Assistant Professor of History

Contact Information
Office Location: N 3219
Office Phone: 651-628-3253
Email: jdenhartog@nwc.edu

Background

An Iowan by birth, I attended college in Michigan and graduate school in Indiana. I live in the Twin Cities with my wife and two daughters.

In my spare time I enjoy golfing and cheering on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.


Education

Ph.D. in History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (2006)

M.A. in History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (2002)

B.A. in History and Political Science, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI (1999)


Specialty Areas

The American Revolution and Early American Republic
American Political History
American Religious History
Early American History to the Civil War

To learn more about Dr. Den Hartog's scholarly work, visit his professional accomplishments page.

Courses Taught

Western Civilization
U.S. History to 1877
U.S. History since 1877
The American Revolution and Early Republic
Renaissance and Reformation Europe
18th and 19th Century Europe


The parts of the discipline of history that most intrigue and fascinate me are...

I get a thrill working in the archives and being able to handle documents that were produced by individuals two hundred years ago.

I also love being able to make unexpected connections between ideas, individuals, or groups that cross temporal and geographical boundaries.

Currently, I am working on...

A manuscript addressing religion and politics in the early American republic. The working title is “Patriotism and Piety”: Federalist Politics and Religious Struggle in the New Nation.

One of the things I enjoy most in the classroom is...

Interaction with students! I believe that learning occurs best in the give and take of a community, wrestling with a historical text or issue.

Some interesting things I have done in the past include...

I toured Europe as an undergrad. As a graduate student I traveled to a number of archives around the country. I’ve also had some demanding summer jobs.

Books which have shaped who I am as an historian:

George Marsden, Fundamentalism and American Culture (1980, 2005).

Daniel Walker Howe, The Political Culture of the American Whigs (1980).

David Hackett Fischer, Historians Fallacies (1970).

Advice I would give to college students:

You will never have as much time to read and explore as you do right now. Take advantage of it to build your knowledge, your skills, and your library.