This course examines the history of Latin America from the time of European arrival to the wars of independence. Themes include the encounter between New World, African, and Iberian societies; the transformation of indigenous social, religious, economic, and political frameworks; the creation and maintenance of institutions of colonial rule; the evolution of the Atlantic world economy; and the creation of new Latin American cultures and identities. While short lectures provide the necessary context for these historical processes, students will make extensive use of primary sources to build their own interpretations of colonial Latin America. As a class we will analyze and problematize many of the concepts historians employ to explain the construction of new identities in Colonial Latin America, including hybridity, conversion, syncretism, and diaspora. We will also explore the tools and analytical frameworks that social historians employ in making sense of the past.