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Jay Sexton

Jay Sexton

I was born and raised in Salina, Kansas, a town near the geographic center of the contiguous United States. I read History and English at the University of Kansas. I first came to Oxford on an undergraduate study abroad year and was immediately drawn to the tutorial system. I was fortunate to return to Britain as a post-graduate Marshall Scholar at Worcester College, Oxford. After finishing a D.Phil. in modern history, I went to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge on a Junior Research Fellowship, before assuming my present post as University Lecturer in American History and Tutorial Fellow in History at Corpus Christi College.

My principal research focuses on nineteenth century American history. From the perspective of the twenty-first century, the rise of the United States appears natural and inevitable. Yet there was nothing pre-ordained about the consolidation of the American Union, nor the establishment of the American empire. I am interested in why this group of former British colonies bound together and how their fragile union survived fundamental ideological and political disputes, such as those unleashed by the entrenchment of slavery in the Southern states. Most of my research has focused on nineteenth century US foreign relations and Americans' paradoxical relationship with empire. As Americans struggled to free themselves from their colonial past, they constructed their own empire, engaged in their own conquests, and exercised effective control over other peoples. My work connects the United States' foreign relations with its project of nation-building at home.

In addition to the above, I have secondary research interests in the American Civil War, international finance and economics in the nineteenth century, Anglo-American relations, and US cultural expansion.

I supervise post-graduate researchers working on America in the world in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the American Civil War, and US economic development.

US Election Series

How America's overseas voters could swing the 2016 election

Mar 01, 2016 15:12 pm UTC| Politics

The 2016 Democratic and Republican primaries have already been an astonishing spectacle. Anti-establishment candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have turned traditional wisdom about what is politically feasible in...

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Economy

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

From micro to macro, Andrew Leigh’s accessible history covers the economic essentials – and an epic rap battle

Andrew Leighs The Shortest History of Economics is the latest in a series of such histories, mostly focused on particular countries. It begins with a striking mini-history of household lighting, focusing on the amount...

Taxes aren’t just about money – they shape how we think about each other

Taxes raising them, cutting them, creating them are useful political tools in an election year (as Chancellor Jeremy Hunts decision to cut national insurance shows). But they are always pertinent, even if some people...

Interest rates are expected to drop but trying to out-think the market won’t guarantee getting a good deal

With most economists expecting interest rates to start falling later this year, prospective home buyers might be weighing up whether to buy now for fear of strong competition for stock, or waiting until repayments are...

Wendy’s won’t be introducing surge pricing, but it’s nothing new to many industries

The recent controversy over Wendys pricing strategies is a perfect example of how online word-of-mouth can distort marketing communications and create confusion for consumers. Wendys new president and CEO Kirk Tanner...

Politics

3 things to watch for in Russia’s presidential election – other than Putin’s win, that is

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, 2024, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While the...

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Ireland, more than any other EU country, has a long and colourful history of referendums. Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising...

Artdocfest is a crucial outpost of free expression on Russia’s doorstep

On the day of the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putins most prominent opponent, the biggest festival of documentary film in the former Soviet countries opened in Latvia with a minutes silence. Artdocfest Rigas...

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… its easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key...

Science

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration

Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the...

The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day

Scientists have no reported evidence of the true conditions in Hell, perhaps because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Hell has been imagined as a supremely uncomfortable place, hot and hostile to bodily forms of...

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to...

Technology

Ford Plans $25K Electric Pickup, SUV to Counter Chinese EV Influence

Ford shifts its focus to affordable electric vehicles, announcing plans for a new platform. CEO Jim Farley highlights the importance of competitiveness amidst Chinese rivals. Ford CEO Jim Farley Warns of Chinese...

Shiba Inu Eyes 10% Dip Before Surge, Boasts $16.42B Cap Amid Volatility

Shiba Inu (SHIB) anticipates a potential 10% price correction for a liquidity sweep, even as it demonstrates remarkable market resilience with a $16.42 billion capitalization amid fluctuating trading conditions. Shiba...

Grab's Game-Changer: Crypto Payments Launch in Asia's Premier Super App

In a landmark move, Grab, the leading super app in Asia, has announced its partnership with Triple-A to introduce cryptocurrency payments, marking a significant milestone in digital finance within the region. Grab...

Rivian Joins Tesla's Supercharger Network, Boosting Electric Vehicle Accessibility

Rivian, the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has integrated its vehicles into Teslas Supercharger network, adding to the accessibility of charging stations for EV owners. This move follows Fords recent inclusion in...
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