This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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History of Modern America

Code: 100349 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
History OB 3

Contact

Name:
Jordi Figuerola Garreta
Email:
jordi.figuerola@uab.cat

Teachers

David Martinez Fiol

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

This course has no prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of this subject is:

-to provide an introduction to recent Modern American History.

-to use technical and documentation tools to know the political, social, economical and cultural changes of Contemporary American History.

 


Competences

  • Applying the main methods, techniques and instruments of the historical analysis.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  2. Coordinating work of interdisciplinary nature with other teams.
  3. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  4. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  5. Identifying and using in an appropriate way sources of information for the historical research of contemporary Spain.
  6. Identifying and using sources of information for the historical pan-Hispanic research.
  7. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  8. Reading and interpreting historiographical texts or original documents and transcribing, summarising and cataloguing information from the colonial era.
  9. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  10. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  11. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.

Content

UNIT 0 - HISTORY OF MODERN AMERICA: A PRESENTATION

UNIT 1 - THE AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE PROCESSES AND THE FORMATION OF THE NEW POLITICAL REALITIES

UNIT 2 - THE AMERICAN STATES: EVOLUTION, CONSOLIDATION AND CONFLICTS

UNIT 3 - THE AGRO-EXPORTATORY ECONOMY AND THE OLIGARIC ORDER

UNIT 4 - BETWEEN THE REVOLUTION AND THE SUBMISSION: THE POPULISM

UNIT 5 - REVOLUTION AND DICTATORS: AMERICA DURING THE COLD WAR

UNIT 6- TIMES OF CHANGES AND BREAKS: TO THE PRESENT


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes 45 1.8 6, 4, 9, 10
Workshops 7.5 0.3 1, 4, 9, 10
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 15 0.6 2
Type: Autonomous      
Individual study 75 3 3, 8

Teoretical classes will present the historical structures of Latin-America and his evolution. We wil analyse the different models of the contemporary American countries in the clasroom.

Supervised Activities are an individualised teaching support in which a teacher attends to one o several students in their specific educational process about American history.

Autonomous Activities represent the personal work and individual study. This includes personal study, preparing exams, library work, complementary reading, all of which are fundamental in autonomous learning.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercices and activities 30% 0 0 1, 3, 8, 7, 9, 10, 11
Reassessment 100% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 4, 9, 10
Test 1 35% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 7, 4, 9, 10, 11
Test 2 35% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 7, 4, 9, 10, 11

Continuous Assessment: There will be two exams (test 1 represent 35% and test 2 represent 35% of final mark). The rest (30%) can be one o more written works, essays and participation in the classroom.

These papers and comments will be reviews, summaries, and/or analytical commentaries on the proposed texts and other documents (tables, graphs, maps, images, etc.).

All course material will be assessed, including in-class explanations, required readings from the syllabus, and, where applicable, other required readings that may be assigned during the course.

At the time of completion/delivery of each assessment activity, the teacher will inform (Moodle, SIA) of the procedure and date of revision of the grades.

Reassessment: It consists in one exam about all the subject and its activities. The maximum mark is 5.

To participate in the recovery, students must have been previously assessed in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade (CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT) or submit all the scheduled tests (SINGLE ASSESSMENT).

To participate in the recovery process, you must have obtained a minimum grade of 3 on the subject average.

The student will be classified as non-evaluable when he has not delivered more than 30% of the evaluation activities.

Single Assessment: It consists in a test that will be carried out during the week determined by the faculty. The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.

If tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools,

or will offer them feasible alternatives.

Erasmus students who request to advance an exam must present to the professora written document from their home university justifying their request.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as [***bibliographic or content-based searches, text correction or translations, where applicable]. In the case of subjects in a Modern Languages degree, use of translation must be specifically authorised by the teacher. Other specific situations may be contemplated, as deemed appropriate by the teacher. The student must clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.


Bibliography

Manuals

Joan del Alcázar, Núria Tabanera, Josep M. Santacreu, Antoni Marimon. Historia contemporánea de América. PUV. Universitat de València, 2003

Manuel Lucena. Breve historia de Latinoamèrica. De la independència de Haití a los caminos de la socialdemocracia. Cátedra. Madrid 2007.

T. Halperin. Historia contemporánea de America Latina. Alianza editorial, Madrid 1998.

The bibliography will be on Campus Virtual.


Software

The students will use the basic software of the Office 365 package


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed