Early Modern Baptisms in the Caribbean: Santo Domingo, 1590s-1650s
Course Credit?
Yes - HY301-009Paid Position?
NoFaculty
Juanjo Ponce VazquezDescription
The selected student will be in charge of transcribing baptism records from the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo from the late 16th and early 17th century. The records are written in old Spanish script, so under my guidance, students will spend the initial weeks getting acquainted with early modern Spanish writing conventions and handwriting. Students will thus learn Spanish Paleography, that is, the making of a transcription of a manuscript page written in early modern script. These could be useful skills for those interested to work in historical archives or those interested to go to graduate school to study the history early modern Spain, colonial Latin America, or the Spanish Caribbean. Patience and perseverance during these early weeks is key, but the process of transcription can be very rewarding and exciting if you love Spanish, word puzzles, and history. In my experience, students who apply themselves will be able to read 90% of the documents in less than 4 months. The final objective of this project is to produce a full transcription of all the records so they can be later analyzed and studied using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Students are expected to meet with me once a week to go through the page/pages they have transcribed that week, correct possible errors, and ask questions. There is flexibility for these meetings, especially during midterms and other assignments the student might encounter along the way.
Special Directions
If interested, please submit your CV. In your email, please explain your level of Spanish and how you acquired it.
Special Skills
Advanced knowledge of Spanish