Susan J. Pearson

Susan J. Pearson is a Professor of History at Northwestern University, specializing in 19th- and early 20th-century U.S. history with focuses on legal reform, state governance, and gender/sexuality studies. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina (2004) and is affiliated with the Material History Lab. Her research explores the intersection of reform movements, state power, and American liberalism, particularly through studies of animal/child protection and birth certificate systems. Key works include The Rights of the Defenseless (2011) and The Birth Certificate: An American History (2021), both award-winning books analyzing state expansion and social policy.

Education: Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 2004.

Research interests emphasize cultural politics of reform, state governance evolution, and the development of American liberalism. Her work bridges legal, political, and social history, examining how institutions like birth registration systems and animal welfare laws shaped societal structures.

• Awards: Merle Curti Prize (2012), Order of the Coif Book Award (2022)
• Grants: NEH Fellowship (2012–2013), ACLS Ryskamp Fellowship (2014–2015)