Jennifer Burns (historian)

Jennifer Burns (born 1975) is an American historian, serving as an Associate Professor of History at Stanford University and as a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. She previously served as assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia from 2007-2012. Burns works at the intersection of political, cultural and intellectual history.

She is most well-known for her biographies of American political thinkers, particularly those in the U.S. Libertarian and pro-capitalist movements. Her 2009 biography of Ayn Rand, Goddess of the Market, was widely reviewed and generally received favorable reception.