Rachel Michelle Gunter

Rachel Michelle Gunter is a public historian and professor of History at a community college in North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in American history from Texas A&M University in 2017 and has established herself as a prominent voice connecting historical voting rights struggles to contemporary political issues.

Her research focuses on the woman suffrage movement in the United States from 1917 to 1923, with particular attention to how suffrage victories affected voting rights for resident noncitizens, immigrants, servicemen, veterans, Mexican Americans, and Black Americans. She also examines changes to voting systems including absentee balloting expansion during WWI and poll tax modifications in southern states, as well as the movement for married women's independent citizenship.

Dr. Gunter has developed a significant public history presence through multiple channels: she produces historical content on TikTok as @PhDRachel; she's a regular participant in Historians at the Movies (#HATM); she contributed to 'Forgotten America: Rediscovering Events that Changed the Nation' with The Great Courses; and she has written op-eds for Time Magazine and The Washington Post. Her work consistently demonstrates how historical understanding can inform contemporary debates about citizenship and voting rights.

Her publication record includes numerous book reviews in academic journals, encyclopedia entries for the Handbook of Texas Women Online, and contributions to various online magazines and podcasts. Her recent work has particularly focused on the 2020 suffrage centennial, examining the ongoing relevance of historical voting rights struggles to current political debates.

Dr. Gunter frequently presents at academic and public venues including Texas A&M University, Texas Woman's University, Dallas Public Library, and various community colleges across Texas. Her speaking engagements often address the Texas suffrage movement, citizenship rights, and the historical context of contemporary voting rights issues.