I am a historian of the United States with specializations in social and cultural history, North America, and the long nineteenth century in transnational perspective. I received my Ph.D. in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I am particularly interested in social reform movements of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, utopianism, and interdisciplinary approaches to both comparative and transnational history. I am also interested in digital tools and methodologies that help me interrogate sources, ask new questions, and share my research with a wider audience. My dissertation reconsiders the role of communal experimentation in the Gilded Age and early Progressive Era. This project, entitled “Alternative Modernity: Utopian Socialist Practice and the Utopian Impulse at the Fin de siècle,” examines utopian communities founded in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century industrializing West.

I am a native Nebraskan–a Midwest farmer’s daughter to be precise. I aim to utilize this blog to share my experiences in academia, muse about my research, and examine the significance of the scholarly endeavor and the role of the historian in the public sphere. When not blogging or tending to various academic duties I enjoy spending time with family, running, biking, meditating, and attempting to become more adept at coding and various craftwork.

Please note that the writing style I adhere to on this blog is casual. If you would like samples of my academic writing, please feel free to contact me.

*My last name, Tiedje, is pronounced “tee-jee.”