American Urban History to 1870
(History 182)

Howard P. Chudacoff
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Fall, 1999

SYLLABUS

DATES OF IMPORTANCE

    October 20-22:   TAKE-HOME MID-TERM - NO EXCEPTIONS

    November 17:   TERM PAPERS DUE - NO EXTENSIONS, NO EXCEPTIONS

    December 14-16:   TAKE HOME-FINAL EXAMINATION - NO EXCEPTIONS

REQUIRED BOOKS

  • Bender, Thomas. Toward an Urban Vision
  • Stuart Blumin. The Emergence of the Middle Class
  • Chudacoff, Howard P. and Judith Smith. The Evolution of American Urban Society, 5th edition
  • Dawley, Alan. Class and Community
  • Stansell, Christine. City of Women
  • Thernstrom, Stephan. Poverty and Progress
  • Richard C. Wade. The Urban Frontier
  • Sam Bass Warner, Jr. The Private City
  • Packet of Readings for HI182

COURSE ORGANIZATION

This course will follow a standard lecture-discussion format, with lectures on Wednesdays and Fridays (with a few exceptions) and discussions on Mondays (with a few exceptions). For the Monday discussion sections, the class will be divided into two groups; both will meet at B hour (9-9:50). If a third section is necessary, it will meet at E hour (12-12:50). The topics and assignments for each class are listed on the Syllabus; students are advised to consult the syllabus regularly and are expected to be current with reading assignments.

REQUIREMENTS

  1. A Take-Home Midterm will be distributed at the class on Wednesday, October 20. It will consist of one five-page essay, from a choice of two essay questions, and it will be due Friday, October 22. The exam will cover all course material -- readings, lectures, discussions -- through October 20. Exceptions to these dates will not be allowed, and late submissions will be penalized. The mid-term will count for approximately thirteen percent of the final grade.


  2. A Term Paper of 15-20 pages will be due Wednesday, November 17. The topic will be one of your choice, so long as it fits the topical and chronological parameters of the course. Early in the semester, you will receive more details on the paper, including suggested topics. Also, you will be required to submit a brief description of your topic several weeks before the paper is due so that I can be sure your project is feasible. No exceptions will be made to the November 17 due date, and late papers will be penalized. The term paper will count for forty percent of the final grade.


  3. A Take-Home Final Examination will be made available Tuesday, December 14. It will consist of two five-page essays, from a choice of four or five essay questions, and will be due Thursday, December 16 (the date assigned for this course's final exam by the Registrar). The exam will cover readings, lectures, and discussions for the entire course. No exceptions to these dates will be allowed, and late submissions will be penalized. The final exam will count for approximately twenty-seven percent of the final grade.


  4. There are nine Discussion Sections in which active participation is expected. The discussion sections count for twenty percent of the final grade, but a student who misses more than two discussion sections will not be able to pass the course.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

Shopping is allowed, and there is no limit on enrollment during the first week of classes. However, I will not sign any add slips after Monday, September 20, even for students who have been in the class for one or more of the first three lectures. Audits are welcome. Because the reading load for the course is relatively heavy, there will be no reading period assignment.

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND SCHEDULE
(all assigned readings are on reserve)

SECTION A:   Urban Beginnings.   
SEPTEMBER 8-10

Readings:
Arthur M. Schlesinger, "The City in American History"
Eric Monkkonen, "The Premodern Heritage" in Packet

    Lectures:
    Sept. 8:  Theory of Urbanization

    Sept. 10:  The City in History
    • Beginnings of Urban Growth in America
SECTION B:   From Colonies to Nation.   
SEPTEMBER 13-22

Readings:
Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society, 5th ed., chap. 1
Gary Nash, "The Web of Seaport Life," in Packet
Sam Bass Warner, Jr., The Private City, Part One

    Lectures:
    Sept. 13:  Colonial Cities

    Sept. 15:  Colonial Cities

    Sept. 17:  Cities and the American Revolution

    Sept. 20:  NO CLASS

    Sept. 22:  Cities in the New Nation
SECTION C:   Expansion, Geographical and Institutional.  
SEPTEMBER 24 to OCTOBER 18

Readings:
Chudacoff and Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society, 5th ed., chap. 2
Richard C. Wade, The Urban Frontier
William Issel and Robert W. Cherny, "Commercial Village to Coast Metropolis," in Packet
Sam Bass Warner, Jr., The Private City, Part Two
Thomas Bender, Toward an Urban Vision

    Lectures:
    Sept. 24:  Westward Movement

    Sept. 27:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Gary Nash, "The Web of Seaport Life" (in packet)
    • Richard C. Wade, The Urban Frontier, chaps. 1-4, 6-8


    Sept. 29:  Westward Movement

    Oct. 1:  Expansion of Urban Services

    Oct. 4:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Sam Bass Warner, Jr., The Private City, Part Two


    Oct. 6:  Expansion of Urban Services

    Oct. 8:  Expansion of Urban Services

    Oct. 11:  HOLIDAY - NO CLASS

    Oct. 13:  Expansion of Urban Services

    Oct. 15:  Expansion of Urban Services

    Oct. 18:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Thomas Bender, Toward an Urban Vision
SECTION D:   Antebellum Urban Classes and Cultures.   
OCTOBER 20 to NOVEMBER 3

Readings:
Timothy Gilfoyle, "The Urban Geography of Commercial Sex: Prostitution in New York City, 1790-1860," in Packet
Jane H. Pease and William H. Pease, "Social Structure and the Potential for Urban Change: Boston and Charleston in the 1830s," in Packet
Kathleen Neils Conzen, "Building Blocks of Community," in Packet
Christine Stansell, City of Women (all)
Alan Dawley, Class and Community, pp. 1-172
Stuart Blumin, The Emergence of the Middle Class (all -- to be discussed Nov. 29)

    Lectures:
    Oct. 20:  The City in Early American Thought and Culture (pick up mid-term)

    Oct. 22:  The City in Early American Thought and Culture (mid-term due)

    Oct. 25:  Jacksonianism and the Transformation of Social Structure
    • NOTE: No discussion section


    Oct. 27:  Jacksonianism and the Transformation of Social Structure

    Oct. 29:  Jacksonianism and the Transformation of Social Structure

    Nov. 1:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Christine Stansell, City of Women (all)


    Nov. 3:  Jacksonianism and the Transformation of Social Structure
SECTION E:   Race, Slavery and the Civil War.
NOVEMBER 5-10 

Readings:
Chudacoff and Smith, chap. 3
Shane White, "We Dwell in Safety and Pursue Our Honest Callings: Free Blacks in New York City, 1783-1810," in Packet.
Iver Bernstein, The New York City Draft Riots, in Packet

    Lectures:
    Nov. 5:  Race and Slavery in the Cities

    Nov. 8:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Alan Dawley, Class and Community, pp. 1-172


    Nov. 10:  Race and Slavery in the Cities and the Civil War
SECTION F:   Birth of the Modern City.   
NOVEMBER 12 to DECEMBER 6

Readings:
Allen Pred, "Manufacturing in the American Mercantile City," in Packet
Stephan Thernstrom, Poverty and Progress

    Lectures:
    Nov. 12:  Birth of the Modern City

    Nov. 15:  NO CLASS - FINISH PAPERS

    Nov. 17:  Birth of the Modern City - PAPERS DUE

    Nov. 19:  Birth of the Modern City

    Nov. 22:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Iver Bernstein, The New York City Draft Riots, in Packet


    Nov. 24-26:  Holiday - No class

    Nov. 29:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Stuart Blumin, The Emergence of the Middle Class (all)


    Dec. 1:  Birth of the Modern City

    Dec. 3:  Birth of the Modern City

    Dec. 6:  DISCUSSION SECTION
    • Stephan Thernstrom, Poverty and Progress
    Dec. 14:  Pick up final exams

    Dec. 16:  Final exams due


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Syllabus prepared for archive 9 January 2001.