This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

 

American Urban History II

A black and white aerial photograph of Central Park in New York City.

Central Park in New York City, one of the great examples of the work of Frederick Olmsted. (Image courtesy of the National Park Service.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

11.014J / 21H.232J

As Taught In

Fall 2004

Level

Undergraduate

Course Highlights

This course features archived syllabi from various semesters.

Course Description

This is a seminar course that explores the history of selected features of the physical environment of urban America. Among the features considered are parks, cemeteries, tenements, suburbs, zoos, skyscrapers, department stores, supermarkets, and amusement parks. The course gives students experience in working with primary documentation sources through its selection of readings and class discussions. Students then have the opportunity to apply this experience by researching their own historical questions and writing a term paper.