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1. 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: langea@wit.edu
Credits/Hours: 4
____________________________________________________________________________
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:
Students will engage in discussions and lectures as wells as exams and written assignments to
achieve learning outcomes.

2. 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.
ELECTRONICS: Silence and put away phones during class. Laptops are only allowed during
discussion of online readings or at the discretion of the professor. Distracting use of laptops or
phones will result in a low participation grade. If the class as a whole follows these guidelines

3. 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:
Students may drop and add courses at any time between the start of registration for a given
semester and a specific date published in the official Academic Calendar. Dropping and/or
adding courses is done online. Courses dropped in this period are removed from the student’s
record. Courses to be added that require written permission, e.g. closed courses, must be done
using a Drop/Add form that is available in the Student Service Center. Non-attendance does not
constitute dropping a course. If a student has registered for a course and subsequently withdraws
or receives a failing grade in its prerequisite, then the student must drop that course. In some
cases, the student will be dropped from that course by the Registrar. However, it is the student’s

4. 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 counseling@wit.edu. For more information
on acceptable documentation and the Disability Services process, visit the Disability Services
website at www.wit.edu/disabilityservices.

5. 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
Wharton, Old New York: “The Old Maid” (The Fifties) (1924)

6. 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 15: Urban Politics
MAM: 135-153

7. 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
April 14: Final Paper Due on Blackboard