From the Editors
Two years ago, a handful of Brown history students came together in shared admiration of the outstanding historical scholarship produced by their undergraduate peers, and with a commitment to creating a space in which this work could be shared with the entire University community. The efforts of these students culminated in the publication of the first issue of the Brown Journal of History. Most of them graduated soon afterwards, hopeful that younger students would continue the endeavor they had begun.
This spring, the publication of the journal’s third issue demonstrates that the spirit behind its mission continues to thrive. We can say with confidence that the journal has by now secured a place in undergraduate academic life.
Of course, the journal could never have been brought to life, or sustained, without the support and enthusiasm it has received from faculty members, graduate students, administrators, and donors across campus. This collaboration remains essential to the Journal’s success.
As in the past, the response to this year’s call for submissions was immense and enthusiastic; once again, our editorial board faced the challenge of narrowing a pool of 100 submissions to a final set of six. In keeping with our commitment to cross-disciplinary dialogue, we expanded our efforts to solicit submissions that reflect the broad diversity of historical scholarship conducted on this campus, both within the Department of History and beyond it.
The six papers published in this issue reflect the wide range of interests and the variety of approaches that Brown students bring to the practice of history. The contents of these papers span four continents, range in topic from food history to the history of medicine and everything in between, and touch on issues of race, gender, class, religion, and culture.
In keeping with our original aim to facilitate exchange between faculty and students, we have introduced a series of interviews with faculty members about their recent publications. Just as the journal looks to recognize undergraduates as historians in their own right, we hope to encourage faculty to share their academic interests with students and offer insight into the challenges and rewards of practicing history.
With gratitude for the continued interest of our peers and the generous support of our university, and with pride in the accomplishments of our classmates, we present to you the third issue of the Brown Journal of History.
Caitlin Browne
Hillary Taylor
Spring 2009
Contact us at
brownjournalofhistory@gmail.com
