For historian Brendon G. Floyd, Ph.D., access to Mizzou Libraries’ digital collections has transformed the way he researches the Atlantic world, opening new avenues for scholarship while bringing rare historical records directly to his desktop.
A University of Missouri DPAA Research Partner Fellow affiliated with the History Department and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, Floyd studies the United Irishmen who participated in Ireland’s 1798 rebellion and were later imprisoned, forcibly conscripted into the British military, and dispersed throughout the Atlantic world. His work explores the human impact of state power through imprisonment, forced migration, and military service during a period of revolution and empire between 1776 and 1820.
Central to Floyd’s current and future research is the Colonial Caribbean Collection. This digital archive, which provides online access to colonial office files from the United Kingdom National Archives, covers the history of the various territories under British colonial governance from 1624 to 1870.
“My first book follows these Irish prisoners out of Ireland and through spaces of confinement and transit, including internment camps, prison ships, naval vessels, and troop transports,” Floyd said. “My second book picks up where the first ends, following these conscripted rebels into the Caribbean, where many were forced to serve for life in the British Army.”
The Colonial Caribbean Collection has made that work far more accessible.
“Rather than trying to arrange repeated trips to The National Archives in England, I have been able to download thousands of documents and work through them carefully over time,” Floyd said. “That kind of access has changed what is possible for both projects.”
The collection has also led Floyd to new research questions and discoveries. Among them is a project focused on Jean Kina, an enslaved man from Saint-Domingue who served with British forces during the Haitian Revolution, rose to the rank of colonel, and later led a mutiny in Martinique after attempts were made to re-enslave him and others serving under British rule. Floyd has also uncovered materials related to piracy in the Caribbean during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, expanding the scope of his future scholarship.
Beyond supporting research, the collection enhances student learning. Floyd regularly incorporates primary source materials into classroom projects, giving students opportunities to engage directly with historical evidence and develop hands-on research skills.
Floyd credits Mizzou Libraries faculty and staff with making collections more accessible and helping researchers uncover new possibilities. He highlighted his collaboration with Rachel Brekhus on the Haskell Monroe Project, which focused on digitizing and organizing historical materials for research and teaching.
When asked what advice he would offer other researchers, Floyd’s answer was simple: connect with librarians and explore the library’s digital resources.
“Libraries have a deep bench of expertise, and a short conversation with a librarian can lead you to sources, collections, or search strategies you would not have found on your own,” he said.
Floyd also emphasized the often-unseen work performed by library employees.
“Researchers regularly rely on these collections and services without fully acknowledging how much labor goes into acquiring, organizing, digitizing, and maintaining them,” he said. “Much of that work happens quietly, but it makes our research and teaching possible.”
Through resources like the Colonial Caribbean Collection, Mizzou Libraries continues to support innovative scholarship, expand access to unique historical materials, and help researchers and students make discoveries that advance knowledge and learning.
