Jessica Harland-Jacobs

Jessica Harland-Jacobs is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Florida and serves as Undergraduate Coordinator. She specializes in British imperial history, the Atlantic world, and comparative imperialism. Her research examines religious diversity in empires, particularly the integration of Catholic territories into Protestant-dominated British rule during periods of global conflict and expansion.

Education: BA in History from Cornell University (1992), MA and PhD from Duke University (2000). She has published extensively, including her 2007 book Builders of Empire: Freemasonry and British Imperialism, and a 2021 co-edited volume on Freemasonry's transnational roles. Current research focuses on managing religious diversity in 18th-19th century British imperial territories.

Award-winning teacher, she teaches courses on modern Britain, Irish history, and imperialism. She advises senior theses and University Scholars projects. Recent work includes keynote lectures on topics like Freemasonry's role in imperial networks and Atlantic Georgia's history.

• Awards: Multiple teaching awards at department, college, and university levels
• Grants/Research: Funded by Mellon Foundation for Global Georgia Initiative