Rachel Williams

Dr Rachel Williams is a Lecturer in American History at the School of Humanities, University of Hull. She specializes in 19th century U.S. social history, focusing on the American Civil War, material culture, religious philanthropy, and military masculinities.

• PhD & MA in American & Canadian Studies, University of Nottingham
• BA in History, University of Cambridge

Her research explores:

• Collective and individual identity through military uniforms
• Evangelical Protestant networks in wartime relief
• Philanthropy's role in shaping national narratives
• Intersection of clothing, industrialization, and gender

Recent publications include Tabernacles in the Wilderness (2024) on the U.S. Christian Commission and co-edited work on American philanthropy (2022). Her scholarship examines how material objects and charitable institutions influenced cultural transformations during the Civil War era.

Scientific Awards

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018)
• Member, Association of British American Nineteenth Century Historians (2016)
• British Association for American Studies affiliation (2014)

She supervises PhD students in 19th century American history, reform movements, and Christian philanthropy. Her work is associated with the Cultures of Incarceration Centre and the British Association for American Studies.