Vanessa Northington Gamble, University Professor of Medical Humanities and Professor of American Studies, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term ending Jan. 26, 2026.
Department of American Studies
Creative thinkers,
historians and Researchers
Understanding the United States and its role in the world
Who We Are
The Department of American Studies at the George Washington University is committed to fostering a dynamic, interdisciplinary learning and research environment focused on understanding the culture, beliefs, policies, politics, urbanization and history of the United States and its role in the world.
Through a rigorous curriculum, we challenge our students to uncover fresh perspectives on how we live and engage with one another. Our long-standing ties with the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations within the nation’s capital further immerse students in unique experiences relating to historic preservation, museum curation, social politics and more. And our alumni have achieved success in a variety of fields, making their mark in virtually every sector of the economy.
"I found American Studies refreshing. It wasn’t a sugar-coating of American history. I felt that it gave a more honest depiction, that it really told the story of people on the ground."
Talib Hudson
BA '04
Core Research Strengths
Our Highlights
Department Headlines
Saving MLK: Alumnus Author Recounts King’s Days of Peril
In 1960, Martin Luther King, Jr., faced a harrowing nine days in a dangerous prison. In his book, Paul Kendrick, BA ’05, MPA ’07, tells how King’s ordeal changed politics as we know it.
Faculty Books
In Ugly Freedoms, Elisabeth R. Anker reckons with the complex legacy of freedom offered by liberal American democracy, outlining how the emphasis of individual liberty has always been entangled with white supremacy, settler colonialism, climate destruction, economic exploitation and patriarchy.
Divisions: A New History of Racism and Resistance in America's World War II Military
Prizewinning historian Thomas A. Guglielmo draws together more than a decade of extensive research to tell sweeping yet personal stories of race and the military; of high command and ordinary GIs; and of African Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans.
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