معرفی
Jeffrey Fortin is an Associate Professor of History at Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts. His research and teaching focus on the Atlantic World, with particular emphasis on slavery, maritime history, and the Age of Revolutions. Born in Hawai'i and raised as an Air Force child, he brings a global perspective to his work through extensive archival research across London, Halifax, and New Bedford.
His educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in History, University of New Hampshire
- M.A. in History, University of New Hampshire
- B.A. in History, Boston University
Dr. Fortin specializes in Atlantic history, examining interconnected African, European, and American histories from the 15th-19th centuries. His work critically analyzes race, class, and slavery through maritime communities and revolutionary movements, while contextualizing New England within broader Atlantic frameworks. Current projects include co-editing Atlantic Biographies and authoring a biography of Paul Cuffe, the African American sea captain who established transatlantic trade networks and advocated for free Black colonies in West Africa.
His publications consistently center on marginalized Atlantic communities, particularly enslaved and free Black populations in the Caribbean and West Africa. Recurring themes include resistance strategies, identity negotiation, forced migration, and transnational activism. Fortin's scholarship bridges maritime, social, and cultural history to reveal how individuals like Paul Cuffe and the Jamaican Maroons navigated systemic oppression while shaping Atlantic world dynamics.
Dr. Fortin has received several prestigious fellowships, including:
- Paul Cuffe Fellow at Mystic Seaport Museum (2015)
- Darrett and Anita Rutman Fellowship at the University of New Hampshire (2005-2006)
- Mary Catherine Mooney Fellowship at the Boston Athenaeum (2005)
- Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the Massachusetts Historical Society (2005)
- Batten Fellowship at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies (2005)
His research is supported by competitive grants including the Davis Educational Foundation Grant (2017-2018) for academic innovation, Emmanuel College's Faculty Development Grant (2012), SUNY Oneonta's Faculty Research and Travel Grants, and Harvard University's Short-Term Research Grant from the International Seminar on the History of the Atlantic World (2007). These awards have enabled extensive archival work across multiple continents.
