Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Spring 2016
HIST 3800: AMERICAN URBAN HISTORY Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00-11:50, Beatty Hall 420 Instructor name: Professor Allison Lange
Office location: Beatty 413 Office telephone number: 617-989-4817
Office hours: Wednesdays 10-12 in Beatty 413 Email address: [email protected]
Credits/Hours: 4
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class examines American urban life from the revolution to the present. We will focus on the ways culture and politics evolved within the context of a changing urban landscape. Students will read primary sources (such as historical newspapers and magazines), watch historical films, and analyze historical images from the periods we study. We will also venture beyond
Wentworth to local institutions to learn about the history of our own city.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
• David M.P. Freund, ed., The Modern American Metropolis: A Documentary Reader. Wiley-Blackwell, 2015. ISBN: 1444339001
• Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City, Vintage, 2004. ISBN: 0375725601 • Edith Wharton, Old New York. Scribner, 1995. ISBN: 0020383142
THE COLLEGE BOOKSTORE:
Location: 103 Ward Street Boston MA 02115 Telephone: 617-445-8814
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
§ Outcome #1: Analyze and evaluate the nature and consequences of human behavior. § Outcome #2: Effectively express ideas through written, oral, visual and/or digital output
utilizing discipline-specific vocabulary/terminology/conventions.
§ Outcome #3: Apply discipline-specific conceptual frameworks to the critical analysis of cultural and social issues.
§ Outcome #4: Learn about American urban life from the American Revolution to the present. § Outcome #5: Students will gain a better understanding of their own time, place, and culture
by learning about the past.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES:
GRADING POLICY: § 20% Midterm
§ 25% Research Paper (includes drafts, group work, and presentation) § 10% Primary Source Response Paper
§ 10% Article Response and Presentation § 10% Reading Quizzes
§ 10% Class Participation (includes attendance, engagement in class discussions, and bringing reading materials to class)
§ 15% Final Paper
Midterm: The exam will consist of short answers and one essay question.
Research Paper: In a group, you will select a historical theme your group wants to study. Each group member will perform historical research on one aspect of your theme and write a 1250-word research paper (about five full pages). Together, the group will present their findings to the class.
Primary Source Response Paper: Students will write a 750-word response (about three full pages) to a primary source document from class readings. The essay will describe and analyze the document to provide insights into American life in the past.
Article Response and Presentation: Students will select an article from a substantive online newspaper or publication related to modern American cities. They will write a 350-word response (roughly a page and a half) to the article that includes an overview of the piece, the student’s opinion of the topic, and an analysis of how current debates relate to historical ones. Additionally, the student will turn in a list of five questions to facilitate a ten-minute class discussion about the article.
Reading Quizzes: Brief quizzes about the day’s readings will be administered at the beginning of class at the professor’s discretion. Quizzes cannot be made up. Missed quizzes will result in a grade of zero. Two quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Class Participation and Attendance Policy: Students must be in class on time. After three absences, the final grade will drop by a third of a letter grade per additional absence. Students must come to class having read the readings and must bring the readings to class. Active participation in discussions is required.
Final Paper: Students will write a 1000-word essay (roughly four full pages) that covers the modern version of the theme they selected to research. Students will observe modern urban life and compare it to the historical trend they analyzed. For example, if a student researched the rise of restaurants at the turn of the century, they would make observations at a restaurant and
compare them to the themes they found in their research.
throughout the semester, ten extra credit points will be added to the final paper grade of each student.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Students must complete all assignments to receive a passing grade in the course. Late assignments will be marked down by a third of a letter grade for every twenty-four hours it is late. (For example, a B+ will become a B).
PAPER FORMATTING: All assignments must be in Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins.
GRADING SYSTEM
Grade Definition Weight Numerical
Definition A Student learning and accomplishment far exceeds published
objectives for the course/test/assignment and student work is distinguished consistently by is high level of competency and/or innovation.
4.00 96-100
A- 3.67 92-95
B+ Student learning and accomplishment goes beyond what is expected in the published objectives for the course/test/assignment and student work is frequently characterized by its special depth of understanding, development, and/or innovative experimentation.
3.33 88-91
B 3.00 84-87
B- Students learning and accomplishment meets all published objectives for the course/test/assignment and the student work demonstrates the expected level of understanding, and application of concepts introduced.
2.67 80-83
C+ 2.33 76-79
C 2.00 72-75
C-
Student learning and accomplishment based on the published objectives for the course/test/assignment were met with minimum passing achievement.
1.67 68-71
D+ 1.33 64-67
D 1.00 60-63
F
Student learning and accomplishment based on the published objectives for the course/test/assignment were not sufficiently addressed nor met.
0.00 Less than 60
DROP/ADD:
responsibility to make sure that he or she meets the course prerequisites and to drop a course if the student has not successfully completed the prerequisite. The student must see his or her academic advisor or academic department head for schedule revision and to discuss the impact of the failed or withdrawn course on the student’s degree status.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
If an assignment is due on a day when you will miss class, email me before the missed class session. If the reason is deemed legitimate (such as a serious illness or family situation), we will determine a new due date for your missed assignment.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT:
The Learning Center (TLC) assists all Wentworth students in the areas of math, science, technical courses specific to majors, and writing. In this student-based learning environment, students receive individual help with their studies, meet and work in study groups, attend workshops on a wide variety of subjects and find resources to assist them in meeting their goals for academic success. It includes tutors in many subjects, writing assistance and workshops focused on helping good students become great students. Make appointments at
www.wit.edu/tlc or through LConnect.
All written work submitted for this course must meet the Standards for English I. Poorly written papers will be returned to you, without a grade, for revision. Students are encouraged to utilize The Learning Center for help polishing their papers
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:
“Students at Wentworth are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, inventing false information or citations, plagiarism, tampering with computers, destroying other people’s coursework, lab or studio property, or academic misconduct” (Academic Catalog). See your catalogue for a full explanation.
If assignments have plagiarized material, you will receive a zero for the grade and the incident will be reported to the conduct board.
STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT:
Students are responsible for maintaining a proper learning environment at Wentworth according to the statement on Academic Honesty and Conduct found at
http://www.wit.edu/catalog/currentcatalog/academic-policies/Academic-Honesty.html.
DISABILITY SERVICES STATEMENT:
Any student who thinks s/he may require a disability-related accommodation for this course should contact Disability Services privately to discuss their specific needs. Disability Services coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with documented
disabilities. They are located in Watson Hall 003 (the Center for Wellness and Disability Services) and can be contacted at 617-989-4390 or [email protected]. For more information on acceptable documentation and the Disability Services process, visit the Disability Services website at www.wit.edu/disabilityservices.
COLLEGE OF THE FENWAY STUDENTS:
If you are enrolled in this course through COF Cross Registration, notify your course instructor. Please provide her/him with your email address to be sure that you receive course information in a timely way. You should also discuss how to access online applications that might be used in the course.
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
February 4 Primary Source Response Paper February 16 Midterm
February 23 Research Project Proposal March 22 Annotated Bibliography March 29 Research Paper Introduction March 31 Research Project
April 14 Final Paper
Class Schedule Week 1
January 7: Introduction and Course Overview Week 2
January 12: Defining Cities
Modern American Metropolis (MAM): Introduction, pages 1-25
January 14: Early Boston
Blackboard (BB): Pauline Maier, “Boston and New York in the Eighteenth Century” (1981)
BB: John Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity” (1630)
**MEET AT THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1154 Boylston Street
Week 3
January 19: Slavery and Urban Politics
BB: Excerpt from Jill Lepore, New York Burning (2005), pages xi-25
January 21: Early Nineteenth-Century Urban Culture
Wharton, Old New York: “False Dawn” (The Forties) (1924)
Week 4
January 26: Cities and the Hinterlands MAM: pages 29-45, 50-53
January 28: New York Elites
Week 5
February 2: The New York Underworld
BB: Excerpt from Timothy Gilfoyle, A Pickpocket’s Tale (2007), pages 59-72 and 81-97
February 4: Draft riots
MAM: Pages 53-63, 71-83
Primary Source Response Paper Due on Blackboard Week 6
February 9: The 1870s
Wharton, Old New York: “New Year’s Day” (The Seventies) (1924)
February 11: Coexisting MAM: 90-110
Week 7
February 16: Midterm
February 18: The Rise of the Big City MAM: 118-134
Start reading Devil in the White City **Bring laptops to class
Week 8
February 23: The 1893 World’s Fair Devil in the White City: Pages xi-127
Research Project Proposal Due on Blackboard **Bring laptops to class
February 25: Urban Planning
Devil in the White City: Pages 128-231
Week 9
March 1: Urban Architecture
Devil in the White City: Pages 233-336
March 3: The City and Nature
Devil in the White City: Pages 337-390 and Notes and Sources
March 9 and 11: Spring Break, no classes Week 10
March 17: Sex and the City
BB: George Chauncey, “Urban Culture and the Policing of the City of Bachelors” BB: Excerpts from the 1911 Chicago Vice Commission Report
**Bring laptops to class
Week 11
March 22: Commerce and Consumption MAM: pages 157-179, 182-193
Annotated Bibliography Due on Blackboard March 24: Zoot Suit Riots and World War II
MAM: 194-205, 208-214 In-class presentations Week 12
March 29: Affluent Suburbia MAM: 215-232, 240-243
BB: Robert O. Self, “White Noose” (2003)
Research Paper Introduction Due on Blackboard In-class presentations
**Bring laptops to class
March 31: Postwar Cities MAM: 232-240, 244-267 In-class presentations Research Project Due Week 13
April 5: Postindustrial Metropolis MAM: 271-291
BB: George H.W. Bush, “Address to the Nation on the Civil Disturbances in Los Angeles, California” (1992)
In-class presentations
April 7: The National Park Service and the Urban Agenda BB: The Urban Agenda
Week 14
April 12: Defining the 21st
-Century City Current news article TBD
**Bring in laptops
