Karl Jacoby

Karl Jacoby is the Allan Nevins Professor of American History at Columbia University, specializing in environmental, borderlands, and Native American history. His work bridges multiple historical subfields, focusing on the intersections of race, environment, and violence in North American history.

Professor Jacoby earned his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1997, following an M.A. from Yale in 1993 and a B.A. from Brown University in 1987. His academic journey has established him as a leading scholar in multiple historical fields.

His research interests span environmental history, borderlands history, Native American history, U.S.-Mexico border history, African American history (particularly regarding racial passing), and the history of conservation. Jacoby's innovative approach often employs micro-historical case studies to address larger questions about American history, particularly regarding how environmental factors shape human power relations and how violence is represented in historical narratives.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on challenging traditional historical narratives and uncovering hidden histories. Jacoby's work often examines how marginalized communities interacted with dominant power structures, particularly in borderland regions where multiple cultural systems intersected. His scholarship demonstrates how environmental conservation efforts often became entangled with social control of rural and indigenous communities.

• Ray Allen Billington Prize, Organization of American Historians
• Phillis Wheatley Book Prize, Harlem Book Fair
• John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
• Albert J. Beveridge Award in American History, American Historical Association
• Special Recognition, Robert F. Kennedy Book Award
• Erminie Wheeler-Voeglin Award, American Society for Ethnohistory
• George Perkins Marsh Award, American Society for Environmental History
• Littleton-Griswold Award in American law and society, American Historical Association

Professor Jacoby has been instrumental in developing digital history projects, including companion websites for his books that make primary historical documents accessible to the public. His work has influenced how historians approach multi-perspectival history, particularly in borderland regions where multiple cultural narratives intersect. Jacoby's teaching and research continue to shape discussions about race, environment, and historical memory in American history.