James Krippner

Associate Professor of History
jkrippne@haverford.edu

Teaching Interests

At the introductory level, I offer History 114a Local Context, Global Process: An Introduction to the Iberian Colonial World. History 114a introduces the history of the Iberian colonial world from the late medieval through the early modern eras, approximately 1300 through 1750. This course examines global processes connecting Eurasia, Africa and the Americas during these centuries, focusing on themes such as empire, trade, technology, labor relations and culture. In the realm of culture, particular attention is paid to religious belief and practice, especially connections and conflicts between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We will also explore the connections between the local religious traditions of Africa and the Americas and more geographically dispersed “world religions,” as well as the construction of hybrid colonial traditions. Since History 114a is intended for first and second year students, special emphasis is given to the development of college level analytical reasoning and writing skills.

At the intermediate level, I offer more specialized courses focusing on Latin American and Mexican history. These include History 209a Colonial Latin America; 209b Modern Latin America; 281a Mexican Cultural History: Ancient and Colonial; and History 282b Mexican Cultural History: Modern and Postmodern. These year-long survey courses are divided by semester and can be taken individually or in any combination desired by the student. The History 209 sequence provides a thorough introduction to Latin America and all of its diverse regions and peoples. History 281a and 282b provide an interdisciplinary journey through Mexican history, from human settlement and the domestication of maize to the present.

At the most advanced level, I offer History 317b: Topics in Latin American History. Over the years, topics have included Colonial Latin America, History and Theory in Latin America, and Religion, Power and Politics. My current History 317b offering is “Visions of Mexico.” This course introduces students to representations of Mexico and “Mexicanidad” (“Mexicanness,” or Mexican national identity) from the late 18th century through the present. It focuses primarily on visual culture, including painting, printmaking, photography, and film.

Research Interests

My first book, listed below, explores the relationship between history (what happened) and historiography (the writing of history). It examines the compilation of primary sources recording the conquest of Michoacán, Mexico from 1521-1565, and the subsequent twists and turns of historical interpretations based on these sources from the 16th through the late 20th centuries. In a sense, it is a “history of a history,” one that explores the production of meanings concerning a specific conquest narrative in various social, cultural and political contexts.

My current research brings together an interest in the representation of the past with an emphasis on visual culture. I am especially interested in photographers and the images they produced in Mexico from the 1920's through the 1940's.

Selected Publications

• “Strand in Mexico, 1932-34.” Forthcoming, The Americas (January, 2007).
• Rereading the Conquest: Power, Politics and the History of Early Colonial Michoacán, Mexico, 1521-1565. University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.
• “Recent Work on Late Colonial Mexico.” Latin American Research Review 37:2 (2002), 236-243.
• “Invoking Tata Vasco: Vasco de Quiroga, 18th-20th Centuries.” The Americas 56:3 (January, 2000), 1-28.
• “The Vision of the Victors: Power and Colonial Justice,” Colonial Latin American Review 4:1 (1995), 3-28.
• “Teaching World History: Why We Should Start!”, The History Teacher 29:1 (November, 1995), 85-93.
• “The Politics of Conquest: An Interpretation of the Relación de Michoacán,” The Americas XLVII:2 (October, 1990), 177-198.