Rebecca J. Scott

About the Author

Rebecca J. Scott is a distinguished historian and professor emerita at the University of Michigan, renowned for her groundbreaking scholarship on the intersections of slavery, emancipation, and freedom in the Americas. With a focus on comparative history, she explores how revolutionary upheavals and legal transformations shaped societies in the Caribbean and the American South. Her meticulous research draws on multilingual archives to illuminate the agency of formerly enslaved people in forging new paths after bondage. Scott's work challenges traditional narratives, emphasizing the global dimensions of abolition and the enduring legacies of inequality. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Bancroft Prize, she continues to influence debates on race, law, and social justice through her incisive analyses and public engagements.