History 1505: Mexico and the Difficulties of Rule: A Historical Inquiry Instructor: Sergio Silva-Castaeda Office: Department of History,

CGIS South Building, Room 425. Phone: 496 4780 E-mail: silvacas@fas.harvard.edu Office Hours: Thursday, 4-6PM. In February of 2009, the publication of a CIA report sparked a very public debate on the viability of the Mexican state. While this discussion proliferated within the discourse of the Mexican media, the Mexican government remained strongly opposed to the idea that Mexico could be close to becoming a failed state. This course tries to transform this diplomatic controversy into a historical inquiry. The idea that the Mexican state is weak, or on its way to becoming a failed state, has historical roots: since the time of its independence, the Mexican state has remained relatively weak, and has been the object of multiple failures. In order to better understand the essence of this controversy, this course seeks to expose students to a historical account of the development of Mexico and the Mexican state since its independence. The course is organized chronologically and attempts to include many aspects of the relationship between Mexicos citizens and the Mexican state, such as the states role in economic development, political mobilization and organization, social unrest, democratization, cultural developments, international relations, natural disasters, demography, and public health. Through the study of the complex historical relationship between the Mexican state and its citizens, students will be exposed to the successes and shortcomings of this state. Needless to say, this course does not claim to be encyclopedic. Rather, it attempts to serve as an introduction to Mexican studies, through the use of history to illuminate a contemporary problem. However, the organization of the course will allow students to attain a holistic understanding of Mexican historiography that will be useful as a starting point for further study on Mexico and Latin America. Previous knowledge of Mexican history is not required. Spanish reading ability may be helpful, but is not required. The course is divided into four sections. The first section covers the period between the start of the war of Independence in 1810 and the end of the Mexican-American war in 1848. The second section covers the period spanning from the post-war reconstruction and the establishment of the Constitution of 1857, to the Mexican Revolution and the establishment of the new Constitution in 1917. The third section follows the development of the post-revolutionary state during the 20th Century until the transition of the late 1990s. Finally, the last week will offer a brief overview of post-transition Mexico. Requirements Map quiz 15% of grade; February 9th. Two five-page papers 20% of grade for each paper; they are due on February 25th and April 15th.

Mid-term hour exam 20% of grade; March 11th. Class participation 10% of grade; Final Exam 35% of grade;

Part I: A New Nation with Many State Projects Week 1 January 25th Introduction January 28th The War of Independence, 1810-1821 Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, pp. 98-116. Jeremy Adelman, Sovereignity and Revolution in the Iberian Atlantic, intro. Christian I. Archer, Fashioning a New Nation, in the Oxford History of Mexico (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000) Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 189-191. Week 2 February 2nd Building a New Nation, 1821-1836 February 4th Centralism and Federalism vs. Elite and Subalterns Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, P. 117-143. Jan Bazant, From Independence to the Liberal Republic, 1821-1867, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. John Tutino, The Revolution in Mexican Independence: Insurgency and the Renegotiation of Property, Production, and Patriarchy in the Bajio, 1800-1855, Hispanic American Historical Review 78:3 (August 1998). Peter Guardino, Barbarism or Republican Law? Guerreros Peasants and National Politics, Hispanic American Historical Review 75:2 (May 1995). Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 192-195. Week 3 February 9th The Seven Laws and the Centralist State Map Quiz!

February 11th A Failed State, Texas and the Mexican-American War Readings: Will Fowler, Mexico in the age of proposals, 1821-1853, pp. 41-100. Timothy Henderson, A glorious defeat : Mexico and its war with the United States, Chapters 6, 7 and Conclusion. Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 217-219, 226-238. Week 4 February 16th The War and its outcome February 18th Santanas last Government and the Revolution of Ayutla Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, Chapter 7. Guardino, Peter, Peasants Politics and the Formation of Mexicos National State: Guerrero 1800-1857, chapters 4-6 and conclusion. Brian Hamnett, Juarez, Longman. Chapters 1-3 Part II The Liberal State and its Challenges, 1857-1917 Week 5 February 23rd The Building of a Liberal State and the Reform War February 25th A Weak State: The French Invasion and the Restored Republic Readings: John H. Coatsworth, "Obstacles to Economic Growth in Nineteenth-Century Mexico," American Historical Review, Vol. 83, No. 1 (February 1978): 80-100. Available on-line. Friederich Katz, The Liberal Republic and the Porfiriato, 1867-1910, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. Brian Hamnett, Juarez, Longman. Chapters 4-10. Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 263-264, 270-272.

Week 6 March 2nd The Porfiriato, 1876-1910 March 4th, The Porfirian Regime and its Challenges Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, Chapter 8. Friedrich Katz, The Life and Times of Pancho Villa, Chapter One. John H. Coatsworth, Railroads, Landholding and Agrarian Protest in the Early Porfiriato, Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 54, No. 1 (February 1974): 48-71. Alan Knight, The United States and the Mexican Peasantry, circa 1880-1940, in Daniel Nugent, ed., Rural Revolt in Mexico: U.S. Intervention and the Domain of Subaltern Politics, (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1988), pp. 25-63. John H. Coatsworth, Measuring Influence: The United States and the Mexican Peasantry, in Daniel Nugent, ed., Rural Revolt in Mexico: U.S. Intervention and the Domain of Subaltern Politics, (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1988), pp. 25-63. Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 273-291. Week 7 March 9th The Mexican Revolution, 1908-1917 March 11th MID-TERM EXAM Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, Chapter 9. John Womack, The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. Friedrich Katz, The secret war in Mexico: Europe, the United States, and the Mexican Revolution, Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1981. Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 344-350, 398-402. Part III The Revolutionary State Week 8 March 23rd The Constitutional Project March 25th The Reconstruction

Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, Chapter 10. Jean Meyer, Revolution and Reconstruction in the 1920s, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. Nora Hamilton, The Limits of State Autonomy, Princeton University Press. Chapters 1-3 Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 418-427. Week 9 March 30th World Crisis and the Mexican State April 1st The Rise and Fall of Cardenismo Readings: Alan Knight, The Rise and Fall of Cardenism, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. Nora Hamilton, The Limits of State Autonomy, Princeton University Press. Chapters 4-9 Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 445-460. Week 10 April 6th Capitalist Development and the Mexican Miracle April 8th The Miracle Crumbles: The 1960s Readings: Alicia Hernndez, Mexico: A brief history, Chapter 11. Peter Smith, Mexico since 1946: The Dynamics of an Authoritarian Regime, in Leslie Bethell, Mexico Since Independence, Cambridge University Press. Julia Preston and Samuel Dillon, Tlatelolco, 1968, Opening Mexico: The Making of a Democracy, pp. 63-93. Eric Zolov, Refried Elvis: the Rise of the Mexican Counterculture, University of California Press. Chapters 1-3 Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 470-481.

Week 11 April 13th Oil and Populism in the 1970s April 15th The Economic Collapse Readings: Eric Zolov, Refried Elvis: the Rise of the Mexican Counterculture, University of California Press. Chapters 4-7. Stephen Haber et. al., Mexico since 1980, Cambridge University Press, Chapters 1-2. Week 12 April 20th Economic Crisis and the Survival of the Regime April 22nd NAFTA, Economic Collapse and Political Reform Readings: Stephen Haber et. al., Mexico since 1980, Cambridge University Press, Chapters 3-5. Miguel Angel Centeno, Democracy Within Reason: Technocratic Revolution in Mexico, Penn State University Press, Chapters 1-4 and 8. Denise Dresser, Bringing the Poor Back In: National Solidarity as a Strategy of Regime Legitimation in Wayne Cornelius et. al. (Ed.) Transforming StateSociety Relations in Mexico: The National Solidarity Strategy, Pp. 143-165. Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics, pp. 512-519, 536-544, 579-590. Part IV: A New State? Week 13 April 27th Overview: Democratic Transition and the Historical Weakness of the Mexican State Readings: Stephen Haber et. al., Mexico since 1980, Cambridge University Press, Chapters 6-7. Darren Wallis, The Mexican Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2000 and Democratic Transition Bulletin of Latin American Research, (Vol. 20, No 3), (July 2001). Pp. 304-323 Alma Guillermoprieto, The Heart that Bleeds: Latin America Now, Vintage Books. Pp. 24-47 and 237-358.