معرفی
David Silkenat is the Richard J. Milbauer Chair in Southern History at the University of Florida. A historian specializing in the American South and the long Civil War era, his work integrates social, cultural, environmental, political, and military history. He previously held roles as Professor of United States History at the University of Edinburgh (2013–2024) and Assistant Professor at North Dakota State University (2008–2013). Silkenat’s research has been recognized with prestigious awards, including finalist nominations for the Frederick Douglass Prize and Abraham Lincoln Prize, as well as the North Caroliniana Society Book Prize for multiple works.
His academic contributions extend to editorial roles for journals like the Journal of the Civil War Era and leadership as Chair of the Scottish Association for the Study of America (2018–2022). Silkenat’s scholarship emphasizes the environmental dimensions of slavery, surrender practices during the Civil War, and the intersection of history with digital media, particularly in video games. His recent book Scars on the Land: An Environmental History of Slavery in the American South (2022) redefines understandings of slavery’s ecological impact. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Silkenat’s publications span monographs, journal articles, and edited volumes, with a focus on interpreting Civil War history through modern lenses, including gaming, memory studies, and public historiography. His work bridges academic and popular audiences, offering critical analyses of how historical narratives are constructed and contested in contemporary culture.
