Department of History

Department of History

The Department of History explores the past, seeking to understand how people have made the world, live in it, and seek change. We also examine what people do with memories and stories of the past, examining ideas of heritage, values and identities in our complex and diverse social, political, economic and cultural worlds.

Major & MinorCourses

In an era of "don't say gay" laws, Dr. Pippa Holloway, chair of the University of Richmond's Department of History, believes in the relevance and importance of teaching LGBT history to students for what they learn about courts, the Constitution, civil rights, and America as a whole. 

Spring 2025 Courses & Registration Guide

Announcements:
You can now find The History Department on Instagram. Follow @urhistory__ (two underscores) to learn more about events, classes, and additional announcements!
Haskins Society Conference

43rd International Conference of the Haskins Society

Fall 2024 Conference

The University of Richmond was proud to be the home of the International Conference of the Haskins Society for 2022-24, a sojourn made possible by the generous support of multiple bodies across the university, along with assistance from Longwood University in Farmville, VA.

The conference will be held at the Jepson Alumni Center from November 15th-17th, 2024. 

Register here.

Tyson Reader

"A Serpent, in the Shape of a Spy: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in the Age of Madison"

Thursday, October 10, 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Humanities Center Commons, Humanities Building

Tyson Reeder’s book traces early America’s rocky beginnings, when foreign interference and political conflict threatened to undermine its aspirations and ideals, even its very existence. Spanning the period from the Revolution to the War of 1812, and focusing particularly on the career of James Madison, it reveals a nation adjusting to rancorous partisan politics, aggravated by the untested and imperfect new tools of governance and the growing power of media.

Forged in partisan conflict, the United States remains vulnerable to forces that test whether the constitutional system Madison was so central in implementing can withstand outside meddling while accommodating partisan conflict. Madison’s successes and failures, along with his original vision of the Constitution and party politics, illuminate the ongoing struggle between domestic polarization and foreign interference.


Light snacks and refreshments will be served after the talk.

Faculty Highlights

Dr. Sydney Watts
Watts Presented

Sydney Watts, associate professor of history and women, gender and sexuality studies, discussed her research project, "The Channel Islands: Borderlands Migration in the Atlantic World, 1763-1815” on the Hagley History Hangout Podcast during her scholar-in-residence term at the Hagley Museum and Library, in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Dr. Pippa Holloway
Holloway Awarded

Pippa Holloway, Cornerstones Chair in History, received $57,360 from the National Park Service for an exploration of the history of public school desegregation in Prince Edward County, Virginia. In partnership with colleagues at VCU, Holloway will synthesize scholarly literature on Davis v. Prince Edward County, consider the impacts of the county’s five-year school closure, and examine the commemoration of the case and its aftermath. Their report will help the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park and the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville, Virginia, plan new interpretation, manage cultural resources, and identify needs for further research on the fight for school desegregation in Prince Edward County.

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Dr. Michelle Lynn Kahn
Kahn Published

Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, published Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History by Cambridge University Press.

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Dr. Michelle Lynn Kahn
Kahn Appointed

Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, was appointed as editor of Contemporary European History, an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes scholarship on European history from 1914 onwards.

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Upcoming Events

Contact Us

Mailing address:
History Department
Humanities Building
106 UR Drive
University of Richmond, VA 23173

Phone: (804) 287-6041
Fax: (804) 287-1992

Department Chair: Dr. Pippa Holloway
Academic Administrative Coordinator: Catherine Hash