Research interests

I research  American history  from the end of the Civil War until the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Within that period my real interests lie in the histories of deviancy and bigotry. As such I work on all aspects of crime and racism, nativism and prejudice. I have published works on anti-immigrant sentiment, visions of Americanism, the Ku Klux Klan and crime in general. I am currently researching the continuation of different forms of enslavement in the US since the Thirteenth Amendment.

Research collaborations

At present I am working with a variety of other academics. I am currently engaged in research centring on US slavery since 1865. This involves collaborations with scholars from the Universities of Delaware, Cambridge and Nottingham as well as others. I am also engaged in research with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Historians Against Slavery and the World Economic Forum, among other non-academic institutions. 

Research supervision

I am happy to supervise American history projects in the period from 1865-1941.

I am especially interested in taking on students working in the fields of the history of organised crime, the Ku Klux Klan, hate groups and international criminal fraternities.

Research students

I am currently supervising a PhD on the links between Freemasonry and the KKK in the 1920s.

External impact and engagement

I am currently working on slavery since abolition in the US. As such I am engaging with law enforcers, lawyers and the media, as well as a variety of academics to better understand how we can use history to shape today's policies and make them more effective and responsive.

Teaching

My teaching focuses on US history in the period between 1865 and 1941.

Modules taught

• HIC2006 - American Slavery since Abolition (1865-to the Present)
• HIC2324 - Organised Crime in USA

Biography

Both my undergraduate degree and PhD are from Exeter. I moved to Cornwall in 2007 and have taught here on various aspects of US history.