Department of History
Discover your future with the Washington College history department.
Our faculty is passionate about history. The professors are mentors who enjoy collaborating with their students. For her latest book, Dr. Carol Wilson asked one of her students to compile the index.
Students also do their own independent research. All students must complete a senior capstone, and there are fellowships and internships sponsored by the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, as well as opportunities to submit work to competitions sponsored by the Phi Alpha Theta honor society.
History comes alive here on Fridays in the spring and fall, when students and faculty play town ball on the campus green. The college, one of the oldest in the nation, and Chestertown, with its charming buildings and rich history, are valuable resources to anyone interested in American history.
Understanding the past is key to understanding the future. What does your future hold?
Mary Beth Norton Wins 2021 George Washington Prize
September 29, 2021The 2021 George Washington Prize has been awarded to Dr. Mary Beth Norton for her book 1774: The Long Year of Revolution.
“1806 Tuition List,” Slavery and Freedom at Washington College
March 17, 2022Since January, 2018, a rotating team of undergraduate student researchers has been working with Professor of History Dr. Carol Wilson to uncover the hidden history of enslavement at Washington College, to tell the stories of the enslaved people who made the College’s survival possible.
The Boston Massacre: A Family History
March 29, 2022Offering an account of the Boston Massacre that yields “fresh understandings of the cause of liberty and its consequences” and “startling revelations”, Professor Serena Zabin, a professor of American History at Carleton College, delivered a guest lecture at Washington College that provides a compelling new slant on this well-known American Revolutionary event