FOUNDING OF UNITED STATES CIVILIZATION:



CHICAGO & NEW YORK CITY

History 373

DePauw University—Spring 2014

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:40 p.m-2:10 p.m.

Asbury 112

Instructor: David Gellman

Office Hours: 233 Harrison Hall

Mondays 10-11, Thursdays 2:15-3:15,

Fridays, 11-12, 2:45-3:45,

and by appointment

Phone Number: 658-6273 (office)

653-9553 (home, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.)

E-mail: DGELLMAN@DEPAUW.EDU

Course Description: We investigate the life and times of two great American cities, tracing their trajectory from trading outposts to industrial and then deindustrializing metropolises. Making use of political, economic, and social history, the course is particularly attuned to struggles over authority and identity. Topical emphases includes race, class, labor, immigration, social reform, and popular culture in order to examine how contesting visions of justice and the good life shaped governance, family, and the public world of streets, parks, neighborhoods, worship, and workplaces.

Objective: As a group, we will seek to understand the causes of change and continuity in American urban life, making relevant comparisons between eras and between cities.

The course also will develop your historical research skills and your ability to construct historical arguments through a carefully sequenced research paper, as well as smaller writing assignments based on the course readings.

Required Readings: Available at Eli’s Books in the town square of from an online vendor. Additional readings are available via e-reserves.

Lizabeth Cohen, Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939.

Donald L. Miller, City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America.

Robert Orsi, The Madonna of 115th Street: Faith and Community in Italian Harlem.

Christine Stansell, City of Women: Sex and Class in New York, 1789-1860.

Scott Simon, Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan.

Mike Royko, Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago.

Russell Shorto, The Island at the Center of the World.

Serena R. Zabin, The New York Conspiracy of 1741: Daniel Horsmanden’s Journal of the Proceedings with Related Documents.

Roberta Brandes Gratz, The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs.

Seminar Meetings: This course emphasizes class discussion. Thus, completion of all assigned readings, full attendance, and participation by each student in every meeting are essential to its success. Although I will provide background information as necessary through brief lectures, my major role will be to provoke conversation and ensure that each student is heard. Students should strive to shape the discussion, regularly challenging the assertions of the readings, of the instructor, and of each other. To encourage members to take responsibility for the direction of the course, students will sign-up in pairs to lead one class session. Seminar organizers may follow a traditional question-discussion format or design formal debates, role-playing exercises, or small group projects.

Assignments: The course will include a variety of written assignments, including two 5- page reading response papers, a blue book final exam, and a research paper, with various graded and ungraded components leading up to the final paper. See the last four pages of the syllabus for more detail on these assignments.

Students should feel free to discuss assignments with each other. You, however, must write your own papers in your own words. In your papers, you must acknowledge debts to the written work of others and provide precise, properly formatted endnotes to all quotations and paraphrases. All endnote citations should follow the Chicago Manual of Style format. Guides to this format can be found on the W-center website, as well as in readily available style manuals by Diana Hacker, Kate Turabian, Mary Lynn Rampolla, and Charles Lipson.

Academic Integrity: All students should refer to the DePauw University Student Handbook for the high standards of academic integrity to be upheld throughout this course, online at (pages 59-63). Careful adherence to these standards on the research paper is absolutely essential to passing the course.

Evaluation: The final grade for the course will be calculated based on the following:

Reading Response Paper #1 100 points

Reading Response Paper #2 100 points

Seminar Leadership 50 points

Class Participation, 1st 7 weeks 100 points

Class Participation, 2nd 7 weeks 100 points

Primary Source Analysis 40 points

Secondary Source Analysis 40 points

Research Paper 320 points

Final Exam 150 points

I do not seek "right answers" either on written assignments or in class. Take a strong point of view—then deploy evidence to document and illustrate your assertions. When writing or speaking, strive for clarity, conciseness, and persuasiveness. Everyone should plan to participate substantively in every discussion.

Regular attendance is the necessary first step to participation. If you miss more than one class in a seven-week class-participation marking period, assume that this fact will be reflected in the class participation grade.

Meeting with the Instructor: Students should feel free to meet with me at any point during the semester to discuss any aspect of the course. I particularly encourage you to meet with me before writing response papers. I require student teams to meet with me no later than the afternoon before they are scheduled to lead the seminar discussion, in order to discuss your plans. Every student also is required to meet with me at least twice to discuss the progress of the research paper.

COURSE SCHEDULE

I. EXPLORATIONS & EXPLOSIONS

Jan. 28 Introductions

Shorto, Island, 13-24.

Miller, City of the Century, 24-47.

Jan. 30 Shorto, Island, 25-128.

Feb. 4 Shorto, Island, 129-254.

Feb. 6 Shorto, Island, 254-318.

Feb. 11 Zabin, New York Conspiracy Trials, 1-110.

Feb. 13 Zabin, New York Conspiracy Trials, 110-176.

Due at the beginning of class: a) Two proposed research topics—one paragraph for each, each one ending with a sentence stating a working hypothesis; b) brief bibliography of 2 primary sources and 2 secondary sources for each proposed topic. Consult with me in weeks prior.

II. BOOM TOWNS: LIFE, LABOR, POLITICS, & REFORM, 1789-1870

Feb. 18 Stansell, City of Women, 1-101.

Feb. 20 Stansell, City of Women, 103-221.

Feb. 25 Miller, City of the Century, 48-142.

III. CONFLICT & ORDER IN INDUSTRIAL CHICAGO

Feb. 27 Miller, City of the Century, 143-197.

Sample Analysis of primary source and annotated primary source bibliography due at the beginning of class.

Mar. 4 Miller, City of the Century, 198-300.

Mar. 6 Miller, City of the Century, 300-377.

Attend Horizon Lecture by Walter Johnson, Professor of History, Harvard University, Watson Forum, time tba.

Mar. 11 Miller, City of the Century, 378-434.

Sample Analysis of secondary source and annotated secondary source bibliography due at the beginning of class.

Mar. 13 Miller, City of the Century, 435-551.

IV. OLD WORLD-NEW WORLD: ITALIAN HARLEM AS A CASE-STUDY

Mar. 18 Orsi, Madonna, 1-129.

Mar. 20 Orsi, Madonna, 129-218.

Mar. 21 (Fri.) Outline and revised bibliography due in my office by 4 p.m.

Mar. 25 & 27 FALL BREAK

V. DESPERATION & ASPIRATION: LABOR, ETHNICITY, AND POLITICS IN CHICAGO

Apr. 1 Cohen, Making a New Deal, 11-120.

Apr. 3 Cohen, Making a New Deal, 120-211.

Apr. 8 Cohen, Making a New Deal, 213-321.

VI. THE SOUL OF THE NEW MACHINE: RICHARD J. DALEY’S CHICAGO

Apr. 10 Cohen, Making a New Deal, 323-360.

Royko, Boss, 5-46.

Apr. 11 (Fri.) Draft Introduction due in my office by 5 p.m.

Apr. 15 Royko, Boss, 47-158.

Apr. 17 Royko, Boss, 159-216.

6 pages of research paper (not counting introduction) due at the beginning of class.

VII. VISIONS OF THE CITY: COMMUNITIES ACTUAL AND IMAGINED

Apr. 22 Gratz, Battle for Gotham, xxi-94.

Apr. 24 Simon, Home and Away, 1-104.

Apr. 29 Simon, Home and Away, 105-246.

May 1 Gratz, Battle for Gotham, 95-186.

May 6 Simon, Home and Away, 247-362.

May 8 Gratz, Battle for Gotham, 187-252.

May 10 (Sat.) Final Draft of Research Papers due in my office by 8:30 a.m.

May 13 (Tues.) Final Exam 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS

Response Papers: On the first day of class, each student will sign up to write two relatively brief response papers, based on a reading or set of reading assigned for a given day. These papers are due at the beginning of the class session for which the reading is assigned. You cannot write a paper for the same day that you have signed up to lead seminar. Only three students will write for any given day, and every student must sign up to write at least one of the two papers prior to Spring Break.

For these essays, students should identify one particularly intriguing, challenging, or controversial claim, assertion, story line, or argument presented in the reading for that day. The essay should briefly set the claim in the context of the broader work before interrogating how the author’s claim contribute to his/her broader argument. Then, evaluate that claim in one or both of the following ways: a) What sorts of sources does the author use to make the argument? Are these sources adequate for proving the author’s point? Could the evidence be interpreted in a different way? b) Explain how the author’s argument changes, challenges, or complicates those found in previous readings and discussions. How does this reading force us to think differently about Chicago and/or New York City than we did before?

Students are encouraged to consult with me in advance to determine what directions might be fruitful in writing these response papers. These papers are brief—no more than 5 double-spaced pages of text, one-inch margins, twelve-point font. The title and citation page do not count toward this page total. Thus, you must identify precisely what you want to argue; otherwise, you risk saying too little or trying to say too much.

Proposed research topic, statement of hypothesis, and brief bibliography (Feb. 13)

Write one paragraph on each of two possible research topics. Indicate what you would like to learn or to discover. End each paragraph with a hypothesis: explain what you hope to argue or prove as a result of your research. After each topic, provide an example of two primary sources and two secondary sources that you think will be absolutely essential to your research. Do not simply list the first sources you think of or find. I am assuming that you are beginning to build a longer list of sources. I want to know which one primary source and which one secondary source will be most central to turning your hypothesis into a thesis.

Sample Analysis of primary source [graded] and annotated bibliography (Feb. 27)

Select a key document that you plan to include in your research. In 2 pages, describe the significance of this document for your historical inquiry. Provide the who/what/when/where and contextual information, and then focus on what insights this document stimulates about your topic. What window does it open on your subject? What questions does it beg for further research? On a separate page or pages, provide your bibliography to date of primary materials you have examined or plan to examine with brief comments on how each source might be helpful to your research.

Sample Analysis of secondary source [graded] and annotated bibliography (Mar. 11)

Select an article or book chapter (approximately 30 pages) from your bibliography for critical examination. In 2 pages, identify inadequacies or misinterpretations in this source that your research paper will constructively address. If you find the source entirely helpful, then explain how this source models the approach you wish to take or project how you might be able to take the author’s insights in a new direction in your own research project. On a separate sheet, briefly comment on each secondary source in your current bibliography, in a few phrases explaining why each item will be useful to your research.

Outline and revised bibliography (Friday, Mar. 21)

Offer a tentative yet detailed 1-2 page outline of your prospective research paper, identifying in non-generic terms what the sections of the paper will be. What will you establish in your introduction? What are the components of the argument that you will make and where will you deploy particular sources or evidence? What will you have to cover in the essay to prove your point? What sorts of conclusions do you think will be plausible? This outline is your best guess as to what the ultimate shape of the paper will be. There is no magic format, but some sort of numbering system with topical headings and sub-headings will serve as useful guide to you and to me. Also, present revised bibliography, highlighting (literally or with asterisks) new additions, as well as indicating what sources you have decided not to pursue.

Draft Introduction (Friday, Apr. 11)

With a month to go before the paper is due, you should be ready to write the first draft of your introduction. The appropriate length of an introduction to a paper of this kind is 2-3 pages, certainly no more than that. Introductions, in short order, must: a) set the scene/provide context; b) clearly state your thesis; c) lay out the components of your argument; d) indicate the kinds of sources used in the essay and how you plan to use them; e) indicate how your argument fits in with arguments made by other historians. You want the introduction to draw the reader in and make your plan of action clear. Avoid list-making in the body of the introduction: you may want to make reference to one or two key historians or sources in the introduction, but use endnotes to actually supply full titles or complete names of primary source collections.

6 pages of drafted research paper text (in addition to the intro) and final detailed outline of the rest of the paper (Apr. 17)

By now you need to have drafted a significant chunk of the paper’s main body, turning significant portions of your outline into prose. This chunk does not necessarily have to be the first part of your paper, but rather any significant portion of your analysis. Situate this draft within your outline, indicating what portions of the essay precede and follow this analysis. Also include revised introduction with this assignment. Including intro, then, we are talking between 8 pages, which is just over half of the final paper.

Final Draft (no later than, 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 10)

Fully revised and completed essay, no less than 12 and no more than 14 pages of text. This page total is exclusive of title page, properly formatted endnotes, and bibliography (divided into primary source and secondary source sections) which will appear in additional pages following the text. Papers without properly formatted endnotes and bibliography will not be accepted and will require immediate revision. We will have discussed formatting and citation issues during the course of the semester, so this should not be a problem.

Final Exam (May 13): Blue book exam, to which you may bring any printed course materials and written/printed notes, to help you reflect on the history of Chicago and New York City. You may not use or consult electronic devices of any kind during the exam. I may distribute a short reading prior to or at the beginning of the exam as a basis for the exam question or questions.

PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS ON THE RESEARCH PAPER

A major component of this course will be a substantial research paper (12-15 pages). As you peruse the syllabus, think about what aspects of the course you wish to pursue in greater depth or what gaps in the course and/or your personal knowledge you wish to fill. Even if we had two or three semesters, we could not possibly cover all the important themes, people, and events that shaped the history of these two cities. The research paper provides you the opportunity to broaden and deepen the coverage of the course on your own terms--and to practice history, rather than just reading about history. One gap that you may have immediately noticed is chronological. Our course formally covers the mid-eighteenth century to the 1970s. You are more than welcome to delve farther back into New York City’s early colonial history or to research topics from the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s for either city. Indeed, incorporating your investigations of more recent (or older) events into our discussions will enliven the course tremendously.

You must base your research on primary sources. In other words, you will need to identify a coherent body of material generated from the historical time period about which you are writing. The participants and observers of the events, figures, or trends at the center of your topic will enable you to tell an original story, construct a compelling narrative, and make a thoughtful argument. Finding records left behind, intentionally or unintentionally, is the basis of quality historical research. Your secondary sources, works composed after the fact by scholars and journalists will help provide the historical and historiographic context you need to draw meaningful conclusions. They also will help you fill in missing details or give you someone to debunk, challenge, or argue against. But ultimately, you must build your case through direct engagement with primary sources.

Fortunately, there are plenty of readily available primary sources, no matter what your time period. There are published collections of documents, memoirs, photographs, and fiction. There are collections of letters by famous and not-so-famous people who lived in or passed through these cities. There are travel accounts. There are national magazines. For the period up to 1820, DePauw has a massive database of documents. And there are newspapers—lots and lots of newspapers. Some you can access through Roy O. West Library’s impressive array of databases; others you can order in microfilm through inter-library loan. I am eager to brainstorm with you about how to get the sources that will answer the historical questions you have. The librarians in Roy O. West are ready, willing, and able to help as well. Finally, I will place on reserve both The Encyclopedia of Chicago, edited by James R. Grossman, and The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, which you can thumb through for topics or to identify sources that will send you on your way to finding more sources. ENJOY!

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