Heather Cox Richardson

Professor Heather Cox Richardson is a distinguished historian specializing in nineteenth-century American history at Boston College's History Department within the College of Arts and Sciences. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses focusing on American political and economic history, with particular expertise in the Reconstruction era, the American West, and the development of the Republican Party.

• Position: Professor of History
• Institution: Boston College
• Contact: Stokes Hall Room S335, 617-552-2149

Professor Richardson's research interests span American political history with emphasis on nineteenth-century U.S., the history of the American West, political economy, race relations, and innovative approaches to history education including the use of comics. Her scholarly work examines the transformation of political ideology from the Civil War through the Theodore Roosevelt administration, with particular attention to issues of race, economics, westward expansion, and the construction of the American middle class concept.

Her major publications reveal a consistent focus on American political development, particularly examining the Republican Party's evolution from its founding through the modern era. Her work demonstrates how economic policies, racial attitudes, and westward expansion shaped American political identity and party formation. Recent projects include an intellectual history of American politics and a graphic treatment of the Reconstruction Era, showing her commitment to innovative historical presentation.

• Cliopatria's Best Series of Posts for 2009 (for 'Richardson's Rules of Order')

Professor Richardson is known for her dedication to student education, evident in her widely recognized 'Richardson's Rules of Order' blog series that offers practical guidance for history students. Her approach emphasizes critical thinking, proper academic conduct, and the development of strong writing and analytical skills. She advocates for understanding historiography as essential to historical practice and encourages students to recognize the connection between historical scholarship and contemporary concerns.