Kyle Vratarich is a PhD candidate in the Department of History focusing on the United States during the nineteenth century, specifically during the Civil War and Reconstruction. He is interested in Civil War era political culture, specifically postwar presidential politics, the expansion of powers that occurred during the Civil War, and the political turmoil that resulted from this expansion during Reconstruction. His dissertation concerns the political culture of the Grant Administration, particularly claims of corruption therein, through the lens of President Grant’s Private Secretary, General Orville Babcock.

Research Interests: 19th Century United States, Civil War and Reconstruction, Politics, Presidential Politics, Corruption and Scandal