Dr. J.F. de la Teja
Office: TMH-202
Email: jd10@txstate.edu
Phone: (512)245-2142
Jesús F. de la Teja is professor of history and holds a Ph.D. in Latin American History from The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests focus on the northeastern frontier of Spanish colonial Mexico and he is the author of San Antonio de Béxar: A Community on New Spain’s Northern Frontier (1995) and co-author of Texas: Crossroads of North America (2004), a college-level survey of the state’s history. He has published in Americas: A Quarterly of Inter-American Cultural History, Historia Mexicana, Journal of the Early Republic, and Southwestern Historical Quarterly among other journals. In addition to his research activities he has served as a consultant on development of the Texas State History Museum and serves as book review editor of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly and managing editor of Catholic Southwest: A Journal of History and Culture.
Classes taught :
HISTORY OF MEXICO TO 1848 (HIST 3327)
Modern Mexico is the heir of ethnic and cultural influences as diverse as the Mesoamerican civilizations of the Olmecs and Maya, Classical Rome, and Reconquista Spain. It is impossible to comprehend Mexico today without understanding the precolumbian civilizations whose cultural influences endure, the Spanish colonial experience through which the country was incorporated into the world economy, and Mexico's early national experience which, among other things, shaped the nature of its relationship with the United States. This course will explore the variety of that experience through lectures, readings, and writings examining the ethnic, social, economic, political, and religious dimensions of Mexican history up to its war with the United States, a war which not only defined Mexico geographically but set off a new struggle for modernization.
SPANISH BORDERLANDS (HIST 3329)
Hispanic roots in the United States are to be found in the processes that shaped Spanish-colonial expansion from Mexico and the Caribbean into the present-day territory of the United States. The most lasting impact of Spain in North America has been in the Southwest, where colonial Hispanic communities became the roots of today's Mexican American population. Just as English institutions and culture molded Anglo America, so Spanish institutions and culture molded Hispanic America. Just as the Atlantic seaboard required Anglo-American colonists to adapt and modify English usages, so the semi-desert of western North America required Hispanic-American colonists to adapt and modify Spanish usages. In both cases, although to different degrees and in varying forms aspects of American Indian life were also incorporated into colonial society. The varying responses of Spanish colonials, other Euro-Americans, and Indians to circumstances along the southwestern half of the present-day United States has left a lasting impression on the region's identity.
INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY (HIST 3368C)
This course seeks to promote an understanding of the role played by the aboriginal peoples of North America in the historical evolution of the United States. Among the subjects to be covered through lectures and discussions: initial migrations and cultural development; impact of European contact and conquest; assimilation, acculturation, and adaptation; removal and reservation life; 20th century adjustments.
TEXAS HISTORY (HIST 3372)
This course covers the entire length of Texas history, from prehistoric times to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The focus is on social and economic history, although attention will be paid to major political events and characters. Texas has always been a multi-ethnic and multicultural region. The blending of the Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Anglo American, African American, European and, increasingly, Asian cultures places Texas in a unique position within American society. The study of Texas history cannot be confined to tracing the process by which the area passed from one sovereignty to another, or to a discussion of a small group of influential political, military, and economic leaders.
HISTORY OF MODERN SPAIN (HIST 4318O)
Among the countries of Western Europe, none has as diverse or colorful a history as Spain. In its language and literature, music and dance, painting and sculpture, architecture and sciences, law and religion, it is the heir to ancient Mediterranean civilizations, barbarian northern invaders, and even American Indian cultures. Spain is credited with having established one of the first modern nation states, having led the exploration of the eastern Atlantic, and having created the first and most extensive transoceanic empire. In the early nineteenth century, it had to fight for its independence from Napoleon and in the early twentieth century was the scene of one of the bloodiest civil wars in history, a struggle that proved to be a testing ground for many of the weapons employed by the fascist powers in World War II, and a contest of fascist and communist ideologies. Consequently, the history of Spain during the last five centuries can help us better understand not only the development of modern Europe but the evolution of much of the western hemisphere. This course will trace the history of Spain within the context of the world history that it had such an important part in shaping.
CRITICAL ISSUES IN TEXAS HISTORY (HIST 4375)
A topics course designed to address specific themes in Texas history as chosen by the instructor. Past topics have included the republic period in Texas history and the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of the Texas Revolution.
HISTORY OF MEXICO TO 1848 (HIST 5325A)
This course examines selected topics in Mexican history from the Spanish conquest through the early post-independence period. The course has two objectives: 1) to introduce graduate students to both recent and classic historical literature, including an examination of recent historiographical trends; and 2) to have students prepare quality essays on a specific topic in Mexican historiography.
TEXAS HISTORY (HIST 5347)
Texas history shares in the rich traditions of both the United States and Mexico. Important themes from both countries' histories, e.g. Indian frontiers, slavery, wars of independence, come together in a unique way not found anywhere else in the American experience. Texas, consequently, has a complex historiographical tradition with something for the student of every historical field and period. This course is intended to expose graduate students to the breadth of Texas historiography through discussion of selected readings and preparation of historiographical essays based on a field or period of interest to the student.
PUBLIC HISTORY PROJECT (HIST 5377)
This graduate Public History course is designed to give students practical training and experience in researching, writing and publishing local history for the mass market. Lectures and background readings on the history of Texas and the local area will provide the necessary context for the introductory section and research findings. The research will be conducted in local archives and libraries, and will involve original and secondary sources, possibly including oral interviews. Writing, editing, and word-processing activities are emphasized for all students, though students on the layout team will be directly responsible for desktop-publishing duties. The class also will be responsible for locating and creating reproduceable photographic images to compliment the text. Teamwork skills also will be emphasized—students will be placed on two teams during the course of the semester.
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