Allison Fredette

Allison Fredette serves as Associate Professor in the Department of History within Appalachian State University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in nineteenth-century American South history with emphasis on gender, marriage, and family dynamics across Kentucky and West Virginia border regions.

Education:

• B.A. in History, West Virginia University
• M.A. in History, West Virginia University
• Ph.D. in American History, University of Florida

Research Focus: Dr. Fredette investigates how regional identities shaped marital structures during Civil War and Reconstruction eras, with particular attention to women's legal rights and educational inclusion. Her current project "Murdering Laura Foster" re-centers the 1866 Wilkesboro murder victim through gender analysis to reinterpret the "Tom Dooley" ballad's historical narrative. She actively develops inclusive history curricula for secondary and post-secondary education.

Scholarly Trends: Her publications consistently bridge gender analysis with regional Southern history, examining how emancipation transformed intimate relationships and community norms. Through divorce records, marriage practices, and political activism studies in border states, she reveals nuanced intersections of law, social change, and identity formation during America's most turbulent historical period.