MA in HISTORY – MRP STREAM

Research adviser: Daniel Samson

Program entry date: Fall 2018

My name is Jessica Linzel and I am in the MA thesis program with the history department at Brock University. Having already completed my undergraduate degree in history at Brock, I knew that I wanted to continue studying here because the high level of professionalism and approachable faculty created a rewarding learning environment and have made my experience very enjoyable thus far. Brock was also the clear choice for grad study because my research is specifically geared towards history at the local level. My graduate work will focus on the economic development of the Niagara region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The project will include an HGIS component wherein I will attempt to map the trade routes that existed at the time, both within the peninsula itself and on a broader scale. I love local history and essentially want to know how the early colonial settlements in Niagara developed post-Revolution, using the visual dimension of digital tools to aid in my own understanding and to also share my research with the public in an accessible way.

I have worked in areas of local history over the past three years, specifically in Grimsby and Lincoln. These experiences in large part have nurtured my desire to pursue an expressly Canadian project. In addition to the time that is now spent visiting archives and creating research databases based on quantitative and qualitative source material, I am also a teaching assistant and am taking a few graduate courses that are helping me to better understand historiographical and spatial history concepts. These first year of graduate study has been very educational and I am excited for what the future holds!