Northwestern College

Topics in American History:

TOWNS & CITIES OF THE MIDWEST

History 351-1, Fall Semester 2005

(4 Credits)

Professor: Douglas Firth Anderson										Class Period: T/Th, 12:05-1:35 p.m.
Office, Phone, & E-mail: VPH 212, x7054, firth@nwciowa.edu										Class Location: VPH 207
Office hours: MWF, 2:10-3:10 p.m., or by appointment
Web page: http://home.nwciowa.edu/firth

COURSE DEFINITIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS

I. PLACE:

To be is to be in place[.]

Edward S. Casey, Getting Back into Place: Toward a Renewed Understanding of the Place-World (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993), 14.

Place is a human construct of experience and perception in and about a particular setting as small as a room or as large as a region. It is the differentiation of space based on physical sensation and social and cultural interaction with that space.

Douglas Firth Anderson, "In the Religious Borderlands of the Urban West: Protestant Anglophone Culture and Institutions in Metropolitan San Francisco, 1900-1920" (Orange City, IA: published by the author, 1998), 2.

II. TOWNS AND CITIES AND PLACE:

[T]he two different words, town and city, ha[ve] allowed English speakers to draw subtle distinctions. Today, to call a place a town implies that it has close economic and emotional ties with the surrounding countryside. A city, on the other hand, while it may appropriate natural areas for weekend recreation, is considered to be self-sufficient, and if it depends on natural resources, these are likely to come from far away, not from its immediate surroundings.

Witold Rybczynski, City Life: Urban Expectations in a New World (New York: Scribner, 1995), 39.

A large city is often known at two levels: one of high abstraction and another of specific experience. At one extreme the city is a symbol or an image . . . to which one can orient oneself; at the other it is the intimately experienced neighborhood.

Yi-Fu Tuan, Topophilia: A Study of Environmental Perception, Attitudes, and Values (1974; New York: Columbia University Press, 1990), 224.

[P]laces like Main Street need to be interpreted as both real places and as expressions of collectively shared or experienced assumptions, designs and myths.

Richard V. Francaviglia, Main Street Revisited: Time, Space, and Image Building in Small-Town America (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1996), xxii.

III. MIDWEST AS REGION:

The priorities of everyday life lie at the heart of political choice. We cannot understand the past, nor can we effectively use it to make a better future unless we take place-based consciousness seriously--in all its cultural complexity.

Mary Lethert Wingerd, Claiming the City: Politics, Faith, and the Power of Place in St. Paul (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2001), 273.

Middle West came into its own as a major regional term about 1912. . . . [I]n general, twelve states came to be recognized as Middle Western. Kansas and Nebraska were included, along with the five states of the Old Northwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin) and Minnesota and the Dakotas from the New Northwest. Iowa and Missouri completed the set.

James R. Shortridge, The Middle West: Its Meaning in American Culture (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1989), 24-25.

The Midwest was created in the early twentieth century. It was then that the region ceased to be West and declared its separation from the West. . . .

. . . Three elements were central to this creation process, this ceasing to be West. The first was agriculture. . . . No other place in the nation, perhaps the world, could claim such intensive and sophisticated agricultural productivity over such vast distance. . . .

The second factor that created the Midwest was industry, particularly concentrated heavy industry. U.S. Steel's Gary Works appeared overnight on the Lake Michigan sand dunes to become the nation's showcase steel mill. Machine shops in Cincinnati and St. Louis gathered some of the world's most skilled workers. But above all there was the automobile industry, which firmly anchored itself in the Midwest in these early decades of the century. . . .

The third factor that created the Midwest was the widespread confidence that marked the region by the early decades of the century. Midwesterners became increasingly convinced that their region was both the industrial and agricultural heart of the nation. . . . They acquired a powerful sense of place form their success as hog butchers, toolmakers, stackers of wheat, and players with railroads, all proudly "laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth," as Carl Sandburg boasted.

James H. Madison, "Diverging Trails: Why the Midwest is Not the West" in Frontier and Region: Essays in Honor of Martin Ridge, eds. Robert C. Ritchie and Paul Andrew Hutton (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 1997), 46-47.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

What is this course? The course will focus on the historical development of towns and cities in the region of the Midwestern U.S. Themes considered will include patterns in U.S. urban history; characteristics of the Midwest; historical and geographic perspectives on town- and cityscapes; gender, race/ethnicity, social class, and religion in urban life.

What will class meetings be like? The course will meet twice a week. There will be some lectures, but other major components of the course's format will include general discussions, student oral reports, the viewing and discussion of films, one or more field trip, and one-on-one meetings with the instructor.

What will be expected in general of each student? The workload of the course reflects its upper division level. Attendance at all class meetings is, of course, expected. Some 2500 pp. of reading, including that for research, will be required. Each student will be expected to write a major research paper and two shorter papers. A take-home final will be required. Discussion and oral reports will also be regularly expected in the course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES (what difference this course should make):

To become familiar with the complex and diverse history of the urban American Midwest, since realities and myths about towns, cities, and the Midwest are important elements for us who live, even if temporarily, in northwest Iowa.
To develop skills in critical thinking, analytical reading and writing, research, and oral discussion and presentation, since such are key tools for learning how, with the Apostle Paul, to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).
To develop practice of historical method beyond the lower division level of coursework through the research and writing of a major historical research paper, thereby specifically advancing the departmental goals of (1) assisting the student in developing an informed perspective on the human past and (3) equipping majors and minors and other interested students with enduring skills of historical method (see 1993-1994 departmental self-study).
To provide tools and opportunity for integrating a basic understanding of issues in the development of the urban American Midwest with a Christian perspective on history, life, and faith, for "in [Christ] all things hold together" (Col. 1:17).

COURSE OUTLINE:

Date (T/Th)	In-Class Subjects, Reports, & Papers	Reading Assignments
Aug. 23	Course Introduction: Definitions & Problems/Syllabus
Aug. 25	Urban America I	*Biles, pp. xi-xix, 19-35, 53-101
Aug. 30	Urban America II	*Biles, pp. 103-151, 171-224
Sept. 1	Library Research Advice/Midwestern City: Chicago, IL I	*Addams, pp. 1-89
Sept. 6	Midwestern City: Chicago, IL II	*Addams, pp. 89-173
Sept. 8	Midwestern City: Chicago, IL III	*Addams, pp. 173-252
Sept. 13	Midwestern Town: Albert Lea, MN I	*Register, pp. 3-96
Sept. 15	Midwestern Town: Albert Lea, MN II	*Register, pp. 97-189
Sept. 20	Midwestern Town: Albert Lea, MN III	*Register, pp. 190-273
Sept. 22	Reflection paper due/Main Street I	*Francaviglia, pp. xi-64
Sept. 27, 29	Meetings with Instructor regarding research topic
Sat. Oct. 1	Omaha Field Trip, Sat., Oct. 1
Oct. 4	Main Street II	*Francaviglia, pp. 65-129
Oct. 6	Main Street III	*Francaviglia, pp. 130-192
Oct. 11	Town/City Reports I
Oct. 13	Town/City Reports II
Oct. 20	St. Paul, MN I	*Wingerd, pp. 1-32
Oct. 25	St. Paul, MN II	*Wingerd, pp. 33-113
Oct. 27	St. Paul, MN III	*Wingerd, pp. 114-174
Nov. 1	St. Paul, MN IV	*Wingerd, pp. 175-232
Nov. 3	St. Paul, MN V	*Wingerd, pp. 233-273
Nov. 8	Buxton, IA I	*Schwieder et al., pp. vii-39
Nov. 10	Buxton, IA II	*Schwieder et al., pp. 40-87
Nov. 15	Buxton, IA III	*Schwieder et al., pp. 88-147
Nov. 17	Buxton, IA IV	*Schwieder et al., pp. 148-184
Nov. 22	Buxton, IA V	*Schwieder et al., pp. 185-222
Nov. 29	Research Oral Reports I
Dec. 1	Research Oral Reports II
Dec. 6	Take-Home Final Distributed/Research Oral Reports III
Dec. 8	Research Paper Due/Urban Midwest Film Night
Dec. 13, Tu., 2-4 p.m.	Take-Home Due (in the instructor's office no later than 4 p.m., the end of the course's final exam period)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Reading:

· Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull-House with Autobiographical Notes. Ed. Victoria Bissell Brown. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 1999. ISBN 0312157061

· Biles, Roger, ed. The Human Tradition in Urban America. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 2002. ISBN 0842029931

· Francaviglia, Richard V. Main Street Revisited: Time, Space, and Image Building in Small-Town America. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1996. ISBN 0877455430

· Register, Cheri. Packinghouse Daughter: A Memoir. New York: Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0060936843

· Schwieder, Dorothy, Joseph Hraba, and Elmer Schwieder. Buxton: A Black Utopia in the Heartland. Exp. ed. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2003. ISBN 0877458529

· Wingerd, Mary Lethert. Claiming the City: Politics, Faith, and the Power of Place. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2001. ISBN 0801488850

2. Recommended Resources:

Course Links

3. Assignments:

A. A total of 35% of the course grade will consist of a HISTORICAL RESEARCH PAPER.

1. TOPIC: The paper topic is up to the student, provided that 1) it is related to your Town/City Report (see B. below); 2) a major primary source or set of primary sources is essential to the focus of the finished paper; and 3) the topic is cleared with the instructor. Possible directions the paper could pursue: study of your town- or cityscape; study of a major person in the history of your town or city; study of a particular event illustrative of a significant aspect or development in the history of your town or city; study of a particular institution or movement located in your town or city; etc.

2. TASK: The final product should be a piece that 1) reflects significant research in primary as well as secondary sources and that 2) analyzes and elucidates the significance of the chosen topic (in which one or more primary documents are central) in relation to the larger history of the urban Midwest covered in the course.

3. PICKING A TOPIC:

i. Keep in mind the guidelines noted above in A.1

ii. On Sept. 27 or 29, each student will meet with the instructor to discuss possibilities for a research topic.

iii. No later than Oct. 14, each student will hand in a) a paragraph description of their proposed topic and focus (e.g., a working question or possible thesis statement) and b) a working bibliography of at least 5 items, including at least one major primary source and one major book-length secondary source (the proposal and bibliography may be handwritten or typed).

4. ORAL RESEARCH REPORT:

i In class on Nov. 29 or Dec. 1 or 6, each student will make an oral report of their research project.

ii. Each report should

· be around 15-20 minutes long;

· cover the following (not necessarily in this order): a) what is the topic, b) what led you to/interests you about the topic, c) identify and explain what is you most important primary document(s), d) reflect on the course of your research thus far (everything going as you expected? serendipities? frustrations?); e) what thesis or claim would you make about your topic in relation to the history of the urban American Midwest?

· be distributed as a one-page typed outline to each class member and the instructor

iii. Each oral report will be followed by time for class interaction and feedback

iv. Each oral report will be evaluated on a pass/not pass basis and be a factor in the evaluation of your written paper (see B.5. below).

5. SPECIFICATIONS:

· either two (2) paper copies or 1 Microsoft Word e-copy, attached to an e-mail to firth@nwciowa.edu

· title page

· typed, double spaced, 15-20 pp.

· notes (end- or foot-)

· annotated bibliography (normally, your bibliography will contain more items than you cite in your notes; annotations should consist of 1-3 sentences indicating in what way each item was important for your paper)

· notes and bibliography of the paper should adhere to the Chicago style as discussed in the appropriate links in Course Links.

6. DUE: No later than class, Dec. 8.

7. EVALUATION OF THE PAPER: The paper constitutes 40% of the course grade. Evaluation of the historical research paper will take into account at least the following:

the consistency and quality with which the above formal specification are fulfilled,

the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of the historical research,

the accuracy of the historical narration of relevant material,

the clarity and coherence of organization, argument, and claims made in the paper,

the depth of historical analysis and interpretation, including the relation of your topic to larger issues or themes in the history of the urban Midwest, and

whether the oral report of the project was "pass" or "not pass."

B. A TOWN/CITY REPORT will constitute 15% of the course grade.

As soon as possible, each student should select a Midwestern town or city. (Use the syllabus definitions of town/city and Midwest.)
This could be your home town/city; a relative's home town/city; a town/city that you enjoy visiting; a town/city that you would just like to learn about. This town/city will be the subject of your report, and it will also be the setting of your major research paper, so choose what interests you and what you will be able to find enough relevant materials on for your research paper.
The report is due either Oct. 11 or 13, as determined by assignment in class. Each student will present their report orally the same day they turn in the written report.
The written report

should be 5-6 pp., typed double spaced, with a header including your town/city as title and at least your name and the due date of the report at either the top right or left corner of the first sheet;

should be submitted in the form of either two (2) paper copies or 1 Microsoft Word e-copy, attached to an e-mail to firth@nwciowa.edu;

should concisely address the following aspects about your chosen town/city in numbered, headed sections: 1) geography--i.e., is the locale of your place flatter, wetter, less fertile, easier to get to, or what in comparison to other locales in the region? 2) founding--i.e., why did your settlement arise, and when, and by who (a major individual? a religious or ethnic group?)? 3) up to the present--i.e., did your place flourish? decline? why? 4) bibliography--list your sources (a minimum of two, and at least one must be a print source) in proper Chicago style form.

will be evaluated based on the at least the following factors: 1) how well does each of the 4 sections specified for the report manifest thoughtful analysis, explanation, and summary? 2) how well does each of the 4 sections manifest diligent research, clear writing, and compliance with specified form and details? 3) was the oral presentation of the report "pass" or "not pass"?

The oral presentation of your written report

should be based on your written report, adapted for 15-20 minute presentation, including time for questions;

may use maps, photos, artifacts, and other material evidence as available and relevant;

will be evaluated on a pass/not pass basis;

will be deemed "passing" if it at least 1) is clearly spoken, 2) clearly organized, and 3) substantively educates the listeners about the selected town/city;

will be deemed "not passing" if it fails to meet one or more of the standards for passing previously noted.

a "pass" will be a positive factor in the evaluation of the written report, whereas a "not pass" will be a negative factor in the evaluation of the written report.

C. A TAKE-HOME FINAL will constitute 20% of the course grade.

A comprehensive essay question asking for analysis, synthesis, and integration of course readings and discussions will be distributed in class Dec. 6 and will be due no later than the scheduled final time, Dec. 13.
FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS: typed, double spaced, no less than 5 pp., may be longer than 7 if necessary, references may be simplified to the following form done at the end of sentences and/or paragraphs: (Barrows, in Biles, p.138; Wingerd, p. 33).
EVALUATION OF EACH ESSAY: Evaluation will include at least the following factors: a) is the entire question addressed? b) how thoroughly informed by relevant course materials is the analysis? c) how lucid and cogent is the presentation? and d) how thoughtful and insightful is the analysis?

D. A PRIMARY SOURCES REFLECTION PAPER will constitute 15% of the course grade.

1. TASK: Critically and reflectively compare Addams’ Twenty Years at Hull-House and Register's Packinghouse Daughter.

2. TOPIC PARAMETERS: Your comparison could take more than one direction; e.g., you could compare some theme, or element, or events, or specific ideas in each book. However, whatever direction you take, your comparison should be done in such a way that your discussion ends up reflecting on how each author helps us understand something about the history of Midwestern urban life.

3. SPECIFICATIONS: The analysis is due in class Sept. 22 and should be typed double spaced, no less than 3 pp., may be longer than 4 if necessary. It should be submitted in the form of either two (2) paper copies or 1 Microsoft Word e-copy, attached to an e-mail to firth@nwciowa.edu

4. EVALUATION: Evaluation will include at least the following factors: a) is the entire task addressed and are the topic parameters adhered to? b) how thoroughly informed by the books is the analysis? c) how lucid and cogent is the presentation? and d) how thoughtful and insightful is the analysis?

E. PARTICIPATION will constitute 15% of the course grade (with thanks to Prof. Jensen for many ideas here).

A significant portion of your grade in this class will depend on your level of participation. I take "participation" to include not only your participation during class time but also what you do outside of class. Since I don't know what you do outside of class—and since I'm not always all that certain what you're doing even inside the classroom—I'll rely on you to assign yourself a participation grade at the end of the semester. If you’re willing to devote yourself to this class, then this will be a relatively easy way to obtain a "good" to "excellent" grade for 15% of your course score. Please use the following guidelines:

A-level participation:
- In class
  - Faithful attendance (i.e. only 1 unexcused absence)
  - Active listening and dedicated note-taking (e.g., asking questions when things are not clear, and taking notes on discussions)
  - When given a portion of the assigned reading to briefly summarize, comment on, and raise a question about for the class, evidence of diligent preparation and competent fulfillment of the task
  - Consistent involvement in class discussion (i.e. making at least one relevant contribution weekly; a "relevant contribution" could be something that contributes to the general thrust of the discussion; suggesting an alternative perspective or another important consideration; offering constructive criticism of one's own or another's ideas)
- Outside class
  - Reading all of the assigned texts carefully, while jotting down a few notes and questions to bring to class
  - Talking to classmates or others about course materials and topics on a weekly basis
  - Coming in to see me about the course for more than the one specified meeting during the semester
  - Investing significant time and energy in the writing assignments, e.g. spending a few days thinking and outlining, then writing a draft and getting feed-back from me and/or a roommate and/or from the Writing Center
B-level participation
- In class
  - Good attendance (i.e. only 2 unexcused absences)
  - Good listening and good note-taking (letting only a few things that are not clear slide by, and not consistently taking notes on discussions)
  - When given a portion of the assigned reading to briefly summarize, comment on, and raise a question about for the class, evidence of hasty or less than thorough or thoughtful preparation, yet still fulfilling the task competently
  - Irregular involvement in class discussion (i.e. making frequent but not always relevant comments, or making a relevant comment less often than each week)
- Outside class
  - Reading almost all of the assigned texts, but leaving the occasional reading assignment unfinished or finished only in great haste, and not bringing any notes and questions to class
  - Seldom talking to classmates or others about course materials and topics
  - Coming in to see me only for the one specified meeting during the semester
  - Spending time thinking and outlining papers, and leaving sufficient time to write, but without getting advice and feedback from others
C-level participation
- In class
  - Okay attendance (i.e. 3 unexcused absences)
  - Okay listening and okay note-taking (letting many things go by in class without noting them or clarifying, if necessary)
  - Infrequent involvement in class discussion (i.e. making a relevant contribution once, maybe twice, a month)
- Outside class
  - Reading most of the assigned texts hurriedly or superficially, or more than occasionally skipping parts of assignments
  - Not discussing the course with others
  - Not coming in to see me during the semester (getting by with only in-class or e-mail or phone contact)
  - Thinking about and writing papers only in the 24 hours before they are due, and without getting any feedback from others

D-level participation
- Doing even less than called for in C-level participation
It should go without saying that class attendance is required and expected. Your absence is excused, of course, if you are sick, dealing with a family crisis, or on an official school outing of some sort. But if you are simply too busy, too tired, or not in the mood, your absence is not excused. You should make sure you keep track of your own attendance record carefully enough to assign yourself a grade.
You should assign yourself a + or - if you decide that your grade falls somewhere between these basic levels. For example, if you are doing A-level work in all the areas except one, give yourself an A-. Or if you’re doing A-level work in some areas and C-level work in others, probably some sort of B is called for. There’s no precise formula here; simply use your best judgment and feel free to talk to me if you have any questions.
I’ll rely on you to assign yourself an accurate participation grade. And I will do my very best to believe your self-assigned participation grade is fair. But if I simply can't manage to believe that—e.g., if you assign yourself an A and you never said a word in class or you did not seem to be consistently prepared with the reading—I will have to ask you to come in and talk to me about it.

COURSE MISCELLANY:

1. Late Papers

All assignments are due in class as stated in the syllabus or announced in class.
Exceptions for illness, approved field trips, regularly scheduled games or performances, or other reasons outside the control of the student can be made, but it is up to the student to petition the instructor for such legitimate exceptions.

If an assignment is handed in late and without a legitimate exception, it will normally receive a penalty of at least one full grade down from whatever score the work merits apart from the penalty.

2. Academic Honesty

It is expected that all reading and written work done in and for the course will be done with integrity. That is, reading and writing as assigned is to be done with honest single-mindedness by each student, without undue reliance on others to do the work and without deceit about the work's timeliness, authorship, and sources. Integrity of this sort is not easy or convenient; it does not provide shortcuts or guarantee "As." Yet it is the best path to growth in wisdom, and wisdom is the fruit of education most to be savored.
Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism, as defined in the Student and Faculty Handbooks.
Cheating in quizzes, plagiarizing in papers, and other forms of academic dishonesty, will, when duly determined, lead to a "0" score for the assignment involved and the filing of a report with the Academic Dean (VPAA), per the Student and Faculty Handbooks.

3. Grading

We the faculty of the History Department do not believe that "grade inflation" is good for you. Jesus admonishes us to "Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'" (Mt. 5:37); in other words, let grades have integrity as indicators of knowledge and/or competence for a given assignment or course.
Therefore, an A=excellent or outstanding work; B=good work (more than adequate but not excellent); C=sufficient work (the assignment or the course’s requirements have been met, but not with any remarkable quality); D=insufficient work (does not fully meet the assignment); F=failing work.
Grades for assignments and for the course as a whole are based on a 100% scale, as follows:

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = 0-59

Within the 100% scale for letter grades, + and - will be given on the following scale (exceptions: no A+ or F + or F-):

+ = x7-x9

- = x0-x2

Remember--grades are NOT a measure of your personal worth; that is already established by God! Grades are measures of the quality of your work for a given assignment and/or course--nothing more and nothing less.

4. Study Advice

Rule of thumb: If you wish to do well in history classes, generally plan on two hours of outside work for every in-class hour. Much reading and some writing is involved, and this takes time to do adequately, let alone well.

Spirituality: Approach your studies with a prayerful attitude. Pray for discipline, for attentiveness, for discernment and understanding. Christ is Lord of all of life, so he is Lord of our learning. Give him the glory with the mind he has given you. We don't think of playing an instrument or playing basketball without practice; why would anyone think that glorifying God with our minds takes any less time--any less prayer and disciplined action?

Reading: READ ATTENTIVELY AND INTELLIGENTLY. For history courses, the point of reading is to gain information AND to put that information within some context, or thesis, or pattern. Your goal in reading for a history course is to watch for all the cues the author gives you as to 1) what facts are more important than others and 2) how the facts are marshaled into larger patterns that "tell a story" or "make a point."

Taking notes is always relevant—in and on your reading, on lectures, on discussions, on videos. (If you have a photographic memory or already know all the material, then of course taking notes would be pointless . . .)

Further Help: You should be able to handle this course with sufficient time and attention. After all, hundreds of other students have. However, if you run into problems, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK FOR HELP: me, my student assistant, folks in the Writing Center.

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