HIST 2470 - Chattanooga History: From Scenic City to Gig City (CZ or HF)

(3) Credit Hours

In the course of Chattanooga’s past, contemporaries have assigned different labels to capture the city’s ongoing evolution: “Dynamo of Dixie,” “Dirtiest City in America,” “Scenic City,” and “Gig City.” This course traces Chattanooga’s history from the dispossession of Cherokee lands during Trail of Tears to the defining Civil War battles to the implementation of urban revitalization projects to the rise of high-tech manufacturing. For instance, students will investigate the historical significance of the 1906 lynching of Ed Johnson, explore the city’s musical heritage with the arrival of Blues singer Bessie Smith, study urban renewal initiatives such as the Golden Gateway Project and its devastating impact on underserved communities, learn about the 1982 federal civil suit which set important precedent holding the perpetrators of hate crimes accountable in the wake of the Ku Klux Klan members’ violent attack on five African American women, and examine Volkswagen’s labor union disputes at the intersection of business culture and masculinity. Unpacking these and other important historical episodes that intersect with race, law, culture, and urban politics, students will better understand how Chattanooga as a city made and helps remake the narrative of the United States as a nation. Course readings, assignments, and experiential learning activities place particular emphasis on the city’s history of racism and anti-racist activism, community organizing around LGBTQ issues, gentrification, and environmental concerns, as well as working-class and union struggles. Every 3-4 semesters.
General Education Category: Individual and Global Citizenship or Humanities and Fine Arts