HIST334

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HIST334

The Richest State: A History of Connecticut in the 20th Century HIST334 SP

Crosslistings: AMST262

Next Offered in 9798 SP

During this century Connecticut became the richest state in the U.S., yet it also contains several of the nation's poorest cities. How did this situation come about? The published literature on this subject is thin, so the students will not only read history studies but do historical research themselves - i.e., define a topic, conduct research in primary sources, and finally, write a a major essay based on their findings.

MAJOR READINGS

Sections of the following books and
articles:
Herbert Janick, A DIVERSE PEOPLE: CONNECTICUT, 1914 TO
PRESENT
Samuel T. McSeveney, THE POLITICS OF DEPRESSION; POLITICAL
BEHAVIOR IN THE NORTHEAST, 1893-1896
Herbert Janick, "The New Social History In Twentieth Century
Connecticut", CONNECTICUT HISTORY, No. 23 (April 1982), pp.
153-67.
Cecilia Bucki, "Workers and Politics in the Immigrant City"
Samuel Koenig, IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENTS IN CONNECTICUT: THEIR
GROWTH AND CHARACTERISTICS, Works Progress Administration,
1938
Bruce Clouette and Matthew Roth, BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT: A
BICENTENNIAL HISTORY, 1785-1985
John W. Jeffries, TESTING THE ROOSEVELT COALITION;
CONNECTICUT SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN THE ERA OF WW II
Toni Gilpin, et al., ON STRIKE FOR RESPECT: THE YALE STRIKE
OF 1984-85
Christopher Collier and Bonnie B. Collier, THE LITERATURE
OF CONNECTICUT HISTORY, 1983
Dolores Ann Liptak, EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS AND THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT, 1870-1920 (1987)
Robert A. Warner, NEW HAVEN NEGROES: A SOCIAL HISTORY
(1940)
A. C. Spectorsky, THE EXURBANITES (1955)
Joseph I. Liebman, THE POWER BROKER: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN M.
BAILEY, MODERN POLITICAL BOSS (1968)
Karen Orren, CORPORATE POWER AND SOCIAL CHANGE: THE
POLITICAL LIFE OF THE LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY (1974)
Elizabeth Warner, A PICTORIAL HISTORICAL OF MIDDLETOWN

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

One major research paper, plus earlier proposals and drafts, and one page papers during the first weeks of the class.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Student must have taken at least one previous course in 19th-or 20th-century U. S. history. Admission by interview.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-10-1997

About the Photo:

A couple in Middletown in 1907

Reference:

Sandler, Martin. THIS WAS CONNECTICUT: IMAGES OF A VANISHED WORLD, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977

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