DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Biography

Hannah Reynolds is a second-year doctoral student in the History Department. She is interested in the interplay of gender, race, and capitalism in U.S. settler colonial state formation, particularly as they informed mid-19th century land grant legislation. Most recently, she has explored how the inclusion of women in the Homestead Act was discussed in congressional debates as a mitigating measure against the interests of land speculators. Her Master’s thesis through Portland State University explored the lives of women who participated in homesteading on the North Oregon Coast, and how their contributions reflect the intimate and gendered nature of American imperialism. Hannah received her B.A. from Vassar College, during which time she traveled to Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and conducted oral histories with women who represented a broad array of local organizations to explore the evolution of the women’s movement during and after the Sandinista period. She also earned her teaching certification and worked for five years as a Social Studies teacher and Speech and Debate coach at a rural, public high school on the Oregon Coast. Hannah remains deeply committed to inclusive teaching and learning.