Personal profile

Research Focus

Currently researching the life and times of Alexander Brown; Ulster émigré and founder of the first indigenous investment bank in the new United States. I am particularly interested in the local, regional and transatlantic networks that enabled the incredible economic growth of the Brown Dynasty. 

My research spans the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and places equal focus on archival material from both Ireland and the United States. 

Key themes I am concerned with include; 

  • 18thC. Irish economic & social history
  • Irish political radicalism, United Irishmen and 1798 Rebellion
  • Irish migration to the United States, and Scotch-Irish communities
  • 19thC. US economic development
  • Development of a financial & banking sector in the United States
  • Transatlantic economic history, with particular focus on merchant finance, commodities trading, foreign exchange markets and shipping

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth