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Jessica Alvarez StarrGraduate Student
As an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, I had the privilege of taking amazing courses offered by the Center for Latin American Studies, as well as the History Department, Center for Jewish Studies, and Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. My undergraduate history honors thesis, titled “Liberación en la otra Antilla: Abolition and Independence in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico” and completed under the guidance of Dr. Fernanda Bretones Lane, examined the connections between abolitionist rhetoric and nationalist rhetoric, as well as the concurrent development of antislavery ideology and the Puerto Rican independence movement.
After graduating with a BA in History and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies, I attended the MALAS (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies) Program at UF to continue studying themes of race, slavery, abolition, and nationalism in Latin America and the Caribbean. Guided by my advisor, Dr. Bretones, I furthered my investigation of antislavery and anticolonial activism in nineteenth-century Puerto Rico, publishing an MA thesis titled "Revolutionary Rhetoric: Antislavery and Anticolonial Alliances in Puerto Rican Abolitionist and Nationalist Movements, 1800-1898."
I hope to expand upon this research during my time at Emory, delving deeper into the development of abolitionist and autonomist ideologies campaigns in Puerto Rico, with a particular focus on the contributions of Afro-descendants, women, and working class individuals who are underrepresented in national histories of resistance and organizing. I am a firm believer in harnessing the power of history to push for change in the present and aim to do my part to challenge traditional, state-sanctioned narratives of Puerto Rican passivity during the Age of Atlantic Revolutions and ensure that stories of the past - especially those that have been intentionally silenced - are given the respect and recognition they deserve.
After graduating with a BA in History and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies, I attended the MALAS (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies) Program at UF to continue studying themes of race, slavery, abolition, and nationalism in Latin America and the Caribbean. Guided by my advisor, Dr. Bretones, I furthered my investigation of antislavery and anticolonial activism in nineteenth-century Puerto Rico, publishing an MA thesis titled "Revolutionary Rhetoric: Antislavery and Anticolonial Alliances in Puerto Rican Abolitionist and Nationalist Movements, 1800-1898."
I hope to expand upon this research during my time at Emory, delving deeper into the development of abolitionist and autonomist ideologies campaigns in Puerto Rico, with a particular focus on the contributions of Afro-descendants, women, and working class individuals who are underrepresented in national histories of resistance and organizing. I am a firm believer in harnessing the power of history to push for change in the present and aim to do my part to challenge traditional, state-sanctioned narratives of Puerto Rican passivity during the Age of Atlantic Revolutions and ensure that stories of the past - especially those that have been intentionally silenced - are given the respect and recognition they deserve.
Education
B.A. University of Florida
M.A. University of Florida
Research Interests
Spanish Caribbean
Slavery
Emancipation
Abolitionism
Atlantic Revolutions
Dissertation Title
"Revolutionary Rhetoric: Antislavery and Anticolonial Alliances in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico"
Faculty Advisor
