1. Discuss what were the economic and social roots of caudillismo;
Describe the program and significance of the Mexican Reforma;
Explain how the wars of independence strengthened the landed aristocracy and the military.
2. How did slavery and the conflict between Liberals and Conservatives affect the early 19th century development of Latin America? In your answer please include a comparison and contrast of this conflict in Brazil, Peru, Cuba, and Gran Colombia. *
3. What was the conventional historical interpretation about the relationship between slavery and independence in Latin America and how has this changed?
What were the causes of the crisis of Brazilian slavery after mid-century?
How was Cuba different than the other Spanish American colonies?
4. Compare the Mexican Porfiriato and the Argentine unicato in the 1880-1910 period
What was the role of nitrates in the political and economic history of Chile from 1870 to 1910?
How "radical" was the Radical party of Leandro Além and Hipólito Yrigoyen?