Matthew J. Clavin

Matthew J. Clavin is a Professor of History at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. His research and teaching focus on American and Atlantic history, particularly the history of race, slavery, and abolition.

Academic Background:

• Ph.D. from American University (2005)

Professor Clavin's work explores the intersections of racial oppression, Black resistance, and transnational abolitionist movements. His scholarship examines fugitive slave communities, the Haitian Revolution's impact on American Civil War discourse, and the Atlantic dimensions of Southern history.

Research Trends: His publications emphasize marginalized narratives, connecting localized events like the Battle of Negro Fort to broader themes of freedom-seeking, colonial conflict, and ideological exchange across the Atlantic world.

Scientific Awards:

• American Antiquarian Society Fellowships
• Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition Fellowships
• National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships

Professor Clavin teaches U.S. survey courses and graduate/undergraduate courses spanning early American colonization to the late 19th century, with particular emphasis on Atlantic and Southern frontiers. He has published extensively in journals such as Civil War History, Early American Studies, and Slavery and Abolition, as well as contributing chapters to academic anthologies.