JUNE 9–11, 2000 • UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO AND YORK UNIVERSITY

Hosted by the University of Toronto and York University and held at University College, 15 King’s College Circle,
University of Toronto

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, a one-year Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral research fellowship, and, in cooperation with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, short-term fellowships for research in the Foundation’s collections by predoctoral, postdoctoral, and independent scholars.

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 year 2000 conference is chaired by Marc Egnal (York University) and Daniel H. Usner (Cornell University) and includes Catherine Desbarats (McGill University), Paul Downes (University of Toronto), Allan Greer (University of Toronto), Adrienne Hood (University of Toronto), Jane Kamensky (Brandeis University), Laura Murray (Queens University), Ian Steele (University of Western Ontario), Daniel Vickers (University of California, San Diego), and William Wicken (York University).