13 February 2007

New project to explore old frontiers at Dundee

The forces which shaped the development of north America through the `Wild West’ years are to be examined in a major new research project at the University of Dundee.

Dr Matthew Ward’s project, entitled ‘From "Peaceable Kingdom" to "Wild West": Violence and Crime on the Early American Frontier’ is a five-year project, funded by £240,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which will expand postgraduate activity in the School of Humanities at the University.

The project will examine the forces which made some frontier communities so violent and disorderly but not others. It is set to challenge some long-held views on the nature of frontier settlers, particularly those on the exiled Scots and Irish who have been said by some historians to have been largely responsible for creating a violent society.

"The few historians who have tried to explain frontier violence have done so by pointing to the role of warfare with Native Americans or to the nature of frontier settlers themselves, in particular the influence of their Scottish or Ulster heritage-which most American historians assure us guaranteed that settlers were violent and disorderly," said Dr Ward, senior lecturer in History in the School of Humanities, part of the University’s College of Arts and Social Sciences.

"Our project is investigating several different frontier communities in eastern North America, including Canada, from the late seventeenth to the early eighteenth century where different kinds of society emerged. In particular it is examining the role of forces such as economic culture, ethnicity, gun-ownership, and the distribution of wealth and their effect on these communities. Incidentally, the Scots who settled Upper Canada formed a much more orderly society than those who settled south of the border."

The School of Humanities is hosting an Open Day later this week showcasing the opportunities for teaching and research in American history and a wide range of other subjects.

The University of Dundee is one of the leading centres in the UK for the study of early American history, with among the highest numbers of research postgraduates in the UK. The number of early American historians at Dundee now looks set to rise still further with the launch of Dr Ward’s project.

The project has already attracted a number of leading scholars to present research papers on early American History at Dundee and the University will be hosting a major international conference on the frontier in 2009.

All of this builds on the strengths of the oldest American Studies programme in Scotland and a vibrant and active tradition of research in history in the School of Humanities. Dundee has established an international reputation for early American History at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The University offers the only named taught postgraduate degree in early American History in the UK, which allows students to develop a broad understanding of the current themes of American history, as well as developing research skills in the wide range of source material which is being collected at Dundee.

Postgraduate study in the School of Humanities is growing and an open day being staged this week will show the full range of opportunities available at Dundee. Among the subjects offered are Archive management, English, European Studies, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Politics, and Women, Culture and Society.

Professor Callum Brown, School of Humanities Director of Postgraduate Study, said, "Our plan is to provide existing graduates in whatever subject the opportunity to study our MLitt in Humanities, specialising in particular subjects or periods like the eighteenth or the twentieth century. They can use the study to convert from one subject to another, to enhance professional qualifications, or merely for pleasure. It’s a lively community in Humanities, and we see this programme as growing ever bigger in years to come."

Courses are offered on a very flexible basis with part-time and evening study available.

The Open Day for people interested in studying a taught Masters degrees is being held at the University of Dundee on Thursday 15th February, from 2-4pm and 6-8pm in the Ustinov Room at the Bonar Hall, where there will be information desks for each of the degree subjects that are taught in the School of Humanities. More information is available at www.dundee.ac.uk/humanities/openday/

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk