“Revolutionary Connections”

Oberg Workshop for Junior Scholars

Nashville, TN, June 10, 2026.

Convener: Patrick Griffin (University of Notre Dame)

This workshop explores the nature of Atlantic connections and their role in eighteenth-century Revolutions. In what ways was the Atlantic world tied together over the course of the eighteenth century? How did broader patterns of connection and change shape the local?  Should we label the era that saw old empires fracture and new nation-states and empires emerge as an age of “revolution” or “revolutions”? What do we gain if we cast our nets even further and explore how the Atlantic’s revolutionary communities were tied to global dynamics? This workshop invites scholars in history and related disciplines to explore these questions from a diverse array of methodological and geographic perspectives. By doing so, we hope to place a pivotal moment in global history in its most expansive and compelling contexts.  Privilege will be given to junior scholars.

The workshop will bring together six scholars, plus Patrick Griffin and Omohundro Institute Scholarly Communities Coordinator Joshua Piker, to focus on pre-circulated, chapter/article-length essays of less than 15,000 words, including footnotes.  Those essays will be due on May 15, 2026, so that workshop participants will have time to engage with them.  At the workshop, each participant will be paired with a respondent who will be responsible for opening the session on the author’s work with substantive thoughts for the author and the other workshop participants to consider.

The workshop will take place on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The OI will provide each participant two nights’ stay at the conference hotel (June 9 and 10), dinner the night before the workshop, meals the day of the workshop, including a reception with the OI Council, and $500 for travel to/from the conference. Workshop participants also receive free admission to the OI Annual Conference and are warmly encouraged to submit proposals for that as well. The conference will be hosted by Vanderbilt University, June 11 to June 13, 2026.  The conference’s theme is “Revolutionary Orbits, Revolutionary Arcs.”

Scholars interested in participating in the workshop should submit a CV and a cover letter that describes the essay that they plan to workshop, discusses the essay’s connection to the workshop’s theme, and situates the essay within their larger ongoing project(s). Please email proposals to the OI at oieahc@wm.edu no later than February 1, 2026. A committee will choose six finalists and two alternates no later than March 1, 2026. Finalists will be asked to provide details of their travel plans no later than April 1.

The Omohundro Institute is gratified to offer the Oberg Workshop in memory of Barbara Oberg, scholar, friend, Omohundro Institute stalwart, and champion-of-junior-scholars extraordinaire.