070182 KU New York City: 1625 to the Present (fspr.) (2006W)

New York City today is a metropolis of global reach and importance. This course will pursue the history of the city from the Dutch settlement in the 17th century, the economic growth during the 18th century, and the rise to the largest urban area in the United States during the 19th century. New York's merger with Brooklyn in 1898 created the metropolis we still know today. This course will also discuss the rise of the city to North America's predominant cultural center (Opera, Broadway, publishing houses, universities, entertainment industries), it's urban design and architectural development. Finally, we will not neglect the city's political machine ("Tammany Hall"), it's democratic culture, the immigrants to the city and their social conditions as well as the rise of New York to a symbol of global capitalisms including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the city's reaction to the destruction of the World Trade Center's twin towers.