Connor Williams

Connor Williams is a Researcher at Yale University and a joint member of the Department of History and Department of African American Studies. He is currently on leave as Lead Historian for the U.S. Department of Defense Naming Commission, researching Confederate-named assets and advising on historical contexts and potential new namesakes. His research focuses on African American communities in Northern California (1850–1915), exploring how political economy, environmental opportunities, and labor networks shaped Black wealth and civil rights compared to the Deep South. Williams holds a BA from Middlebury College (2009), an MA in Globalization Studies from Dartmouth College (thesis on Frederick Douglass), and is pursuing a PhD at Yale. He has taught U.S. history and government at secondary schools in Indiana and Vermont, emphasizing publicly oriented history through museum collaborations and archival work on race and slavery. Beyond academia, he works at the Yale College Writing Center and Sterling Memorial Library’s Manuscripts and Archives division.

Education:

• B.A., Middlebury College, 2009
• M.A., Globalization Studies, Dartmouth College
• Ph.D. Candidate, Yale University

Research Interests: His dissertation, A Race on the Frontier: African American Lives, Labors, and Communities in Northern California, 1850–1915, investigates how Black Californians navigated racial animosity to achieve disproportionate wealth and civil rights via frontier opportunities. Using unconventional archives like personal receipts and material culture, he traces networks of resistance against white supremacy. Current work bridges political economy and environmental history, emphasizing marginalized voices in frontier contexts.

Awards: None listed.

Advising/Grants: No formal advisees listed; however, he contributes to historical research initiatives like the Naming Commission’s final report to Congress. His work aligns with institutional priorities in public history and equity.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Naming Commission, Sterling Memorial Library’s Manuscripts and Archives, and the Yale College Writing Center.