For 2026 in 2026
“New Republic, New Worlds”
Call for Proposals

October 23-24, 2026 – Williamsburg, Virginia

APPLY HERE
All proposals are due April 1, 2026

We will post registration information in late spring 2026, after the program has been set.

Call for Proposals

The American Revolution forged a new nation out of thirteen British colonies, triggering a host of predictable and unexpected consequences. This conference will explore the novel circumstances, challenges, and opportunities of the transitional era that followed victory in the War for American Independence. What were the fresh constitutional and political structures fueled by the Revolution, and what were the possibilities in play then and after? How were families, communities, boundaries, and environments changed in the new era? What were the ambitions of this new nation, and what do we now know about how diverse communities assessed its prospects? How did the various peoples within its borders and beyond respond to this new moment? In addition to proposals focused on the opportunities and obstacles that marked the founding era, the Program Committee invites proposals for sessions and papers exploring all aspects of Vast Early America.

“A New World,” the final meeting of the five-year “For 2026” project, seeks to bring into conversation scholarly and public-facing research exploring the far-reaching effects of the American Revolution. The program committee invites proposals for panels, roundtables, workshops, and individual papers focusing on any aspect of the founding era – broadly conceived. The scope of the conference is not limited to North America nor the Anglophone Atlantic, and the organizers hope to assemble a program that represents the width and breadth of early American studies.

Those organizing panels, workshops, or roundtables should submit proposals by April 1, 2026. The program committee will also consider a limited number of individual paper submissions and reserves the right to alter session proposals in order to create a cohesive and inclusive program. Limited funds are available to those who do not have institutional funding to attend; participants who wish to be considered for such a travel subvention should email us directly at oieahc@wm.edu. Such requests will not be considered by the program committee when evaluating proposals and will be granted, when possible, by and at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Conference Committee Co-Chairs:

Katherine Carté (Southern Methodist University)
Christopher Hodson (Brigham Young University)
Donald Johnson (North Dakota State University)