Description
Book SynopsisThis text offers an intimate telling of America's evolution into an urban nation through the experiences of individuals. The book considers the growth of American cities by looking at the lives of those people, famous and ordinary, who contributed to this transition in the country's history.
Trade ReviewA nice introduction to the problems and concerns facing different groups of urban Americans at different points in time. -- Amy S. Greenberg, Penn State University
A dynamic and captivating volume. The diverse and important individuals who populate the chapters of The Human Tradition in Urban America will make urban history courses come alive. Skillfully edited by Roger Biles, this innovative book will prove itself enticing. -- Michael H. Ebner, Lake Forest College
A splendid addition to the Human Tradition series that utilizes biography to reflect urban history and urban change. -- Melvin G. Holli, professor of history at the University of Illinois at Chicago, author of The American Mayor
Cities are more than buildings and infrastructures; they are also people. This delightful and informative collection of brief biographical sketches illuminates the variety of the urban experience. Professor Biles presents the stories of innovators—some familiar, but many newly introduced to most readers—who used the urban experience as a catalyst for new ideas. We are all richer for who they were and what they did. -- Perry Duis, University of Ilinois at Chicago
An intellectually compelling collection of biographies of urbanites. . . . These essays are accessible to undergraduates, yet grapple with hotly debated issues. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Jermiah Dummer: From Puritan Son to Worldly Gentleman Chapter 3 Andrew Jackson Downing: Promoter of City Parks and Suburbs Chapter 4 Alexander R. Shepherd: The Haussmannization of Washington, DC Chapter 5 Frank Julian Sprague: The Father of Electric Urban Mass Transit in the United States Chapter 6 Charles A. Comiskey: Baseball as American Pastime and Tragedy Chapter 7 Lillian Wald: Meeting the Needs of Neighborhoods, 1893-1933 Chapter 8 Billy Sunday: Urban Prophet of Hope Chapter 9 Albion Fellows Bacon: Indiana's Frenzied Philanthropist Chapter 10 Catherine Bauer: The Struggle for Modern Housing in America, 1930-1960 Chapter 11 Robert Moses: Relentless Progressive Chapter 12 Coleman A. Young: Race and the Reshaping of Postwar Urban Politics Chapter 13 Elizabeth Virrick: The "Concrete Monsters" and Housing Reform in Postwar Miami Chapter 14 Index
