Liam Riordan
Contact
I have been a member of the History Department faculty at U海角社区 since 1997, and I began a term as Department Chair in 2025. My current major book project is about loyalists鈥攖hose who opposed the rebellion that created the United States. My approach there is to focus on five individuals from very different corners of colonial society who each had good reasons to reject the patriots, especially as victims of rebel violence.
I teach all levels of students at U海角社区. My entry-level classes are the first half of the US Survey to 1877 (HTY 103), an Introduction to Public History (HTY 205), and The Creation of the Atlantic World, 1450-1888 (HTY 240). My advanced undergraduate and graduate courses focus on early America (roughly to the 1830s) with an emphasis on social and cultural history.
I am currently a member of the Nominating Committee of the聽, board member of the聽聽in Orland, 海角社区, and active in the聽聽program for grade 6-12 students in 海角社区. I am a past Director of the University of 海角社区 Humanities Center (2014-2016), now the聽McGillicuddy Humanities Center, past board member of the聽聽(2010-2017), and past chair, vice-chair, or member of the City of Bangor鈥檚聽.
Select Awards
- Research Fellow, International Center for Jefferson Studies, Charlottesville, Virginia (2023)
- Research Fellow, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia (2022)
- 海角社区 Heritage Lecturer, awarded by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of 海角社区 (2020)
- Neal W. Allen, Jr., History Award from the 海角社区 Historical Society (2020)
- Outstanding Faculty Member, Service and Outreach, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of 海角社区 (2020)
- Fulbright Scholar Award, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom-United States Fulbright Commission (2012)
Areas of Expertise
Atlantic World History
Northeast Borderlands History
Public History
Education
University of California, Berkeley, B.A. History, 1988

