Hal Langfur

Hal Langfur is a Professor of History at the University at Buffalo, specializing in Latin American and Brazilian colonial history. He holds a PhD from the University of Texas (1999), an MA from the same institution (1995), and an AB from Harvard University (1982, magna cum laude). His research focuses on colonial Brazil, racialization processes, Indigenous history, and transnational dynamics. Langfur’s current book project examines early racial pedagogies in colonial Brazil, exploring how violence was systematized along racial lines.

His notable publications include Adrift on an Inland Sea (2023), which won multiple prizes, and The Forbidden Lands (2006). He has taught courses such as HIS 328 (History of Brazil) and HIS 433 (Latin American Native Peoples). Langfur has held prestigious fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and a Fulbright Lecturing/Research Grant in Brazil.

His research interests span colonial and post-independence Brazil, early modern racial formation, and cross-cultural encounters. He has investigated topics like Indigenous resistance, colonial violence, and the intersection of science and empire. Langfur’s work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates on race, colonial legacies, and transnational history.