extraction of precious metals). The formation of the British colonies (population of North America and the Caribbean, colonial institutions; plantation society and African slave trade; division of the English colonies of North America into three sections with specific characters). The formation of an Atlantic world, commercial networks; the role of Portuguese Brazil and French Canada; America as the scene of wars between European powers; Creole society; immigration from Europe; the Seven Years' War. The American Revolution, Independence, the Constitution, the Formation of the Union. The Haitian revolution and its racial implications. The Iberian revolutions and the crisis of the Spanish empire and the consequent social transformations in America. The historiographic interpretations of the revolutions. The abolitionism in the various countries; the prohibition of the slave trade and its consequences, slavery in the southern United States, the role of the frontier and expansion to the West; the Civil War; the persistence of slavery in Latin America.

Recommended Bibliography

The examination consists of the preparation of three texts:

compulsory:
Antonino Di Francesco, Le rivoluzioni atlantiche. Una storia globale delle pratiche rivoluzionarie, 1776-1804, Milano, Raffaello Cortina Editore, 2022

Plus two more:
Tiziano Bonazzi, La rivoluzione americana, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018 oppure in alternativa G. Abbattista, La rivoluzione americana, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2021
Federica Morelli, L’indipendenza dell’America spagnola. Dalla crisi della monarchia alle nuove repubbliche, Firenze, Le Monnier-Mondadori education, 2015
Jeremy D. Popkin, Haiti. Storia di una rivoluzione, Torino, Einaudi, 2020
Other texts and materials may be indicated at the beginning or during the lectures.
Full attendees may substitute one of the books of their choice by submitting during the course a written paper on a text agreed with the lecturer based on a list proposed by the lecturer

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

Frontal and seminar lectures; possible seminars with experts

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The final assessment consists of an oral exam on the entire syllabus. The aim is to assess students’ skills and in particular, an understanding of the issues discussed during the course, an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme, a correct command of the specific language as well as critical and methodological abilities will be evaluated. The grading scale goes from 1 to 30 with honours (cum laude): 1-17 fail, 18-21 sufficient, 22-24 fair, 25-27 good, 28-29 very good, 30-30 with honours (cum laude) excellent.

Contacts/More Information

The course takes place in the first semester.
The program is the same for non-attendant students. In case of any problem with the texts, it is possible to contact the professor during the reception time or by mail (giovanni.pizzorusso@unich.it).

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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