Christopher Phillips

Christopher Phillips is a Professor of History and Department Head at the University of Cincinnati. His work focuses on the fluid political and social dynamics of the American Middle Border during the Civil War era, particularly in states like Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois. He challenges traditional North-South dichotomies, emphasizing internal conflicts over slavery, regional identity, and postwar cultural politics.

Research Interests: Phillips examines how the Civil War reshaped regional identities in the trans-Appalachian West, exploring themes of nationalism, racial politics, and the legacy of sectional violence. His scholarship highlights the economic and cultural ties between the Middle Border and the South, complicating assumptions about freedom and slavery in the antebellum period.

Awards and Recognition: While specific awards are not listed, his book The Rivers Ran Backward has received critical acclaim as a seminal work in Civil War historiography, praised for its exhaustive research and reinterpretation of regional divides.