HSLS 351 A History of London
This course charts the development of London from its establishment by the Romans on the banks of the river Thames in 50 A.D. to its emergence as a global city in the 21st century. The course explores the city through primary sources, including archaeology, journalism, memoirs, fiction, legislation, and film, and through the work of social and cultural historians. Emphasis will be upon London since 1750, and topics covered include: the enormous growth of the city in the 1800s; the transformation of the Victorian city through gas, light, and water; the emergence of London as a playground for the rich and a home for the working poor; the city as battleground - of total war between 1939 and 1945 - and of governance in the 1970s; and the remaking of the city as a repository of wealth for global elites.