Assistant professor Madeleine Forrest Ramsey specializes in the American Civil War, 19th century social and military history, and the history of the U.S. South. Before coming to VMI in 2020, Ramsey received a B.A. from Randolph-Macon College, an M.A. from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas.

Ramsey teaches the two-semester U.S. History survey and American Constitutional History as well as upper-division classes on Antebellum America, the Civil War, and the U.S. South. Her research focuses on the American Civil War in Virginia, studying how the war affected the lives of southerners on a local level. Ramsey also examines questions of citizenship during and after the Civil War and the ways in which ex-Confederates fought to regain power and control during Reconstruction. Ramsey also serves as the deputy editor of the Journal of Military History, the leading journal in its field.

At VMI, Ramsey is the co-advisor to Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society and has directed several honors projects examining enslaved and free workers at VMI in the 19th century.