Faculty Profile
Matthew Pinsker
Professor of History; Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History (2002)
Contact Information
Denny Hall Room 218
717-245-1350
Bio
Pinsker teaches courses in U.S. political, legal and diplomatic history. His research focuses on the career of Abraham Lincoln, partisanship in the Civil War era, American constitutionalism, the Underground Railroad and the history of U.S. campaigns and elections.
Education
- B.A., Harvard University, 1990
- D.Phil., University of Oxford, 1995
2025-2026 Academic Year
Fall 2025
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
HIST 211 US Constitutional History
This course surveys advanced topics in US constitutional history from the framing of the government in 1787 to the recent past. Students will study various landmark Supreme Court cases, key constitutional amendments and selected constitutional crises, such as the nation's historical impeachment battles.