Eur, Africa, Amer: Columbus Er

A study of the relationship of Spain and Portugal with Africa, Asia, and the Americas from the early fifteenth through the late eighteenth centuries. The course examines the early civilizations of Africa, Europe, and the Americas in the era before the voyage of Columbus and the interaction among these three worlds in the centuries after the Encounter. It concludes with an examination of the cultural legacy of Africa and Europe on the indigenous societies of the Americas and the subsequent development of multicultural and multiracial independent nations. The central role of gender relations between the civilizations, the gendered conflict that characterized the era of exploration, and the role of masculinity are all examined.