History of New York City

Catalog description

First and foremost, this course examines the history of New York City as a diverse and changing landscape from which an international, urban society eventually emerged. As such, it locates its origins in the cultures of indigenous peoples and examines its history through the establishment of the Dutch colony to its development as a mercantile British colony and its growth as a commercial and industrial metropolis to its emergence as center of capital and modernity to its ascendancy, decline, and resurgence as a center of global culture and capitalism. The class focuses on the cultural and social history of New York City, though it hardly ignores the political, technological and economic developments and issues that defined its evolution. Secondly, this class integrates experiential learning into its design. Students will explore the material culture of New York City through actual and virtual visits to a selection of historical and cultural institutions and landmarks such as the Museum of Chinese in America, the New-York Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, the Gotham Center for New York City History, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, the Schomburg Center, the African Burial Ground National Memorial, the Cooper-Hewitt National Sign Museum, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian. In addition, students will gain a broader and varied understanding of the history of New York City through documentaries, films, and other visual materials.