Mercedes Haigler

Mercedes Haigler is an Assistant Professor of History at Florida State University (FSU), specializing in gender, political culture, and partisan development in the early American republic. Her research focuses on the role of elite women in shaping political strategies and party building, particularly in early Philadelphia and Washington City. She holds a B.A. from Alice Lloyd College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

• Affiliations: FSU Department of History, McNeil Center for Early American Studies (former fellow), James Monroe’s Highland (former research fellow).

Her current book project, “Settled Out of Doors: Sociability, Caucus Building and Partisan Development in the Early Republic”, challenges traditional narratives by emphasizing women’s co-creative roles in forming congressional infrastructure like partisan caucuses. Haigler’s work is supported by grants from the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies.

Teaching interests include courses on Revolutionary America, the early republic, and gender’s intersection with political development. She advocates for public-facing history, contributing to exhibits like Legacies of the Revolution.