Paul P. Musselwhite

Paul P. Musselwhite is an Associate Professor of History at Dartmouth College, specializing in the political economy of early plantation societies in North America and the Caribbean. His research focuses on the intellectual and cultural foundations of the plantation system, including its impact on race, capitalism, and colonial governance. Musselwhite holds a B.A. in Modern History from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary.

• Affiliations: Department of History, Dartmouth College
• Education: B.A. (University of Oxford), Ph.D. (College of William and Mary)

His research interests include the Atlantic World, political culture in colonial societies, urban history, and sensory practices of colonialism. He has published extensively, including the book Urban Dreams, Rural Commonwealth: The Rise of Plantation Society in the Chesapeake (2018) and co-edited volumes such as Empires of the Senses (2017). Current projects explore the evolution of the concept of “plantation” and its implications for understanding modern economic systems.

Musselwhite teaches courses on early American empires, colonial Chesapeake societies, and political thought in British America. His work integrates quantitative methods with traditional historical analysis, emphasizing the perspectives of ordinary colonists and the contested legacies of the plantation complex.