CHICAGO & NEW YORK CITY
History 373
DePauw University—Spring 2014
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:40 p.m-2:10 p.m.
Asbury 112
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Phone Number:
E-mail:
David Gellman
233 Harrison Hall
Mondays 10-11, Thursdays 2:15-3:15,
Fridays, 11-12, 2:45-3:45,
and by appointment
658-6273 (office)
653-9553 (home, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.)
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.
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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 5page 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 http://www.depauw.edu/files/resources/student-handbook-nov-52013.pdf (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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!