Bruce L. Kinzer earned his BA from Eastern Michigan University in 1969, his MA from the University of Michigan in 1970, and his PhD from the University of Toronto in 1975. After working as a post-doctoral fellow for four years, he taught British history at McMaster University, before moving on the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he moved through the ranks and served a four-year term as chair of the department of history. In the spring of 1996, he held a visiting fellowship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University. He joined the faculty at Kenyon in 2000 as chair of the history department, remaining in that position through June 2004.
Areas of Expertise
Modern British history and the British empire
Education
1975 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ Toronto
1970 — Master of Arts from Univ Michigan Ann Arbor
1969 — Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Michigan University
Courses Recently Taught
HIST 226
Modern Britain and the Empire
HIST 226
This mid-level survey course examines the history of the British Empire from its origin in the 16th century to its dissolution in the 20th century. By the close of the 19th century, the British Empire, whose beginnings were modest, encompassed approximately 13 million square miles and nearly 400 million people. Well before the end of the twentieth, this empire, the largest the world had ever seen, had virtually ceased to exist. Its story, from inception to extinction, is a remarkable one. The forces shaping the British Empire were both endogenous and exogenous. Internal imperatives, global imperial competition, and developments on the periphery impelled the empire forward and ultimately brought about its demise. This course seeks to understand the changing character of the British Empire and to explain the dynamics influencing its rise and fall. No prerequisite. Offered every fall semester.
HIST 227
Identity & Migration in Britain
HIST 227
This mid-level survey introduces students to the last 500 years of British history. Its chief purpose is to expose students to the principal forces — political, economic, social and cultural — shaping a country that would ultimately play a decisive role in the formation of the modern world. This counts toward the Americas/Europe requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every spring semester.
HIST 340
Tudor and Stuart Britain
HIST 340
This course examines the tumultuous age of the Tudors and Stuarts. It investigates the Henrician Reformation, the reign of Elizabeth I, the struggles between court and country associated with the early Stuarts, and upheavals of the English Civil War and Interregnum, and the events leading to the so-called Glorious Revolution. Although a large measure of coverage is given to political developments, some attention is also paid to social, economic and cultural issues. This counts toward the premodern requirement for the major and minor. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
HIST 387
Practice and Theory of History
HIST 387
This course focuses on the conceptual frameworks used by historians and on debates within the profession about the nature of the past and the best way to write about it. The seminar prepares students of history to be productive researchers, insightful readers and effective writers. The seminar is required for history majors and should be completed before the senior year. Open only to sophomores and juniors.This counts toward the practice and theory requirement for the major. Prerequisite: history or international studies major or permission of instructor.
HIST 434
History of Ireland
HIST 434
This course introduces students to the history of Ireland, with an emphasis on the centuries after 1600. Through readings, reports and discussions, the seminar examines major topics and themes in modern Irish history. This counts toward the modern requirement for the major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
Academic & Scholarly Achievements
2007
J.S. Mill Revisited: Biographical and Political Explorations(Palgrave Macmillan, 2007)
2001
England's Disgrace? J.S. Mill and the Irish Question(University of Toronto Press, 2001)
1992
A Moralist In and Out of Parliament: John Stuart Mill at Westminster (co-authored with A.P. Robson and J.M. Robson) (University of Toronto Press, 1992)