This interesting and informative book shows how different groups of urban residents with different social, economic, and political power cope with the urban environment, struggle to make a living, participate in communal institutions, and influence the direction of cities and urban life. An absorbing book, The Evolution of American Urban Society surveys the dynamics of American urbanization from the sixteenth century to the present, skillfully blending historical perspectives on society, economics, politics, and policy, and focusing on the ways in which diverse peoples have inhabited and interacted in cities. Key topics: Broad coverage includes: the Colonial Age, commercialization and urban expansion, life in the walking city, industrialization, newcomers, city politics, the social and physical environment, the 1920s and 1930s, the growth of suburbanization, and the future of modern cities. Market: An interesting and necessary read for anyone involved in urban sociology, including urban planners, city managers, and those in the urban political arena.

"Focusing on the history of urban people, on the ways people relate to their urban world, and on the ways in which they shape it, authors Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith E. Smith emphasize the practical details comprising the fabric of daily life as they ask questions such as: Why do people go to the city? What do they find there? How do they cope? What do they contribute? How are they rewarded?"--BOOK JACKET.

Publisher description

In this second edition, America's Urban History now includes contemporary analysis of race, immigration, and cities under the Trump administration and has been fully updated with new scholarship on early urbanization, mass incarceration and cities, the Great Society, the diversification of the suburbs, and environmental justice. The United States is one of the most heavily urbanized places in the world, and its urban history is essential to understanding the fundamental narrative of American history. This book is an accessible overview of the history of American cities, including Indigenous settlements, colonial America, the American West, the postwar metropolis, and the present-day landscape of suburban sprawl and an urbanized population. It examines the ways in which urbanization is connected to divisions of society along the lines of race, class, and gender, but it also studies how cities have been sources of opportunity, hope, and success for individuals and the nation. Images, maps, tables, and a guide to further reading provide engaging accompaniment to illustrate key concepts and themes. Spanning centuries of America's urban past, this book's depth and insight make it an ideal text for students and scholars in urban studies and American history.

This volume offers an examination of the nation's urban development and reflects the city's pivotal role in the unfolding of American history. The Second Edition has been significantly revised to include more than 75% new content and a greater emphasis on suburbanization and historically marginalized groups. Chapters included in this edition focus on the lower classes and class relations and conditions; the evolution of technology; race relations and redevelopment in the postwar era; and significant changes in urbanization. In order to address the current urban climate, the final chapter focuses on violence and the search for security in a post-September 11th America.