E-mail this pageSarah Swedberg, Class of '92
Professor of American and Women's History
My study of History has encouraged a life of inquiry
"I received my Ph.D. in 1999 from Northeastern University with fields in American and World history. My research focuses on family and women's history in the Early American Republic. Most recently I have been working on women's private writing about their emotions and the connections between this writing and the published sentimental fiction of the day. In 1999 I accepted a tenure track job at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado, where I have been teaching ever since. I teach courses in early North America, women's history, slavery, and Latin American history."
"The Early American Republic fascinates me because very little was settled; ideas such as women's citizenship and abolition were talked about (although often dismissed). I became involved in studying this era during the senior seminar with Altina Waller. The senior seminar turned obsession and I continued my research in that area for another semester, concluding with an honor's thesis. My professors actively encouraged this life of inquiry, provided me with guidance, asked interesting questions, and taught me also to ask interesting questions of both primary and secondary sources."