Traci Langworthy

Department: History
Primary campus: Jamestown
Location: HULT 228
Phone: 716.338.1237

Professor

I have been teaching history at JCC since 2004. Nineteenth-century women's history is a particular passion of mine, along with the broader history of American social reform. I also love learning about the history that surrounds us in Western New York.

In the early 1800s, Western New York was still part of the western "frontier." Its residents included some of the most progressive thinkers and activists of the time. A few admirable local residents even risked arrest to help escaped slaves seeking their freedom. One of them was Catherine Harris of Jamestown, whose home was a "stop" on the Underground Railroad. A few decades later, Edith Ainge of Jamestown was imprisoned five times for participating in peaceful women’s suffrage demonstrations in Washington, D.C.

What I most love about history is how it inspires me. We can learn so much from people like Catherine Harris and Edith Ainge, who not only dared to think differently but also had the courage to act on their convictions. I also love to go to the places where they were. Something special happens when we stand in a place where history was made. The more I explore, the more I realize that history is made everywhere. Every small town has a story to tell, as does every house, every photograph, and every artifact.

In my free time, I volunteer for area historical museums and also play the viola. My volunteer work helps me put my museum studies training to use. I encourage any students who are interested in museum work to consider an internship at one of our local sites. I would be happy to help you set it up and/or answer any questions you may have about this particular career area.

Education:

A.B.D. American Studies, Penn State - Harrisburg
M.A. History, University of Delaware
Graduate Certificate Museum Studies, University of Delaware
B.A. History, Oberlin College

Academic Interests:

19th century American history
American women's history
Public history and museum studies
Material culture
Local and regional history

Publications:

"The Many Lives of James Bird: From 'Mournful Ballad' to Nostalgic Legend," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 142, no. 1 (January 2018): 49-81.
"Just Cause to Feel Proud: Chautauqua County’s Leading Role in Grass-Roots Suffrage Activism," in Votes for Women: Celebrating New York's Suffrage Centennial (SUNY Press, 2017).
"Lucretia Mott," "Alice Paul," and "Elizabeth Cady Stanton," in Encyclopedia of American Studies, edited by Simon J. Bronner (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017), http://eas-ref.press.jhu.edu.
"Standing Guard: The Chapman Rustic Monument and the 'Pioneering Spirit,'" Material Culture 47, no. 2 (Fall 2015): 1-22.
"Women’s 'Banner County': Chautauqua County and the Suffrage Movement," Western New York Heritage 16, no. 4 (Winter 2014): 18-27.

Courses teaching

Fall 2024

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