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History
338: History of Baltimore,
Fall 2010 |
Image:
Rowhouses near Union Square, Mencken's birthplace
Stevenson University, Stevenson, MD 21153
Marilyn Julius, Instructor
mjulius@stevenson.edu
Website: http://www.historymj.com/baltimore
Office: LRC #114; Phone: (443) 334-2289
Introduction | Learning | Materials |Assignment
Chart | Please |
Introduction
Baltimore! How best to learn about this fascinating city? Historians and social scientists can teach us much about time and place, and that will be the focus of this class. But imagination, observation, and experience are also paths to a sort of truth. So we will read, discuss, and study -- and we will put our feet on the street in various ways:
- A 3-hour class group tour on a Fri, Sat, or Sun -- with equal time off regular class meeting
- Semester projects involving either service or neighborhood/museum visits.
The course will introduce you to the city's history from colonial times through the present, with emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. We will
- Track changes in the economy and politics, in the physical environment, and in the lives of ordinary Baltimoreans.
- Study the methods and tools used by historians to uncover the truth (if one exists).
- Ponder the ways in which Baltimore's history reflects both national trends and its own particular mix of North and South, race, ethnicity, and class.
Top
Objectives and Learning
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing this course, you will be able to
- Demonstrate your knowledge of historical periods, persons, events, ideas, and themes in Baltimore. history colonial times to the present.
- Demonstrate your understanding of how Baltimore history fits into the themes and patterns of U.S. history.
- Read, interpret, verify, use, and document primary and secondary sources.
- Articulate an understanding of the concepts of historical causation, conflict, and change over time.
Learning
The following may not all be measurable, but here’s what I hope you learn:
To feel pride in Baltimore’s accomplishments, compassion for its failings
To analyze the historical forces (economic, political, social) that have resulted in
- A city with neighborhoods that suffer next to neighborhoods that thrive
- A city that was the state’s greatest economic engine for almost two hundred years but now threatens to be its greatest economic liability
- A city that remains the state’s center for culture, education, government, healthcare, entertainment, and more -- despite its reputation for poverty, crime, and social ills.
To replace racial and class stereotypes with truths and to see first-hand that in every Baltimore neighborhood, citizens – black and white and brown – are working to lead decent lives, to provide for their children, to improve their neighborhoods, and to enjoy their lives.
To understand that
- The past relates to the present
- Change is inevitable
- People can make change happen through community involvement
- The health of the city is crucial to the health of the region (economically, culturally, socially)
- Those who work to improve city life are working for you, too
- Involvement in affairs of the city is worthwhile, right, and ultimately in everyone’s self-interest
To realize that good folks live in both city and suburb and that each needs the other. Although some find the city dirty, dangerous, and filled with strange people (compared with suburbs that are clean, safe, and familiar), others find the city real, exciting, and filled with life’s diversity (compared with suburbs that are sterile, boring, and “cookie-cutter”). Vive la difference!
Materials:
The Baltimore Book: New Views on Local History, Fee, Shopes, Zeidman (bookstore)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass (buy from me $1)
Various articles (online or handed out)
A pocket folder and loose leaf paper for reading journal
Assignments
Participation |
10% |
Ongoing |
Reading Postings or Quiz |
15% |
Periodically |
Test 1 |
10% |
Week 4 |
Test 2 |
20% |
Week 10 |
Testd 3 (Final) |
20% |
Week 15 |
Semester Project |
25% |
Final Exam Period |
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See Assignment page for more detail.
Please. . .
Be prepared. Some days you may be asked to write about the reading at the beginning of class or to read your reading response aloud. Some days you may have a quiz. You should always be prepared to discuss readings and topics aloud.
Be prompt. Turn in all work on time. Grades on late assignments will disappoint you (papers are devalued one letter grade per class period except in the case of documented absences for illness requiring a doctor's visit, a court appearance, or a death in the family). But wait! You do have one safety valve. One assignment may be turned in one class period late.
Tests may be made up only with a documented excuse: from a physician, hospital, court, or other verifiable documentation
Be honest with yourself and with me about your attendance, class preparation, and assignments. Document your papers correctly (plagiarism will result in failure of the course). Also, be candid. Honest feedback will help me fit the course to your needs and desires.
Be open-minded. Expect a lot. Get involved. Be curious. Have fun, too!
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