A group of Civil War reenacters fire a cannon, one of the most widely-used weapons of the time. (Image courtesy of Jay Williams on Flickr. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Merritt Roe Smith
MIT Course Number
STS.427 / 21H.205 / STS.027
As Taught In
Spring 2015
Level
Undergraduate / Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
Using the American Civil War as a baseline, the course considers what it means to become "modern" by exploring the war's material and manpower needs, associated key technologies, and how both influenced the United States' entrance into the age of "Big Business." Readings include material on steam transportation, telegraphic communications, arms production, naval innovation, food processing, medicine, public health, management methods, and the mass production of everything from underwear to uniforms—all essential ingredients of modernity. Students taking the graduate version must complete additional assignments.