Photo by Sharon Farmer

Douglas M. Arnold is a professional historian of the American Revolution and the Early American Republic.

His work has centered on political and constitutional history at the national, state, and local levels. However, Dr. Arnold believes that American history can only be understood by looking at the “whole picture,” which includes society, economy, religion, international relations, and military conflict.

Much of Dr. Arnold’s work has involved the editing and publication of historical documents, most notably The Papers of Benjamin Franklin and The Public Records of the State of Connecticut. As an independent scholar, author, and editor, he has written articles and chapters for scholarly journals, reference works, local history books, and newspapers. He also served as managing editor of a sourcebook on the United States Constitution and assisted with the establishment of a history and archives center for the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Dr. Arnold holds degrees in American history from Bates College and Princeton University. In addition to his independent work, he has been a faculty member and historical researcher at Yale University. He was a Senior Program Officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. from 1990 to 2016. Dr. Arnold is a veteran of the United States Army who served in the Republic of Vietnam.

This website does not reflect the views of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the United States government.