Dr. Eric Slauter

Biography

Eric Slauter is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Chicago and serves as the Deputy Dean of the Humanities Division. He specializes in early American cultural, intellectual, legal, and political history. Slauter earned his PhD from Stanford University in 2000 and has held research fellowships at prestigious institutions such as the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Huntington Library, and the Newberry Library. He is an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society and a fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Slauter has contributed significantly to the field through editorial roles, including chairing the faculty board of the University of Chicago Press and serving as a visiting editor at the William and Mary Quarterly. He authored 'The State Work of Art: Cultural Origins of the Constitution,' which received an honorable mention for the MLA Prize Book. His publications encompass articles on topics such as the history of the 'trade gap,' the biography of enslaved painter Scipio Moorhead, and the language rights and equality in early America. He has given invited talks and recorded lectures for the Gilder Lehrman Institute, focusing on the Declaration of Independence and its implications. Over the past decade, Slauter's research has blended environmental, labor, and literary history, notably in his project 'Walden’s Carbon Footprint.' He has directed flagship multidisciplinary seminars at the University, connecting graduate students across various disciplines.

Research Interests

Courses