Zachery Cowsert
Major Field
United States, 19th Century History
Other Fields
Native American/Colonial History, British History, Public History
Advisors
Research Interests
Mr. Cowsert's academic research interests focus on how the American Civil War created crises of identity and loyalty for varying groups within the South. His current dissertation research explores the Five Tribes’ (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole) involvement in the Civil War in Indian Territory, uncovering how different conceptions of tribal sovereignty, culture, and the future undermined Indian alliances with the Confederacy and produced one of the most destructive Indian wars in American history. This research builds upon his master’s thesis titled “Confederate Borderland; Indian Homeland: Sovereignty, Slavery, and Suffering in Indian Territory.”
His public history experience both in the classroom and during his time working for the National Park Service, has fostered an interest in how academia and the public interact. More specifically, he hopes to find ways to help academia and the broader, public Civil War community find ways to engage and connect.