Jennifer L. Morgan, Professor of History and Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, considered the legal doctrine of Partus sequitur ventrem, which codified hereditary racial slavery, in her February 5 lecture for the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. Her talk, "Partus Sequitur Ventrem: Slave Law and the History of Women in Slavery," continued the Institute's 2013-15 theme, "Materials of History." The talk is available online as an MP3 audio file to University of Michigan account holders (link here to access).

On February 6, the Institute presented the graduate student workshop, "Owned Intimacies: Property, Gender, and Human Bondage," featuring Adriana Chira (Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology and History, University of Michigan), Emily Macgillivray (Ph.D. Program, American Culture, University of Michigan), Marie Stango (Ph.D. Candidate, History, University of Michigan), Jennifer L. Morgan (Professor, History, Social and Cultural Analysis, New York University), and Anthony P. Mora (panel chair; Associate Professor, History and American Culture, University of Michigan).