The History of Urban Life

Syllabus In Person

Dr. Samuel Finesurrey: [email protected]

Fall 2025

Class: Tuesday and Thursdays 11:30-1:00

Office Hours: Tuesdays 10-11 

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4170285761

Open Educational Resource & Zero Textbook Cost Course

Dr. Samuel Finesurrey: [email protected]

Student Learning Outcomes:

This course examines the development of urban communities across the United States and beyond both temporally and geographically. It examines the patterns of cleavage, conflict, convergence of interests, and consensus that have structured urban life. Social, cultural, and economic forces will be analyzed for the roles they have played in shaping the diverse communities of America’s cities.

Students will analyze the history of diverse groups who helped create U.S. cities and evaluate their accomplishments and the structures that framed their respective experiences.

Students will learn to identify historical patterns that shape and reshape hierarchies, struggles, challenges and triumphs for diverse groups of urban dwellers.

Students will be able to illustrate both the evolution of U.S. cities overtime and explain the development of myth-making by urban elites often whitewashing the more shameful elements of that history.

Students will build their academic writing skills by proposing a research question, creating an outline to organize an essay around a thesis, topic sentences and quotes from the interviews of their peers, before writing a final research paper based on the knowledge produced by themselves and their classmates.

Students will acquire professional communications skills by participating as an interviewer for the oral history project.

Diversity Statement

Diversity at Guttman spans an incredible range of racial, national, ethnic, sexual, gender, linguistic, socioeconomic, and disability dynamics. In this course, from conversations about black and immigrant struggles for liberation, to examinations of movements for women’s, workers’ and gay rights, and with an oral history project that looks to uplift voices too often silenced by exploitative structures, we are deeply dependent on the rich range of backgrounds at Guttman. In this classroom I will ask you to think about your own experience and those of your elders and classmates to challenge and complicate dominant discourses and contribute to understandings of our collective history.

Accessibility Statement

I know people learn in all different types of way. I still struggle with ADD today, but have created structures — ways of staying organized and on task — to accommodate the way my brain is wired. If you need any accommodations please utilize the office of accessibility and let me know how I can help. The primary goal for me is that you’re able to achieve the course learning outcomes. I’m willing to work with you in whatever ways its takes to attain that.

NOTE: The syllabus may change if the instructor feels it will improve how the class operates.

Weekly Schedule – All work will be due Sundays at 11:59 PM

Week 1

  • Tue 9/9 — Lecture: Why Study Urban History? Mapping Cities, Course Themes
  • Thu 9/11 — Class meets: Oral History Part One

Week 2

  • Tue 9/16 — Lecture: Native Cities & Early Urban Worlds + First Contacts
    • Quiz 1 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 9/18 — Field Trip: African Burial Ground National Monument (Free)
    • Response Prompt: How does this site reveal African-descended peoples’ struggles for dignity, freedom, and survival in urban New York?

Week 3

  • Tue 9/23 — NO CLASS
  • Thu 9/25 — Lecture: Race & Slavery in Colonial/Early U.S. Cities
    • Quiz 2 (Lecture + Reading)

Week 4

  • Tue 9/30 — Lecture: Urban Slavery Through the Civil War
    • Quiz 3 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 10/2 — NO CLASS

Week 5

  • Tue 10/7 — Lecture: Early Immigrants Reshape Urban Landscapes (19th c.)
    • Quiz 4 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 10/9 — Oral History Training/Design

Week 6

  • Tue 10/14 — No Class MONDAY SCHEDULE
  • Thu 10/16 — The Labor Movement
    • Quiz 5 (Lecture + Reading)
    • Oral History Project Proposal Due

Week 7

  • Tue 10/21 — A New Other Enters American Cities
    • Quiz 6 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 10/23 — Field Trip

Week 8

  • Tue 10/28 — No Class
  • Thu 10/30 —Oral History Part II Due — Workshop: Transcript Draft Work
  •  

Week 9

  • Tue 11/4 — Lecture: The Great Migration and Great Depression 
    • Oral History Part III Due
  • Thu 11/6 — Workshop: Content Outline Drafts

Week 10

  • Tue 11/11 —  
  • WWII Urban Home Front & Civil Rights in Cities
    • Quiz 8 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 11/13 — Oral History Part IV Due — Workshop: Oral History Part V

Week 11

  • Tue 11/18 —
    •  
  • Lecture: The Radical 1960s & Urban Rebellions
    • Quiz 9 (Lecture + Reading)
  • Thu 11/20 — NO CLASS

Week 12

  • Tue 11/25 — NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
  • Thu 11/27 — NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

Week 13

  • Tue 12/2 — Connecting Past & Present – Urban Movements Today
    • Quiz 11 (Lecture + Reading)
    • Explaining NBL Assignment
    • Oral History Part V Due
  • Thu 12/4 — NBL Assignment

Week 14

  • Tue 12/9 — Final Review
  • Thu 12/11 — Final Exam (Open Notes)

 

GRADING

A+

4.0

97-100%

A

4.0

93-96.9%

A-

3.7

90-92.9%

B+

3.3

87-89.9%

B

3.0

83-86.9%

B-

2.7

80-82.9%

C+

2.3

77-79.9%

C

2.0

73-76.9%

C-

1.7

70-72.9%

D+

1.3

67-69.9%

D (passing)

1.0

60-66.9%

F

0

0-59.9%

NC*

Not calculated

0-59.9%

Weekly Assignments (300 Points): 

Quizzes: 300 Points  (50 x 6 Counted Quizzes):  Every week there will be a quiz on the assigned materials and the week’s. These are open note quizzes so you are expected to bring your notes. You can fill out the quizzes in the last ten min of class. Only your top six quiz performances will count towards your grade. They will almost always taking place on Tuesday in the last 10-15 min. of class. If you miss a quiz it will count as a dropped quiz and not hurt you, but you cannot make it up.

Oral History Project: Voices from the Heart of Gotham (300 Points): You will conduct an oral history with someone in your social network (a family member or friend) on a range of subjects selected by the class. Each student will be required to record and submit an interview on their phone of at least 15 Mins.

Ideally, you would find someone willing to donate their oral history to the Voices from the Heart of Gotham: Undergraduate Scholars Oral History Collection at Guttman Community College. This can be one of your classmates, one of your family members, a community member, or a friend.

IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DONATING YOUR ORAL HISTORY, PLEASE TELL ME. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD YOUR INTERVIEW TO THE PUBLIC COLLECTION. 

IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THE ORAL HISTORY ASSIGNMENT AT ALL PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND WE WILL CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE ASSIGNMENT.

Part One: 25 Points
Part Two: 50 Points
Part Three: 50 Points
Part Four: 50 Points
Part Five: 100 Points

In-Class Final Exam (200 Points): Open Notes 

Field Trip Responses 150 Points — (75 Points Each)–

You will complete written responses for two field trips. Each response should be 1–2 pages, typed, double-spaced.

Brooklyn Naval Yard

African American Burial Ground

NBL Assignment 75 Points

Additional Information 

Office Hours: Office hours can be virtual, but I will be on campus during my office hours so either way works.

Plagiarism: If you have a question about whether something is plagiarism, always err on the side of caution, or come and ask the professor if it is okay. With new technology like ChatGPT, the rules of cheating are in flux, which makes it even more important to check in with your professors about what’s okay and what’s not okay. Getting caught cheating can negatively impact your grade and your academic career dramatically.

Late Assignments: You will lose a letter grade every week that an assignment is late. Everything except the final exam is revisable for a better grade.

Questions: If you ever need clarification or have a question about anything, please do not be afraid to ask me. I will return your text or email within 24 hours. I can almost guarantee that turnaround will be quicker however, there will be times this semester when I may not have access to the internet.

Problems With Course: If you have a problem with the materials, assignments, or the way the course I am teaching the course, please let me know at your earliest convenience. I am good at taking criticism and more than anything want this class to be as enjoyable an experience as possible for you and your classmates.

Mental Health/Personal Issues: If you are feeling overwhelmed by your schoolwork or life outside of Guttman and it is impacting your grades, please inform your professors that you’re facing some challenges and ask about Guttman resources to support you. We have wonderful mental health professionals at the College and the Connect Center in the basement can help out with anything from groceries to emergency housing. The college cannot support you if we do not know you need assistance.