Welcome! My name is Rachel Bodily Birch! I live in Springfield, Virginia which is perfect because I love American history. I have several titles. I am a parent, spouse, patriot, historian, teacher and scholar. I have two teenagers and my husband is a trade attorney at a boutique firm in Washington, D.C. I am passionate about exercising, learning, friendships, laughing, music, baking and am an award winning cake decorator.
My interest emphasis is 19th century American politics, theology and how those two things interact and build on each other. Belief is a powerful thing, and I want to know why people believe what they do (or don’t), how they believe and what that belief informs in their daily actions. I am especially interested in Women’s religious benevolence. Women have used extra institutional means to influence issues they were passionate about for generations. Additionally, I love to learn more about the American Revolution. It is the most amazing underdog story!
I have taught an online American Heritage class at BYU-Idaho for nine years and am currently a History Graduate student at George Mason university pursuing a Master Degree in American History. George Mason is a great place and I am loving the classes and faculty who create an open, learning environment. I am an affiliate with the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. We are doing some work with the 1926 U.S. Census for Religious Bodies. It is fascinating! Check out our work https://religiousecologies.org/. I am also working with R2Studios in the creation of Historical podcasts. Check us out! https://www.r2studios.org/
