Thai Jones holds a PhD in U.S. history from Columbia University. His research and study has covered a wide array of historical subjects, ranging from a close reading of the anti-imperialist movement during the Spanish-American War to examining the manifestations of popular power in the time of the Roman Republic.

His main research work has focused on radical political movements in U.S. history, from the Gilded Age to the New Left, and beyond. He has taught a seminar on American Radicalism, 1886-1936 at Bard College's Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and has crafted other classes on a range of subjects, including The History and Theory of Anarchism.

He has worked as an archivist in Columbia University's Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, creating an ambitious online exhibit on the history of the New York Chamber of Commerce.