This year’s Humanities Research Group fellow, history professor Gregg French, will advance his research on racial identities and imperial power in the U.S. colonial empire while piloting an updated student mentor program.

Dr. French is working on his book, America’s Hispanic Empire: Antecedents and Identity Formation in the U.S. Imperial Experience. The project critically examines how agents of the U.S. empire were influenced by their interactions — both real and perceived — with Spanish colonial officials during the long 19th century.

“This includes everyone from military officers and colonial administrators to American merchants, business leaders, and organizers of expositions and world’s fairs,” French explained. “It also involves middle- and upper-class women in the U.S. who were reading about the outside world in reading circles and clubs, and how they were influenced.”

He noted that this influence sometimes involved direct contact, while at other times, it was shaped by imagined histories rooted in national and imperial narratives.

“For example, Columbus. He wasn’t Spanish, but the Spanish supported his ventures to the Americas during the 15th century. By the 19th century, the Spanish empire was in many ways crumbling, so they were trying to hold onto legitimacy and gravitated toward this history — imagined in some ways,” French said.

“The Americans saw this and, as they were rapidly expanding and attempting to justify their empire, began claiming a European connection. They positioned Columbus as a Spanish-American figure, tying their imperial legacy to Europe.”

French has published three articles on the subject, and his book will build on his doctoral dissertation, offering a more in-depth exploration. It is under contract with the University of Nebraska Press and is expected to be published in late 2025.

The HRG fellowship, which is supported by FAHSS, offers faculty in the arts, humanities, and related social sciences a one-term teaching release to focus on major research or creative projects.

As a fellow, French will also lead the new HRG Student Fellowship program, supported by the Office of the Provost, which has accepted three upper-year undergraduate students and three graduate students. They will work alongside French on their research or creative projects.

“This stems from my interest in the scholarship of teaching and learning,” French said. “The goal is to bridge research with teaching and prepare students for careers in the humanities.”

The group will meet monthly to prepare grant applications, focus on their projects, and develop skills in articulating their research to a broader audience.

“We want to avoid siloing different humanities disciplines and bring everyone together for discussions,” French said. “Engaging with different perspectives, like a historian working with a visual artist, can be incredibly beneficial. Being able to share these insights with both academics and the public is crucial.”

He also mentioned the students will be tasked with visiting local high schools to garner interest in the humanities, specifically programs at the University of Windsor.

Now in its 35th year, the Humanities Research Group is a diverse community of students, academics, and community members dedicated to bridging disciplines and engaging a broader audience with ideas and debates across the arts and humanities.

It hosts a monthly speaker series, kicking off this term with guest Randy Boyagoda, a novelist and professor, who will lead a lecture on civil discourse on university campuses. The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in the SoCA Armouries Performance Hall.

For more information about the Humanities Research Group and the event, visit www.uwindsor.ca/humanities-research-group.