Annette Atkins

Annette Atkins (August 12, 1950-) is a Midwestern historian who received her B.A. from Southwest State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. Atkins thought that she wanted to study Colonial History but then decided she would rather approach U.S. History from the inside the country, focusing on Midwestern history. For thirty years, she taught as a professor of history at the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University, specializing in the field of 19th Century America. Her areas of study include immigration, Minnesota history, and women’s history.

Atkins has written several historical nonfiction books. Creating Minnesota: A History From the Inside Out, takes a look at Minnesota’s history; We Grew Up Together: Brothers and Sisters in Nineteenth Century America explores sibling relationships and family dynamics in a changing world; and, most recently, Atkins has published a book about the history of women at the College of Saint Benedict. She is featured regularly on Minnesota Public Radio as a history commentator.