HIST 337(F) Slavery and Emancipation in Latin America and the Caribbean*

Living in a society still struggling to come to grips with its own history of slavery, North Americans are often unaware of the role that slavery played in shaping Latin American histories. This course will draw on readings (primary and secondary sources) films and music from Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Brazil and Venezuela in order to provide a comparative perspective on slavery and emancipation. We will focus on appreciating the complexities of slave societies (shaped by race, gender, sexuality and work) without losing sight of the systematic and often brutal ways in which slave owners tried to maintain control over their "property." The second half of the course will examine the process by which slaves won their freedom and struggled to establish new livelihoods in the post-emancipation period. Evaluation will be based on class participation, short written responses to course materials, a critical review essay, and a creative piece that interprets the historical meanings of life as an enslaved person. Group C

Hour:  SOLURI