HIST 327: The History of American Cities

Course Description

This course examines the development of American urban centers from the colonial era to the present, focusing especially on the formation and evolution of the physical urban environment, urban political economy, structures of race, class and gender, growth and decline, suburbanization, and responses to the urban crisis. Throughout the course we will not only analyze urban development but will connect it to the broader patterns of American social, cultural, political, and economic history. In doing so, we will consider many American cities to understand their historical significance in regional, national and international contexts. Prerequisites: Junior standing or any 200-level History course or instructor consent.