Indigenous Subjects in Colony

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The Spanish invasion and colonization of America generated a centuries-long negotiation about capacities and rights: of the invaders, of the original inhabitants, and of all human beings. In this course, we will explore the debates around the political status of Amerindian people under Spanish colonial rule that unfolded in various Spanish- and Indigenous-created historical, religious, and legal materials from the 16th and 17th centuries. In examining accounts of the most polemical events and practices of the period, we will attempt to understand how the Empire sought to incorporate non-citizens and non-state actors into the Spanish polity. In their final projects, students will connect an early modern concept or perspective with contemporary political, journalistic, or popular discourse on migration or displacement in the Americas.