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About David K. Thomson

David K. Thomson, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Sacred Heart University History Department. Professor Thomson is a historian of the 19th century United States with a special focus on the history of capitalism in the Civil War era. Thomson received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and joined the faculty at Sacred Heart in the fall of 2016. He teaches both halves of the United States history survey as well as electives on the American Civil War, Reconstruction, American Capitalism, and United States Foreign Policy.
Thomson is currently working on a book manuscript focusing on United States debt during the American Civil War. Drawing on archives in nine countries and a dozen states, Bonds of War is the most comprehensive study of American bonds from this era. Funding for this project has been provided by Harvard Business School, the Harvard Center for History and Economics, the Huntington Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the New York Public Library, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, the University of Georgia, Indiana University, Sacred Heart University, and the Rothschild Archive. Thomson's writing on the subject has appeared in The Journal of the Civil War Era as well as the New York Times, Bloomberg, and the Washington Post.

Positions

August 2016 - Present Assistant Professor History, Sacred Heart University History Department
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Curriculum Vitae


Disciplines


Research Interests


Grants

2021 - Present 19th-century American capitalism
National Endowment for the Humanities
$6,000
2018 - 2019 SHU University Research/Creativity Grant (URCG)
Sacred Heart University
“On Anti-Bondsman On! Debt Default and the Perils of 19th Century American Capitalism”
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Honors and Awards

  • Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award, Office of Research, University of Georgia, 2017.
  • Postdoctoral Travel Grant, Business History Conference, 2017.
  • Business History Conference Doctoral Colloquium Participant, Business History Conference, 2016.
  • Gregory Graduate Research Award, History Department, University of Georgia, 2012- 2015.
  • Alfred D. Chandler Jr. Travel Fellowship, Business History Conference, 2015.
  • Emory Thomas Research Award, University of Georgia, 2015.
  • Carl Vipperman Teaching Assistantship Award, University of Georgia, 2014.
  • Gregory Graduate Travel Award, History Department, University of Georgia, 2013.
  • Willson Center Graduate Research Award, The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia, 2012.
  • Sherman David Spector of the Class of 1950 Fellowship for Graduate Study in History and Teaching, Bowdoin College, 2011.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops for School Teachers (2), 2009.
  • Class of 1875 Prize in American History, Bowdoin College, 2008.
  • 2019 Obama Fellowship at the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz,
  • SHU Tenure Award AT 2022-23
  • Naclerio Faculty Scholars Award 2022-2023
  • 2022 URCG Award for “’On Anti-Bondsman On!’: Debt Default and the Perils of 19th Century American Capitalism”

Courses

  • American History

Education

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2011 - 2016 Ph.D. History, University of Georgia
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2004 - 2008 B.A. History, Bowdoin College ‐ History Department
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Contact Information

Phone: (203) 371-7742
Location: 
History 
Academic Building HC*212C 
College of Arts and Sciences 

Email:


Books (2)

Book Chapters (3)

Articles (2)

Book Reviews (9)