Richard Boles specializes in early American and United States history, particularly African American and Native American history from the colonial era to the middle of the nineteenth century, and American religious history. Boles researches race relations in early American churches. His first book, Dividing the Faith: The Rise of Segregated Churches in the Early American North, was published by New York University Press in December 2020. This work examines the transition from racially diverse churches during the early eighteenth century to separate American Indian and African American congregations by the early nineteenth century in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Boles shows that a significant portion of northern Protestants worshiped in interracial churches between 1730 and 1820. He has begun new research about religious interactions among Native Americans and African Americans in early America.

Boles was appointed Interim Director of the Religious Studies Program in February 2024.

Research Interests:

Colonial and Revolutionary America; Native American History; African American History; American Religious History