Dr. Lauren Benton

Biography

Lauren Benton is a comparative world historian and the Barton M. Biggs Professor of History at Yale University. Specializing in global legal history and the history of European empires, especially the British and Iberian empires, Benton has established herself as a prominent scholar in her field. Her research critically examines the effects of legal conflicts on global international orders, with a recent focus on imperial violence in her book, 'Called Peace: Worlds Imperial Violence.' Through her works, she explores themes of constitutionalism, imperial sovereignty, law, slavery abolition, and legalities of piracy. Benton completed her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University and holds an A.B. from Harvard University. Her scholarly contributions have earned her several prestigious awards, including the Toynbee Foundation Prize for significant contributions to global history. A former president of the American Society for Legal History, Benton has also held faculty appointments at New York University and Vanderbilt University, where she served as Dean of Humanities. Her notable publications include 'Rage Order: British Empire Origins International Law, 1800–1850,' co-authored with Lisa Ford, and 'Search Sovereignty: Law Geography European Empires, 1400–1900.'

Research Interests

Experience