I am a first-year PhD student and historian of antebellum American history, focusing on the long abolition movement. I’m particularly interested in how historians define American abolitionism and conceive of its chronological and geographical scope. Currently, my research centers on the American Colonization Society and examines the intersection of political, diplomatic, legal, and social antislavery.

I grew up in Forsyth, IL, and received my BA in History from Millikin University in 2019, before earning my MA from Illinois State University in 2021. My master’s thesis, “The Revolution’s Abolitionist Promise,” dealt with the US government’s role in the suppression of the transatlantic slave trade, more broadly addressing the question of how historians define “abolitionism” by examining federal policy and the oft-dismissed American Colonization Society. Earning the James L. Fisher Award, the thesis was named Illinois State University’s best master’s thesis in 2022. After finishing my master’s, I returned to Illinois State as an instructor from 2022 to 2024.

In my free time, I’m an avid viewer of old movies and British television and am always eager to prove why 1939 was the best year for movies. I will also perform cartwheels, summersaults, and pay for even the most obscure streaming services to catch every Manchester United match I can. But, before you say I watch too much TV, know that, in addition, I do enjoy traveling to niche historical sites, reading science-fiction and mystery novels, and hiking with friends back in the flatlands of Illinois.