For Alexander Goodrich, history is not something stuck in the past. It is actively shaped by how people remember, interpret and present it today.

Recently, NC State Ph.D. recipient Alexander Goodrich defended his dissertation, Heritage Tourism and the Politics of Public Memory in Bermuda. His research reflects NC State’s global reach and its commitment to scholarship that engages communities beyond the university.

A Global Lens on Atlantic History

Goodrich’s work focuses on Bermuda, a small island in the middle of the Atlantic with a remarkably complex history. While often grouped with Caribbean destinations, Bermuda occupies a distinct geographic and historical position shaped by British colonialism, African diaspora communities and long-standing connections to the United States.

“Bermuda is not Caribbean,” Goodrich explains. “Its location and shared history with the United States give it a unique role in Atlantic history.”

His academic interest in Bermuda began during his graduate studies at Millersville University under the guidance of Bermudian Historian Dr. Clarence Maxwell. Specializing in Atlantic History, which emphasizes the movement of people, goods and ideas beyond national borders, helped Goodrich frame Bermuda as a central meeting point rather than a peripheral location.

At NC State, Goodrich expanded this work through the Public History Doctoral Program under the supervision of Dr. Craig Thompson Friend. This program emphasizes research for public audiences including museums, heritage sites and community organizations.

When Tourism Shapes Memory

A central theme of Goodrich’s dissertation is the relationship between tourism and public memory. For much of the 20th century, Bermuda marketed itself to American visitors as a peaceful colonial retreat, an image that obscured conflict, inequality and the island’s history of enslavement.

“Tourists are not passive observers. They bring expectations with them, and their choices influence how history is presented.”
— Dr. Alexander Goodrich

Because tourism long served as Bermuda’s primary economic driver, historical interpretation became part of the island’s tourism industry. Public memory often highlighted colonial governors, elite families and maritime success stories while sidelining the experiences of enslaved and formerly enslaved people.

Moving Beyond “Segregated Knowledge”

Goodrich’s research draws attention to a practice known as “segregated knowledge,” in which difficult histories such as enslavement are separated from primary narratives at historic sites. This approach, common in public history spaces in the United States and abroad, can suggest that oppression was marginal rather than foundational. 

“The problem with that line of thinking is that it assumes that it is separate from their everyday life,” Goodrich explains, further clarifying that 17th to 19th-century Bermuda was “an economy built on slavery.”

In recent years, Bermuda has taken steps to confront this history more directly. One example is the reinterpretation of Verdmont, an 18th-century mansion built by enslaved Bermudians. In 2025, the Bermuda National Trust launched a new tour experience at the site that centers the everyday lives of enslaved people alongside the stories of the enslaving families who lived there. By integrating these histories within the same space, the new interpretation reflects a broader shift in public history away from segregated narratives and toward a more honest account of the past.

Bermuda has also expanded this approach through the African Diaspora Heritage Trail, an initiative that centers the stories of Black Bermudians who make up the majority of the island’s population and connects local history to global conversations about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the African Diaspora.

Public History That Serves the Community

At the core of Goodrich’s work is the belief that public history must first serve the communities where the history unfolded.

“Museums are educational institutions,” he said. “Public history has to serve the community first.”

By collaborating with residents and incorporating oral histories and community memory alongside archival records, historians can create more inclusive and representative interpretations of the past.

Studying Bermuda also enables Goodrich to reframe U.S. history within a broader international context. From the American Revolution to World War II, Bermuda’s relationship with the United States illustrates how national histories are deeply interconnected.

Making History Meaningful

Goodrich believes history resonates most when it challenges people to think critically about the present.  

“How do we present our uncomfortable histories and how is that politicized?” Goodrich aimed to investigate.

By examining how public memory shifts over time, his research encourages audiences to understand history as an ongoing conversation shaped by power, perspective and participation.

Goodrich’s work exemplifies how NC State scholars engage global histories while contributing to meaningful dialogue both on and off campus.