(Image at left is the statue of George Washington, near Jena square, in Paris)
History 425
City in History
WSUTC
Fall ’11
B. Farley
The basics: My office is along Faculty Row, in the west building, somewhere on the left hand side. You can EMAIL me either at bfarley@tricity.wsu.edu or brigitf2001@yahoo.com. I prefer email…it was made for me, and I will always try to get back to you by the next day if at all possible. You can also call me at my ancestral estate in Pendleton, Oregon(541-276-6962), but try to avoid calling before 9 am or after l0 pm. In any case, feel free to get in touch however you prefer.
My office hours face-to-face are 3:30-4:15 pm, Mondays and Wednesdays and whenever else you can catch me on campus. Virtual office hours are 24/7. I will always try to answer emails as quickly as possible, emphasis on the TRY part of that equation.
The lowdown: Welcome to History 425, City in History. This is a course that can be done two ways, either concentrating on the role of the city in history or the role of history in a given city. I’m a fan of historical travel, so I lean to the latter rather than the former. This term, we will do an overview of four cities—New York, Paris, Londonderry and Belfast—and focus on one or two defining events or moments, events that shaped or made that city what it is today. In the case of New York, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and 9-11 are an obvious touchstone. In Londonderry and Belfast, the long-running conflict between Catholic and Protestant citizens of northern(British)Ireland has literally shaped Londonderry and divided Belfast into ethnic enclaves worthy of Iraq. And for Paris, the influence of the United States on Paris and two very visible buildings that define the city skyline and were built in opposition to one another. We will read about, and discuss all these places and the force(s)that shaped them in the modern age.
We will have two texts this term: for New York City, David von Drehle’s Triangle: the Fire that Changed America, a history of one of two signature tragedies in New York history, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. There will be additional readings, topical ones, about the World Trade Center, whose downing at the hands of Al-Quaeda occurred ten years ago this month(September 2011). Then, Jill Jonnes’ book on Paris’s best-known monument, the Eiffel Tower. The tower was the subject of an ongoing French culture war, a counterpoint to a large basilica on the hill, a secular icon The two buildings were always, to put it mildly, star-crossed. For Londonderry and Belfast, no readings; I will do the heavy lifting for you.
Evaluation: We will have two exams, one midterm and one final. Each will be worth 25%. This being a capstone course, you will also have a substantial writing assignment, which I will describe for you in the coming days. It will be due before Thanksgiving, and will be worth 50 big percentage points.
Course objectives: To get to know three major world cities and how recent history has affected them. To look beyond the buildings and boulevards and learn something of how the history of their respective countries is or is not reflected in them. To think about what makes a great city. To become convinced of the virtues of visiting cities as certified residents of very small towns…
Course rules: Class attendance is not required, but strongly encouraged—get the most from your tuition money! Avoiding cheating of any kind, particularly plagiarism, IS required and any violations will land you in the University disciplinary system, which is NOT where you want to be. Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property.
A Note from Disability Resources: Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Classroom accommodation forms are available through the Disability Services Office. If you have a documented disability (even temporary) make an appointment as soon as possible with the Disability Services Coordinator Cherish Tijerina room 269 West Building. You will need to provide your instructor with the appropriate classroom accommodation form from Disability Services during the first week of class. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations for disabilities must be approved through the Disability Services Coordinator.
Schedule
Part I : New York, New York
The beginnings—New Amsterdam, then New York
New Amsterdam becomes New York
The immigrant city
Catastrophe no. 1: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and its aftermath
The vertical city, the city in the sky
The twin towers
Catastrope no. 2: September 11, 2001
The legacy of the 9-11 attacks.
Required readings: City in the Sky: Rise and Fall of the World Trade Center.
Recommended readings: Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It’s kind of a kids’ book—I read it in 7th grade—but it gives all readers a real flavor of what life was like in Irish/immigrant New York circa l900. It is not a work of glowing nostalgia; it has the ring of authenticity and truth. Bernard Malamud, who died recently, wrote many works chronicling Jewish life in New York, such as The Chosen. Very worthwhile. Also, David Halberstam, Firehouse, one of the best books about 9-11, profiling the ten firefighters lost from the house closest to Halberstam’s home on the upper West Side
Recommended films: Where do you start? King Kong, Midnight Cowboy, Out-of-Towners, Odd Couple, Moscow on the Hudson, Radio Days (actually, almost anything starring Woody Allen), Once Upon a Time in America, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull (almost anything starring Robert DeNiro, who owns an expensive restaurant in lower Manhattan), The Apartment, Breakfast at Tiffany’s…and the list goes on.
First exam after conclusion of New York
Part II: Paris
The basics: Paris in the history of France
The French-American relationship and the City of Light
Two buildings, two Parises.
Part III: Londonderry and Belfast, cities shaped by war
Origins of Catholic and Protestant conflict
1968: beginnings of the Troubles
London-Derry, divided city in a divided country
Belfast, “Titanic town” and ethnic enclaves
1972: Bloody Sunday, Bloody Friday
Evolution of the Troubles
Londonderry and Belfast, a decade after Good Friday
Required readings: TBA
Recommended readings: Eamonn McCann, War and an Irish Town, about life in Londonderry as a Catholic; Geoffrey Beattie, Protestant Boy, the life and education of a Protestant youth from Belfast.
Recommended films: “Michael Collins,” with Liam Neeson; “Patriot Games,” with Harrison Ford. Both deal with the Irish Republican Army and the Catholic perspective on the struggles; both are excellent.
Paper due date TBA after Thanksgiving. Second exam during finals week at the appointed time.
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