Ahoy, USIH colleagues, old and new! We welcome your proposals for our 2020 conference, to be held November 5-7, 2020, at the Back Bay Sheraton, located in the heart of Boston’s historic neighborhood of Copley Square. Submissions are due on 15 April 2020, and you can find our Call for Papers here.
Our theme is “Revolution & Reform,” and we interpret that broadly. Your proposals may focus on science, culture, politics, race, religion, gender, government, society, education—covering ALL time periods and events in U.S. history. We are glad to consider submissions that address any aspect, period, or problem from the history of American thought. Our meeting is meant to be a rich and diverse forum for those working in the realm of intellectual history.
Please use the comments, below, to connect with colleagues and construct panels. See you in Boston!
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Hi all.
I’m an independent scholar and I’m beginning work on a project that looks at the cultural, intellectual , political and social roots as well as the impact on both individuals and institutions of the Cold War radical Christian anti-nationalism of Dorothy Day and Joan Baez. I think this Conference presents an ideal opportunity to workshop some of my ideas and research possibilities for what I ultimately envision as an article or possibly even a book. Anyone interested in a panel on Religion, Nationalism, militarism, Biography, 20th century, revolutionaries or any combination of the above. Eager to hear other people’s ideas. I can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @arncj32.
best to all and hope to eventually meet some of you in person,
Chris Arnold M.A.
Hi everyone,
I’m working on a paper that examines the tensions between economic issues and cultural issues in postwar liberalism through the lens of the Americans for Democratic Action. I’m looking for others who might be interested in putting together a panel submission. Let me know if you’re working on something relating to postwar liberalism, conservatism, political and social change during the second half of the twentieth century, or anything else that you think might have some connections to the paper I’m working on and are interested in working together on a panel. My email is skamen[at]unm[dot]edu .
Best,
Scott
Hi everyone,
I am a PhD student at the University of Texas-Austin. I study American communitarianism in the 19th century and I am interested in finding other individuals that want to put a panel together. My work moves beyond the commune and looks at communitarianism as an alternative American intellectual and political culture in the 19th century. I study the Fourierist movement of the 1840s, but I also look at communitarianism more broadly. If anyone is working on scholarship related to antebellum reform, utopianism, the community vs. individualism in American life, or peaceful revolution I would love to work with you on developing a panel. My email is [email protected].
Best,
Ashley Garcia
Hey Ashley! I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy!
I’m not working on the antebellum era, but I’m interested in communitarianism and socialism at the turn of the century as a direct outgrowth of antebellum utopian socialism, and particularly in the relationship between religion and radicalism in the era. Your project sounds fascinating and I’d love to work together with you on a panel, if you were interested!
In solidarity,
Dan
Hi, Ashley, and Don–
I do not work on communitarianism, but I have recently done some work on matriarchal utopias in US pop culture (late 19th-early 21st centuries). If you two are interested in broadening the theme a bit to utopianism/utopian communities, I’d be happy to join a panel on that topic. Thanks!
Hi Dan,
Yes, absolutely! I really love your project and I think our research complements each other really well. I’d love to talk more about putting a panel together. My email is [email protected].
Thank you for reaching out – I’m excited to put something together for this conference!
Best,
Ashley
Hi Keira,
Your work sounds amazing and I think we could put together a great panel that looks broadly at utopianism in American life. Another individual reached out to me via email to put together a panel. He studies communitarian sexual ethics in the 20th century and I think all four of our projects complement each other really well. Let me know what you both think and I look forward to talking to you more about the panel!
Best,
Ashley
I am a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago whose work specializes in foundation philanthropy and black intellectual history. I’m looking to put together a panel on foundation philanthropy, social thought, and social change. Roughly speaking, the panel would explore the question of whether foundations have the capacity to foster social change or whether they reproduce inequality in the long term. I am especially interested in exploring this question in relation to foundations’ role in sponsoring knowledge production. It would be great to have multiple viewpoints/theoretical approaches represented. Please reach out at emasghati[at]uchicago[dot]edu if you are interested.
I am seeking a chair/commenter for a panel on the intellectual history of criminology and penology. Anyone in the area or who intends to be there with interest in this area would be most welcome. At the moment all out papers are long-20th century, but I imagine that could change.
I have found a commenter.
Hi everyone,
I’m a PhD candidate at Harvard hoping to join (or quickly formulate) a panel. Most of my work is on the late 19th century, but I’m looking to present some research on literary criticism in the Black community during the 1920s, asking whether the question of reform vs. revolution changes when we use aesthetics as our entry-point into politics. My two main figures are Hubert Harrison and Alain Locke. I would be eager to be part of a panel discussion on twentieth-century African-American intellectual history, literature and revolution, race and aesthetics, the 1920s, or other contextual or thematic connections. If you are still looking to round out your panel and would like to get in touch, please contact me at amodaff[at]g.harvard.edu.
Best,
Abigail Modaff
Hi all,
I’m a PhD candidate at Boston College looking to join/form a panel, particularly on the New Deal. I study American nationalism as a contested ideology between the political left and right in the early 20th century, which touches on anti-communism, pacifism, citizenship, and education. Email me at lyonskj[at]bc[dot]edu if you’re interested!
Best,
Kelly
Is there anyone seeking a last person in their panel? I am defending my dissertation on the political ideas of New York Loyalists in the American Revolution later this month. Since the theme of this year’s conference is “revolution and reform,” my research suits this topic. I would like to present my research about how the Loyalists in New York offered a different agenda for imperial reform and promote a conservative concept of liberty in the revolutionary debates. I already have my abstract ready. If you are interested to include me on your panel, please send me an email at [email protected].