Rochester
Politics and Places
AAS 194, HIS 192, PSC 194
Spring Semester 2004
Thursdays 2:00-4:40 p.m.
329 Harkness Hall
|
Professor Gerald
Gamm |
Professor Valeria
Sinclair-Chapman |
|
331 Harkness Hall |
316 Harkness Hall |
|
275-8573 |
275-7252 |
|
E-mail: grgm@mail.rochester.edu |
E-mail: vsan@mail.rochester.edu |
|
Office hours: Mon 1:00-2:30 and Thurs 10:00-11:30 |
Office hours: Wed 3:30-5:00 or by appointment |
Teaching Assistant:
Lindsey Reilly
327 Harkness Hall
E-mail: lr007j@mail.rochester.edu
Office hours: Wed 1:00-2:00
Home to Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and George
Eastman, upstate New York has been the seedbed for many of the most important
events in American history. In this seminar, students will discover the rich
history of Rochester as well as learn about current debates over political
organization, racial and economic segregation, suburbanization, and economic
change. The course will emphasize five major themes: urbanization and religious
revivalism in the 1820s and 1830s; movements for abolition and women's rights;
reform initiatives during the Progressive Era; economic and racial changes in
the 20th century; and city politics in the 20th and 21st centuries. As part of
the course, students will visit sites in and around the city as well as meet and
talk with political figures active in the city today.
1. To acquaint students with the history and politics of Rochester and the western New York region.
2. To introduce students to research in political science, history, and African American studies.
3. To familiarize students with perspectives on American politics that are informed by research on religion, gender, and race.
Required Texts
Blake McKelvey, Rochester on the Genesee.
Paul E. Johnson, A Shopkeeper’s Millennium.
Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore, Who Were the Progressives?
David Rusk, Cities Without Suburbs.
Thomas J. Sugrue, The Origins of the Urban Crisis.
Course Requirements
Grading
Participation 20%
Short Papers 40%
Research Papers 40%
Class attendance and participation. Regular attendance and participation in class and at scheduled off-campus tours are required. Because the exchange of ideas is an important part of learning, you are encouraged to frequently ask questions and share your informed opinions during class discussions. Reading and any additional assignments should be completed before class on the day assigned. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior permission except in cases of unforeseen emergency. Students with special needs should meet with Professor Gamm or Sinclair-Chapman early in the semester so that proper accommodations can be made in a timely fashion.
Short Papers.
Four (4) short papers will be used to calculate 40% of your final
grade. Short papers should follow
proper writing, spelling, and grammar rules, and be at least 2 pages in length
with 1 ½ inch margins and a 12-point font.
Papers should
address a central question in the readings, critically evaluate the readings, or
analyze underlying issues in the readings.
They should demonstrate an understanding of the major points raised in
the readings and the evidence offered in support of those points. Students should submit at least two short
papers by March 4. A missed
assignment will result in a grade of zero.
Research Papers. Two (2) medium-length research papers will be used to calculate 40% of your final grade. Papers should follow proper writing, spelling, and grammar rules, and be 6-8 pages in length with 1 ½ inch margins and a 12-point font. Your first research paper should be directly related to a local historical person, such as Frederick Douglass, or place of interest, such as Seneca Falls. If possible, the class will visit the site with you as a tour guide. Your second paper should address an issue broadly related to recent Rochester politics. For instance, in your second paper you might write about the politics of suburban annexation or analyze the powers of the county executive or mayor. Your first research paper is due on or before March 18; your second paper is due in Professor Gamm or Sinclair-Chapman’s mailbox on the 3rd floor of Harkness Hall no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 26th.
Academic Honesty. You are expected to turn in material that you have completed yourself. Absolutely no cheating or plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation) will be tolerated. Both cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses that will be reported for disciplinary action. Please refer to the University Handbook and/or speak with the instructors if you have any questions in this area.
Jan
15
19th Century Rochester
Canal Town
Jan
22
Read: McKelvey, Rochester on the Genesee, pp. 1-42.
Johnson, Shopkeeper's Millennium, pp. 1-61.
Religious Revivalism
Jan 29
Read: Johnson, Shopkeeper's Millennium, pp. 62-141.
The Abolitionist Movement
Feb 5
Read: Sandra Thomas, “A Biography of the Life of Frederick Douglass.”
Frederick Douglass, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, speech, Rochester, N.Y., 5 July 1852.
Eric Foner, “The Meaning of Freedom in the Age of Emancipation,” Journal of American History 81 (1994), 435-460.
.
The Women's Suffrage Movement
Feb 12
Read: Anne C. Coon, “The Magnetic Circle: Stanton, Anthony, Bloomer, and Douglass,” Rochester History 57:3 (1995), 1-17, 25-27.
Anne Firor Scott, “On Seeing and Not Seeing: A Case of Historical Invisibility,” Journal of American History 71 (1984), 7-21.
Paula Baker, “The Domestication of Politics: Women and American Political Society, 1780-1920,” American Historical Review 89 (1984), 620-647.
“An Account of the Proceedings on the Trial of Susan B. Anthony, on the Charge of Illegal Voting at the Presidential Election in Nov., 1872,” Daily Democrat and Chronicle Book Print (1874).
First Tour of City and Region
Feb 19
Off-Campus Tour
The Growing City
Feb 26
Read: McKelvey, Rochester on the Genesee, pp. 43-154.
20th and 21st Century Rochester
Rochester During the Progressive Era
Mar 4
Read: McKelvey, Rochester on the Genesee, pp. 155-189.
Gilmore, Who Were the Progressives?, pp. 1-42, 77-139.
Mar 11
Spring Break
Class, Ethnicity, and Gender in the
Progressive Era
Mar 18
Read: Gilmore, Who Were the Progressives?, pp. 141-265.
Second Tour of City and Region
Mar 25
Off-Campus Tour
Urban Decline and Unemployment
Apr 1
Read: Sugrue, Origins of the Urban Crisis, pp. 1-177.
Race and Housing
Apr 8
Read: Sugrue, Origins of the Urban Crisis, pp. 179-271.
Rochester in the 1960s
Apr 15
Read: McKelvey, Rochester on the Genesee, pp. 240-316.
View: Documentary on 1960s Riots.
Cities and Suburbs
Apr 22
Read: David Rusk, Cities Without Suburbs, all.
Guest Speakers: Local Political Leaders.