Urban history

Quick Facts: Who was Urban history?

Subject:

Urban history

Known for:

The academic study of the historical development, structure, and life of human settlements.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Urban history is a field of history that examines the historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization. The historiographical approach is often multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries into fields like social history, architectural history, urban sociology, urban geography, business history, and archaeology. Urbanization and industrialization were popular themes for 20th-century historians, often tied to an implicit model of modernization, or the transformation of rural traditional societies. Scholars studying the history of urbanization focus on the processes of by which existing populations concentrate in urban localities over time, and on the social, political, cultural and economic contexts of cities. Most urban scholars focus on the "metropolis," a large or especially important city.

Career & Major Achievements

There is much less attention to small cities, towns or (until recently) suburbs. However social historians find small cities much easier to handle because they can use census data to cover or sample the entire population. In the United States from the 1920s to the 1990s many of the most influential monographs began as one of the 140 PhD dissertations at Harvard University directed by Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. (1888–1965) or Oscar Handlin (1915-2011). The field grew rapidly after 1970, leading one prominent scholar, Stephan Thernstrom, to note that urban history apparently deals with cities, or with city-dwellers, or with events that transpired in cities, with attitudes toward cities – which makes one wonder what is not urban history. Only a handful of studies attempt a global history of cities, notably Lewis Mumford, The City in History (1961).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Representative comparative studies include Leonardo Benevolo, The European City (1993); Christopher R. Friedrichs, The Early Modern City, 1450-1750 (1995), and James L. McClain, John M. Merriman, and Ugawa Kaoru. Edo and Paris (1994) (Edo was the old name for Tokyo). Architectural history is its own field but occasionally overlaps with urban history. The political role of cities in helping state formation—and in staying independent—is the theme of Charles Tilly and W. P. Blockmans, eds., Cities and the Rise of States in Europe, A.D. 1000 to 1800 (1994). Comparative elite studies—who was in power—are typified by Luisa Passerini, Dawn Lyon, Enrica Capussotti and Ioanna Laliotou, eds.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1450: 1450 Milestone — Friedrichs, The Early Modern City, 1450-1750 (1995), and James L.
2. 1888: 1888 Milestone — (1888–1965) or Oscar Handlin (1915-2011).
3. 1961: 1961 Milestone — Only a handful of studies attempt a global history of cities, notably Lewis Mumford, The City in History (1961).
4. 1970: 1970 Milestone — The field grew rapidly after 1970, leading one prominent scholar, Stephan Thernstrom, to note that urban history apparently deals with cities, or with city-dwellers, or with events that transpired in cities, with attitudes toward cities – which makes one wonder what is not urban history.
5. 1993: 1993 Milestone — Representative comparative studies include Leonardo Benevolo, The European City (1993); Christopher R.
6. 1994: 1994 Milestone — Edo and Paris (1994) (Edo was the old name for Tokyo).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Urban history

True or False: “Did early urban history scholarship exclusively focus on massive metropolitan centers like London or New York?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While large cities were popular subjects, scholars also found small towns easier to study using census data, and attention has broadened beyond just the largest metropolises.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alexander I of Yugoslavia — Historical peer (Born in 1888) (1888): King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later King of Yugoslavia (1921-1934).
• Amos Bronson Alcott — Historical peer (Died in 1888) (1888): Pioneering American educator, philosopher, and advocate for human spiritual perfection.
• Aamir Khan — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): Iconic Indian actor and filmmaker, known as "Mr. Perfectionist" in Hindi cinema.
• Aaron Kwok — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): Iconic Hong Kong performer, celebrated singer, dancer, and actor.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Abba Eban — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Al Davis — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): Pioneering NFL executive and coach, known for building the legendary Oakland Raiders.
• Alan Rubin — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): American musician known for playing trumpet, flugelhorn, and piccolo trumpet.
• A. H. M. Jones — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering British historian of classical antiquity, specializing in the later Roman Empire.
• Abraham Maslow — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.

Frequently Asked Questions about Urban history