Fall 2026 Course Offerings
From the Roman Republic to European Magic and Witchcraft to Colonial Latin America to African Civilizations to Violence in the American West: We've got it all!
For more detailed descriptions of the History Department's course offerings for Fall 2026, check:
Geaux Teach
Graduates of Geaux Teach, the Major in History with a Concentration in Secondary Education, pose with program advisor Prof. Zevi Gutfreund (far right). For information on the Secondary Education history program: Geaux Teach
Congratulations to Julia Palmer, Class of 2024 and Geaux Teach alumna, who was named New Teacher of the Year at Zachary High School in fall 2024. Zachary High social media posted:
**2024 Teacher of the Year: Julia Palmer**
In such a brief time, you have demonstrated an incredible talent for teaching, and
we eagerly anticipate the amazing journey ahead of you!
High honor for LSU history professor
Boyd Professor Suzanne Marchand is the current president of the American Historical Association, the premier professional organization for historians in the United States. Prof. Marchand served as vice-president of the organization in 2025. Congratulations to Dr. Marchand on this incredible achievement!
Modern History Colloquium
Friday September 18: "American Sexual Exceptionalism: Prostitution, Trafficking, and US Foreign Policy"
Prof. Eva Payne, University of Mississippi
3:30 pm, 241 Himes Hall
For upcoming History Department talks, please see the full schedule here!
The Sky's the Limit for our Recent MA and PhD Students
Congratulations to Justin Martin (MA 2024) whose article " “We Must Save Ourselves”: The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and Freedom Politics at High Tide in Mississippi, 1965–1967" was published in the Journal of African American History in Spring 2026.
Congratulations to Logan Istre (PhD 2026) who was chosen for a prestigious 2026-2027 postdoctoral research and teaching fellowship at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He received one of three fellowships at Stanford from an applicant pool of over 300. Dr. Istre successfully defended his dissertation in January 2026. Way to geaux Logan!
Congratulations to Andrea Wisniewski (PhD 2025) whose dissertation, “Catholics in Name Only: Weimar Catholic Identity and the Thought of the DNVP Reich Catholic Committee,” was selected as the runner-up of the 2025 LSU Alumni Association Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. Only one runner-up is designated in this category. Way to geaux Dr. Wisniewski!
LSU History PhD student named Louisiana History Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to PhD student Rex Jones who was named the 2025 Louisiana History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Jones is a part-time student with the LSU History PhD program and a full-time teacher of history at Episcopal School of Acadiana in Cade, LA. Way to go Rex!
Recent Faculty Books
See our Book News page for a more complete list of recent books by faculty and former graduate students
Claiming the Nation: The Politics of Nationalism in Postcolonial Brazil
Claiming the Nation traces the contested history of the nationalist label in twentieth-century Brazil, examining how both progressive and conservative forces invoked national interest to advance divergent political agendas. Focusing on the period from the 1920s through the end of military rule in 1985, Andre Pagliarini demonstrates how progressive reformers linked nationalism to social justice, economic sovereignty, and mass participation, while right-wing elites often used it to justify hierarchy and technocratic governance. Read More
He Has the People: Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1860
The presidential election of 1860 was about more than who the next president would be. It was about how soon war would follow his inauguration.
Jonathan Earle captures the full drama of the 1860 election. He shows how Lincoln, a one-time Congressman from Illinois, and a dark horse against the more established Stephen Douglas, the Democratic frontrunner, and William Henry Seward, the presumptive Republican nominee, got the people and votes he needed to win in a protracted yet furiously disputed election cycle. Read More
Postcolonial Politics in Sierra Leone
Investigates the historical trajectory of postcolonial Sierra Leone, especially the persistence of a culture of political violence and autocratic tendencies.
The 2023 national polls became a stark reminder of the persistence of élite bickering, electoral malfeasance, autocratic political machinations, and violence. This book investigates how a culture of corruption, political violence, and autocracy crystallized in the decades following independence and has persisted into the modern day. Read More
Humanitarianism: A Very Short Introduction
Traces the events and trends that defined modern humanitarianism, from the eighteenth century up to the present day. It describes the origins of international humanitarian action, the development of major humanitarian organizations and movements, the evolution of international humanitarian law, and the expansion of the international humanitarian sector. Read More
History professor featured on NPR
Fred C. Frey Professor of History Dr. Aaron Sheehan-Dean was featured on the April 27 episode of NPR's "Louisiana Considered," where he discussed the capture of New Orleans during the Civil War.
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