Dr. J. Mark Souther
Rhodes Tower 1904
Department of History
Cleveland State Univ.
Spring 2005

Home

Requirements

Readings

Schedule

Euclid Corridor Project

Syllabus (PDF)

Souther Home

Journal Questions for Week 5

Week 5

Journal—Mon., Feb. 14—The Rise of Downtown
Fogelson, “The Business District”

1. Where did the term "downtown" originate, and how did it come into common usage?

2. In what sense was the American downtown unique in the world?

3. How did Americans in the late 1800s feel about the emergence of downtowns? What concerns did its emergence raise for some?

Journal--Wed., Feb. 16--The Immigrant City
Chudacoff & Smith, "Newcomers and the Urban Core"
Riis, How the Other Half Lives - Read any 3 (very short) chapters.

1. What experiences did most immigrants between 1840 and 1920 share in common in American cities, according to Chudacoff & Smith? In what ways were African-American migrants' experiences different from those of immigrants from Europe?

2. What stands out to you in your reading of the 3 selections from Jacob Riis's account of life in the turn-of-the-century city? Can you relate your reading of Riis to anything else you have read thus far in this course?

No Journal--Fri., Feb. 18--The Rise of Urban Mass Culture
Barth, "The Department Store"