One historical event I am interested in learning more about is the Túpac Amaru Rebellion that occurred in Peru in the late eighteenth century. I took an interest in this rebellion last spring, after it was discussed in Dr. Welsch’s History 201 course Rulers & Rebels in European Empires. I would love to investigate this event more deeply because Túpac Amaru II, despite his upper-class position in society, helped to spark an uprising against Spain. I am also interested in looking at the high levels of both colonial and rebel violence during this time. Overall, I am curious about the motivations of various people that were involved and — after learning more about this event — I hope to identify parallels between the actions, reactions, and incentives of the Túpac Amaru Rebellion and other uprisings that have occurred in Latin America.

Another idea I am interested in exploring is how indigenous peoples were represented in written texts, especially those from the late medieval period. I found the first chapter of Anthony Grafton’s New Worlds, Ancient Texts: The Power of Tradition and the Shock of Discovery to be fascinating because I love learning about the Middle Ages. Furthermore, Grafton’s discussion of scholarly perspectives piqued my interest, so that I now wish to learn more about this topic. Ultimately, I would love to learn more about medieval perspectives as they are presented within a variety of written works.