Anne McCants

Anne McCants is the Ann F. Friedlaender Professor of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), affiliated with the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and the Department of History. She has been at MIT since 1991 and has served as Head of History and Head of House in both graduate and undergraduate dormitories. Her email is amccants@mit.edu.

• B.A. in economics, German, and history from Mount Holyoke College
• M.A. in economics from UCLA
• Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley

Her research focuses on European economic and social history, historical demography, material culture, social science methods, and gender equity. She explores the role of family institutions in economic development, new measures for wellbeing analysis, and social inequality in early modern Amsterdam and the Dutch Cape Colony.

The trends in her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, merging history with economics, sociology, and political economy. Notable work includes a 2024 special issue in the Journal of Interdisciplinary History examining the intersections between history and other disciplines.

Anne McCants has led collaborative UROP research projects on the Dutch Cape Colony, inequality in Dutch material culture, and comparative studies of theater in Denmark and France. She has served as Editor of the Journal of Interdisciplinary History and held leadership roles in the International Economic History Association and Social Science History Association.