Dr. Melinda Marie Jetté
Assistant Professor of History
jettem@franklinpierce.edu
603-899-4287
 Teaching Philosophy:
History is most meaningful for me when it is taught as a practice of thought and expression by which students develop their skills in critical thinking and analytical writing. I have realized that it is equally important to teach students to think historically, to consider how knowledge of social change can help us better understand the world we live in. From a philosophical standpoint, historical thinking is essential to the maintenance of civil society in a democracy, for it assists the citizenry in making informed decisions. On a more idealistic level, learning about the past can be a transformative experience, facilitating personal growth and professional development. I find this to be especially true when engaging students with creative assignments that challenge them to think about history in a new way. For example, in order to introduce the concept of gender in a U.S. survey course, I have asked students to write about the construction of masculinity within pirate communities and the gambling and horse-racing culture of Southern planters during the eighteenth century.
Research Interests:
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French-speaking families and communities in the American West
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French travelers in the American West during the 1800s
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Pacific Northwest history and Native American History
Teaching Fields:
Courses Taught:
Education:
B.A. The Catholic University of America, 1991
M.A. Université Laval, 1996
Ph.D University of British Columbia, 2004
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