This course will examine the history of Newark and the surrounding area as we explore Newark’s relationship to neighboring cities, suburbs, and the metropolis of New York.  We will look at a variety of themes, including immigration, gender, labor, and environment, as well as a variety of locales, including West Orange, Montclair, Paterson, Jersey City, and Newark itself.  Classwork will consist of a series of guided readings and discussions of academic articles and books, a book review, and limited primary source research.  Students will emerge from the course with a better understanding of the methods and tools urban historians use, as well as of the issues that have shaped the development of the metropolitan area.