New York City History

This reading and research course covers major themes in the history of New York City, with a focus on the twentieth century. We will look at the transformation of the city over the years that followed its consolidation in 1898; the ways New York was changed by the massive immigration of the first twenty years of the twentieth century; racial segregation in the city;  the impact of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II on New York; urban renewal in the postwar years; deindustrialization and gentrification; and the economic, political, and social transformations of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. Throughout, we will think about New York in relationship to other cities, and we will read classic works in urban history to gain comparative perspective. Finally, the course will feature archive visits and some walking tours to learn more about how to conduct research on New York City.