Peter Olsen-Harbich
April 29 – May 1, 2027 | Philadelphia and Bethlehem, PA
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2026
Sponsors: The Lawrence Henry Gipson Institute for Eighteenth-Century Studies and The McNeil Center for Early American Studies
A century ago, American historians of the “Imperial School” challenged nationalist and exceptionalist histories of Britain’s American colonies by situating them within the administrative, institutional, and commercial structures of empire. Today, a “neo-imperial” turn in scholarship, in tandem with Atlantic, continental, and global frameworks, has reinvigorated the study of early modern empires with different emphases. Early American historians now regularly stress the significance of these empires in the formation of ideas, material cultures, systems of slavery and settlement, and the lives of ordinary people, thereby reshaping our understanding of the imperial contexts that defined early America. Increasingly, scholars also pursue these subjects while working across the linguistic and archival boundaries that once divided the study of America’s different early modern empires.
To assess the past, present, and future of “empire” in early American history and historiography, the Gipson Institute and the McNeil Center are partnering to convene “Empires in Early American History.” This conference will bring together scholars to reconsider empire as both a historical formation and a scholarly problem. We invite proposals that address questions such as: What, if anything, was distinctive about early modern American empires? In what ways have new emphases of empire’s significance altered older imperial frameworks? What exactly is new and imperial about neo-imperial historiography, and how should we understand the relationship between imperial approaches and the body of work most often described as Atlantic?
“Empires in Early American History” will feature a mix of formats designed to generate robust discussion. These will include traditional panels featuring pre-circulated papers of no more than 9,000 words. Panelists will be asked to prepare a brief ten-minute presentation summarizing their paper’s arguments. The organizers intend to pursue publication of selected papers in a special issue of Early American Studies following the conference. Roundtable proposals are also invited. The organizers are particularly interested in roundtables in which discussants present reflections anchored on a specific source and its relationship to imperial historiography. Roundtable discussants will not be asked to pre-circulate papers.
By September 1, 2026, prospective presenters should submit a 300-word abstract outlining their central questions and anticipated contributions to the conference, accompanied by a one-page CV, through this form. Proposals for individual papers, panels, and roundtables will be accepted. Acceptance notifications will be sent by December 1, 2026. All questions may be directed to Peter Olsen-Harbich, Associate Director, peteroh@sas.upenn.edu.
Contact Email: peteroh@upenn.edu
URL: https://www.mceas.org/events/2027/04/29/call-proposals-empires-early-american-h…
