Department of History

College of Humanities and Sciences

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greg smithers posing near statuettes of the letters v.c.u. on the v.c.u. campus

From Two-Spirits to Long Man, Smithers brings contemporary understanding to Indigenous heritage

Nov. 7, 2022

The professor of history works to provide “intellectual multivitamins” to students and readers, inspiring them to do their own research.

4 VCU students standing outside the Byrd Theatre for the movie

History in Movies: Why Matt Damon’s hair matters

Sept. 19, 2022

VCU history student Nyah Graham recaps the key lessons of our recent event, History at the Movies: The Last Duel.

newspaper photo of nelson mandela with a raised hand

Humanity, Equality and Peace: The Life and Vision of Nelson Mandela

July 18, 2022

VCU history student Nyah Graham talks with Assistant Professor Priscilla Shilaro about the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela.

grainy photo of Alfred William Robinson, Bedford, VA, U.S. Army, Vietnam War with image of american flag

Shrine of Memory Digital Projects

May 12, 2022

Students in History 351: America Since 1945 completed a video project in cooperation with the Virginia War Memorial's Shrine of Memory in honor of Virginians killed in action in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam.

Melis Hafez

Inventing Laziness: The Culture of Productivity in Late Ottoman Society

May 2, 2022

In her first monograph, Professor Melis Hafez, a historian of the nineteenth century Ottoman Empire, worked on exploring the concept of laziness, and how it was perceived as a social disease.

Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground

Listing a Threatened Burial Ground on the National Register of Historic Places

April 29, 2022

Professor Ryan Smith details the collaborative efforts behind nominating Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground for the National Register of Historic Places.

Michael Dickinson

Almost Dead: A story of resistance and survival

April 28, 2022

In “Almost Dead” Michael Dickinson, Ph.D. examines how the thousands of captives who lived, bled and resisted in the urban Atlantic survived to form dynamic communities and hold on to their humanity.

greg smithers

Writing Two-Spirit Histories

April 28, 2022

Professor Gregory Smithers reflects on an important conversation that led him to write Reclaiming Two-Spirits in a more thoughtful and deliberate way than he has ever written before.

Peter Stone

Effects of Climate Change on Historical Sites: A conversation with Peter Stone, Ph.D.

April 22, 2022

For Earth Day, VCU history student Nyah Graham spoke with history professor Peter Stone about the effects of climate change on historic sites.

Laura Ping

A Tale of Two Bloomer Costumes

April 14, 2022

Professor Emilie Raymond spoke with Laura Ping (M.A. 2007) about her latest publication, "A Tale of Two Bloomer Costumes."