JUNE 14–16, 2002

Hosted by the Center for Historical Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, in partnership with the C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College, and the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore

INTRODUCTION

The Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture was founded as the Institute of Early American History and Culture in 1943 by the College of William and Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to foster “study, research, and publications bearing on American history approximately to the year 1815.” Still jointly sponsored by the College and Colonial Williamsburg, the Institute was renamed in 1996 in recognition of a generous endowment pledged by Mr. and Mrs. Malvern H. Omohundro, Jr. The Institute publishes the William and Mary Quarterly, books in its field of interest, and a e-newsletter, organizes and supports a variety of conferences, seminars, and colloquia, and annually awards a two-year NEH postdoctoral fellowship and a one-year Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral research fellowship.

In June 1995 the Institute inaugurated a series of annual conferences specifically designed to serve as a forum for the rich variety of work underway in the early American field. Organized exclusively by calls for papers and panels and held in a different geographic region each year, these meetings are intended to bring together and facilitate exchanges among junior and senior scholars from several disciplines who share a common interest in the history and culture of early America.

The program committee for the 2002 conference is chaired by James Henretta (University of Maryland, College Park) and Ira Berlin (University of Maryland, College Park) and includes Vincent Carretta (University of Maryland, College Park), Alison Games (Georgetown University), Edna Medford (Howard University), Philip D. Morgan (Johns Hopkins University), Alison Olson (University of Maryland, College Park), Ted Widmer (Washington College), Karin Wulf (American University), and Rosemarie Zagarri (George Mason University).