WMU historian earns Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to research early American law in England

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University Professor of History Dr. Sally Hadden has been selected for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award that will take her to the United Kingdom to conduct research at the University of Manchester.

Hadden will arrive in Manchester on Aug. 28, where she will work with scholars across the university’s Faculty of Humanities, particularly within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. Her research will focus on the development of a new introductory-level book examining how people in early America understood and used law.

Exploring the roots of early American law

Hadden’s Fulbright builds on decades of research into early American legal history. She has written extensively about law and history in early America, including her book "Slave Patrols: Law and Violence in Virginia and the Carolinas."

During her time in Manchester, England, Hadden will develop a new introductory-level book designed for students of history, government and law, as well as general readers.

The book will examine the many legal and cultural traditions that shaped early America, moving beyond a simplified narrative that places English common law at the center of the development of the United States’ legal system.

“At this point in my scholarly career, I have attained the expertise to write a better textbook that will make early law more comprehensible, and with luck will find general readers outside the classroom as well,” Hadden says.

Building connections across the Atlantic

For Hadden, the Fulbright experience will provide more than dedicated time for research and writing. It will also offer an opportunity to learn from scholars and students from a different academic environment.

“The Fulbright program provides a faculty member time to reflect, to research, to write in a concentrated manner,” Hadden says. “The 6- and 8-hour blocks of time, week after week, that a program like Fulbright provides to a faculty member are invaluable.”

Hadden previously taught a semester-long study abroad program in London as faculty at Florida State University. Those experiences showed her the impact international travel can have on students’ understanding of history.

“I watched students gain much wider perspectives on their own history when we would visit museums and explore England,” she says. “They reached a more sophisticated understanding of the American Revolution, for instance, after those experiences.”

Although Hadden has visited England many times, she has only been to Manchester twice. She anticipates that living and working in northern England will provide a different perspective from her previous experiences in London.

“By seeing how my colleagues overseas explain material when they teach, I'll be better positioned to explain information in the book I'm writing, as well as in the classroom when I return to WMU,” Hadden says.

Bringing the experience back to WMU

Hadden hopes the relationships and knowledge developed through the Fulbright program will continue well beyond her time in Manchester.

She plans to share her experiences with WMU faculty and students who are considering international opportunities, including the Fulbright program. She also hopes to speak through the Lee Honors College and the Center for the Humanities about her experience living and working abroad.

“I hope to become an active member of the Fulbright alumni network, to communicate with prospective Fulbright applicants and others about the impact the program has had on me,” Hadden says. “Beyond writing time, programs like Fulbright get the scholar to learn how teachers in another country teach a subject and how their students learn a subject—both which provide essential comparisons and perspectives on a well-known field."

Prestigious program and global impact

Fulbright, a flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, operates in 160 countries and promotes academic exchange, research and mutual understanding. The U.S. Scholar Program provides faculty members and researchers opportunities to teach, conduct research and engage with academic communities abroad, says Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland, associate director of external scholarships and faculty development at the Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

“Fulbright provides faculty with the opportunity to build meaningful international relationships while bringing new knowledge and perspectives back to their home institutions," Metro-Roland says. "Dr. Hadden’s project is an excellent example of how global engagement can strengthen both scholarship and teaching at WMU.”

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