The Human Tradition in Urban America offers an intimate telling of America's evolution into an urban nation through the experiences of individuals. This book considers the growth of American cities by carefully looking at the lives of those people-some famous, some not so well known-who contributed to this important transition in the country's history. Roger Biles has assembled a superb collection of writings that provide a diverse collage of colorful and engaging characters. Covering the eighteenth through twentieth centuries, these diverse biographies show that the formation of America's new structure and environment was not simply the product of some mysterious blend of impersonal forces, but instead was the handiwork of a rich variety of human actors. The Human Tradition in Urban America is an accessible book that will appeal to all readers interested in the history of urban America.About the Author
Roger Biles is professor of history at East Carolina University. He is the author and editor of several books on urban history, including From Tenements to the Taylor Homes: In Search of an Urban Housing Policy in Twentieth-Century America and Richard J. Daley: Politics, Race, and the Governing of Chicago. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Urban History Association and currently serves as the book review editor for H-Urban.