The History of Now

F 2-3, 66-148

Exposes students to the study of history for a deeper understanding of the past, the present and the future by exploring current events in a historical perspective. Features guest lectures from experts inside and outside MIT. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students; preference to first-year students.

Spring 2026:

Explores how modern warfare extends beyond the battlefield into the realm of information and perception, where technology itself has become a weapon. Using Russia’s war against Ukraine as a case study, it examines AI-enabled disinformation tactics and Ukraine’s defense of cognitive sovereignty, offering insights into countering foreign information manipulation in the age of AI.

Related Subjects

Offered Spring 2026

Catalog	Subject	Faculty	Level	HASS	Category
21H.001	How to Stage a Revolution T 2-5, 4-265	Malick W. Ghachem Marjoleine Kars Craig Steven Wilder	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.134 14.70	Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective T 7-10, 16-160	Anne E. C. McCants Ellan Spero	Introductory	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.173	Socialism in Latin America, from Che Guevara to Hugo Chavez TR 2:30-4, 1-136	Tanalís Padilla	Introductory	HASS-H

Not Offered This Term

Catalog	Subject	Faculty	Level	HASS	Category
21H.061	The History of American Presidential Elections Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate		Half term subject
21H.101	American History to 1865 Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.102	American History since 1865	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.141	Renaissance to Revolution: Europe, 1300-1800 Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.143 21G.056	The Making of Modern Europe: 1789 – Present MW 11-12:30, 56-180	Elena Kempf	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.157 STS.037	Modern South Asia MW 2:30-4, 56-191	Sana Aiyar Dwai Banerjee	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.170 17.55 21A.130 21G.084	Introduction to Latin American Studies	Tanalís Padilla	Introductory	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.181 17.035	Libertarianism TR 2:30-4, 14N-112	Malick W. Ghachem	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.187	The History of US Environmental Governance	Megan A. Black	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.201	The American Revolution	Marjoleine Kars	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.203	The History of American Presidential Elections Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.205 STS.427	The Civil War and the Emergence of Modern America: 1861-1890	Merritt Roe Smith	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.211	The United States in the Cold War Era Not offered regularly; consult department	Caley Horan	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.213 17.28	The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime	Christopher Capozzola Adam Berinsky	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.214	War and American Society Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.223	History of Work in the Modern US (NEW)	Caley Horan	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.227	History of the US Supreme Court MW 2:30-4, 66-156	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.243	Modern Germany	Elena Kempf	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.245 21G.086 17.57	20th Century Ukraine and Russia: Entangled Histories and Identity Politics TR 1-2:30, 56-154	Elizabeth A. Wood	Intermediate	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.260	Cities in the Middle East: History, Politics and Society Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.262	Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict	Private: Pouya Alimagham	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.276 U	Medicine, Health, and Healing in the Global South (NEW) MW 2:30-4, E51-390	Tanalís Padilla	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.290 U 21H.920 G	Economic Classics: The History of Economic Ideas from Ancient Times to the Present TR 9:30-11, 66-144	Anne E. C. McCants Ian Kumekawa	Graduate Intermediate	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.319	Crime, Punishment, and Policing in America	Malick W. Ghachem	Seminar	HASS-S
21H.320	Gender and the Law in US History Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.332	Medieval Warfare	Eric J. Goldberg	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.370 U 21H.970 G	The Laws of War in Global History (NEW) M 2-5, E51-385	Elena Kempf	Graduate Seminar	HASS-H
21H.381 WGS.222	Women and War	Lerna Ekmekcioglu	Seminar	HASS-S
21H.383 U 21H.982 G	Technology and the Global Economy	Anne E. C. McCants	Graduate Seminar	HASS-S
21H.388 U 21H.988 G	Global Commodities, American Dreams	Megan A. Black	Graduate Seminar	HASS-H
21H.984 STS.414	Risk, Fortune, and Futurity	Caley Horan Will Deringer	Graduate