CoffeeInBed

I'd stay away from the author-centric ones. Not that they are bad, but because they deal with a niche interest and use an outdated model (the author-centered model) they don't tend to be representative of mainstream academic interests. Of course there are exceptions--I'm speaking super broadly. And for early/19th American, a lot of very good work happens in interdisciplinary journals like The Journal of the Early Republic and the William and Mary Quarterly.

Are you interested in modern or early/19th American? I ask because there is a major difference in the amount of competition between the two--both at the level of PhD applicantion and job seeking.

They are the last school I'm waiting for and it seems like they contacted around this time last year. Good luck to everyone with apps there! Edit: And hello all, from a longtime lurker!