Lou Roper

Lou Roper is a SUNY Distinguished Professor of History at the State University of New York at New Paltz, specializing in early American and early modern British history. He holds a PhD from the University of Rochester (1992), a JD from SUNY Buffalo (1983), and a BA from Northeastern University (1980).

His research focuses on English overseas trade, colonization, and the transatlantic slave trade, with notable contributions to understanding colonial dynamics in America and Britain. He co-edits The Journal of Early American History and the Brill book series The American Colonies, 1500-1830.

Roper’s academic awards include the SUNY Distinguished Professor title and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS). His work spans monographs, edited collections, and peer-reviewed articles, including groundbreaking studies on Anglo-American slavery and colonial failures.

• Professional Memberships: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Renaissance Society of America, McNeil Center for Early American Studies.