American Urban History
MIT OpenCourseWare seminar tracing institutional change in American cities from roughly 1850 to the present. The course examines political machines, police departments, courts, schools, prisons, public authorities, and universities as they evolved alongside urban growth. Structured as a discussion seminar, materials include a full reading list drawn from historical scholarship and primary sources, along with session-by-session topics that instructors and independent learners can follow. There are no video lectures; the course consists of the syllabus, readings, and discussion questions that guided the original MIT seminar. It suits learners interested in how bureaucracies, law enforcement, and public institutions took shape under the pressures of industrialization, immigration, and urbanization. Free to access through MIT OpenCourseWare, with no certificate offered.