INTRODUCTION

This course will examine urban life in America from its earliest beginnings to the 1880s. There will be three major segments to the course:

1. organization of communities in the colonial period and an examination of what constitutes an "urban environment";

2. the economic functions of cities; how and why they grew in size and number in the nineteenth century;

3. how large cities coped with rapid growth and the beginnings of industrialization.

There will be an all-day field trip to lower Manhattan. This is *absolutely required*.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

There will be considerable emphasis on class discussion of assigned readings. Students are expected to attend regularly and be prepared to discuss the assignments. We will also spend time in class discussing current events as they relate to urban topics. Students are expected to read the daily The New York Times and be prepared for these discussions. Class participation will count.

There will be a quiz, two term exams, a paper, a current- events journal and a comprehensive final. More details on the paper will be provided in class.

REQUIRED TEXTS

• Handlin, Oscar. Boston's Immigrants. 2nd ed.



• Feldberg, Michael. Turbulent Era.



• Laurie, Bruce. Working People of Philadelphia.



• Rosenberg, Charles. Cholera Years.



• Spann, Edward. The New Metropolis: New York City. 1840-1857.



• The New York Times.

• Mohl, Raymond, ed. The Making of Urban America.

TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Aug. 29 -- Introduction; Terms and Concepts; Origins of Settlement.

• Mohl: Goldfield article.

Sept. 05 -- Planning and Growth in the Colonial Era; Social Structure and Urban Institutions in Late lath Century Towns

• Mohl: Nash article.

Sept. 12 -- Transportation and Economic Expansion; new cities.

• Class handouts.
• MAP QUIZ SEPT. 14.

Sept. 19 -- Beginnings of Industrialization.

• Handlin: ch. 1;
• Laurie: ch. 1.

Sept. 26 -- Economic Transformation and Urban Structure.

• Spann: chs. 1-2.

Sept. 28 -- FIRST EXAM

Oct. 03 -- The Urbanization Experience in New York: Economic Change and Social Classes.

• Spann: Preface, chs. 3-6.

Oct. 10 -- Urbanization and spatial change in New York

• Spann: chs. 7-10.

Coping with Social Change.

• Spann: chs. 11-15.

Oct. 24 -- Immigration, Immigrant Conditions and Acculturation.

• Handlin: Forward, chs. 2-4.

Oct. 31 -- Acculturation and Adjustment.

• Handlin: chs. 5-8.

Nov. 2 -- SECOND EXAM.

Nov. 7 -- Order, Disorder and the Police.

• Mohl: Davis article;
• Feldberg: entire book.

Nov. 14 -- Order, Disorder, Economic, and Social Change.

• Laurie: Introduction, chs. 2-9.

Nov. 21 -- Social Control: the Public Schools.

Nov. 28 -- Public Health, the Poor, and Politics.

• Rosenberg: entire book.

Dec. 5 -- The City and the Industrial Revolution.

Select a topic or theme which we have treated in the course. Consult the New York Times Index for entries, both news and editorial, which relate to this topic over a six month period from 1863-1883. Read the entries. You might also examine other aspects of urban life less likely to be included in the index, but found in display and classified advertisements and notices.

In your best, formal prose style, write an essay which discusses the topic. Report on the kind of information you found, but remember this is an essay, not just a summary of news items loosely strung together. You should develop a theme which interprets, explains, or places in appropriate context what you have uncovered. The essay should be 7-8 typed pages (must be typed). Papers are due Monday, Dec. 11 by 4:30.

References should be cited, but if all are from the Times an informal citation in parenthesis will be acceptable. If course readings or other material is cited, then standard footnotes must be used throughout.

The Times Index is located on the main floor of the Fairchild reference section (071 N56TI). Before 1875 foreign, political, and general news and editorials are indexed separately by three or six month intervals. After 1875 all news is indexed together and editorials are indexed separately. The newspaper is on microfilm and is located in the file cabinets in the microfilm room on the ground floor of the Mart wing of the library. DO NOT take the index to the microfilm room as other students may wish to consult it. Handle microfilm carefully; be sure to rewind rolls properly.

The following are a few of the major topical headings found in the index of Jan-June, 1877: accidents, amusements, assaults and affrays, athletic sports, balls, baseball, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge, children, Children's Aid Society, Civil Service reform, clubs, duels, education, fires, Hoboken, Jersey City, labor, labor strikes, murders, Negroes, New York City, pick pockets, robberies. New York City is probably the best entry to use first. It may lead you to references to proper names, editorials, and other topics.

If you would prefer, we do have a few other papers for selected years. They are not indexed, but you may scan them for several month period for material: Boston Transcript, 1848-1872; Boston Globe, 1877; San Francisco Chronicle, 1877; Philadelphia Inquirer, 1877.