Dr. Caroline S. Hackett
Ph.D., History


THIS JUST IN:

The FSU History Department has awarded the 2024 Mary Elizabeth Thomas Dissertation Prize to Dr. Caroline Hackett for "Propriétaires in Plain Sight: The Legal and Economic Autonomy of Married Women in Southern France, 1750-1815." 

"Using a convincing blend of narrow case studies and broad statistical summaries, Dr. Hackett shows that, contrary to the prevailing belief, women exercised independent property rights in later eighteenth century France. This dissertation intervenes in a crowded field, and Dr. Hackett does an excellent job of defining a distinct role for her story amidst a complex historiography. Her work exemplifies novel discovery through sustained archival research, lucid use of the literature of the field, and polished presentation." 

-Thomas Prize Committee 


My dissertation, "Propriétaires in Plain Sight: The Legal and Economic Autonomy of Married Women in Southern France, 1750-1815," focuses on women's capabilities before, during, and after the French Revolution. Using notarial records, court documents, and family records, I show that the Roman legal tradition in the South systematically empowered women to actively own property, manage businesses, and inherit in their own right. Drawing from a combination of notarial records, legal proceedings, and family papers, I reveal that even married women had significant autonomy over their property, and consequently encourage historians to reevaluate our assumptions about the institution of marriage while broadening our geographic approaches to include more regional studies.

I have a decade of teaching experience at the secondary and university levels and hold expertise in many subfields, including European History, Early America, Atlantic History, Gender and Sexuality, Business History, and Legal History. Each semester, I teach bespoke courses that reflect observations and experiences from previous semesters. I pride myself on my ability to create and teach courses that are simultaneously rigorous, collaborative, interesting, and broadly applicable to students' lives. 

When not teaching, researching, or writing, I love to hike with my dog, thrift shop, and travel. I am also actively engaged in public-facing historical education and was recently featured in Cosmopolitan. 


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