Leslie Lindenauer

Leslie Lindenauer is a Professor in the Department of History at Western Connecticut State University, affiliated with the Macricostas School of Arts & Sciences. Her work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, focusing on gender, religious culture, and popular representations of history.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., New York University (1997)
  • M.A., New York University (1985)
  • B.A., Brown University (1980)

Her research explores gender roles and religious practices in early American colonies, particularly in Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. She also investigates witchcraft in historical and contemporary popular culture, linking early American anxieties to modern discourses on the body and identity.

Dr. Lindenauer’s career spans both academia and public history, including roles as a museum educator, historical editor, and advocate for using history in political discourse. She has secured grants from the New York Council for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Fulbright Foundation to support her research.

• Key Research Areas:
  • Gender and authority in Protestant colonies
  • Evolution of witchcraft narratives
  • Museum education and museology
  • Historical discourse in advocacy