Proposals
The Program Committee for the 2026 annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical Association invites proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables for its upcoming conference, “Revolutionary Legacies in the Mid-Atlantic.” This meeting seeks to explore the complex history of freedom, power, and dissent in Pennsylvania from the colonial period to the present, with particular attention paid to ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence. We convene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from October 22-24, 2026.
We welcome proposals that explore the varied and enduring legacies of the independence era: the transformation from colony to Commonwealth, the formation of new political institutions, and the evolving meanings of liberty and citizenship in a region that stood at the crossroads of revolutionary change. Papers might consider how communities across Pennsylvania and its neighbors experienced and remembered the Revolution. Scenes of battle, Pennsylvania’s farms, towns, households, and workshops bore the imprint of Revolution as ordinary people negotiated its consequences in extraordinary ways.
We encourage investigations into how revolutionary ideals reverberated through the lives of Indigenous nations, African-descended peoples, and women, and how these groups reshaped or resisted the emerging order. The conference also invites reflections on how the meanings of “revolution” evolved across the centuries, influencing later reform movements in labor, suffrage, and civil rights that drew upon or challenged the Revolution’s unfinished promises. Scholars might trace these legacies through the region’s political culture, memorial landscapes, and institutions, or explore how public historians, educators, and digital projects continue to reinterpret our revolutionary heritage for new audiences. Comparative and trans-regional approaches connecting Pennsylvania to neighboring colonies/states are welcome, as are contributions that situate Mid-Atlantic experiences within broader national and global narratives of revolution and remembrance.
In addition to this theme, we welcome submissions on all aspects of Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic history. Submissions from all disciplinary backgrounds, including but not limited to history, economic and community development, public policy, sociology, visual culture, and political science, are welcomed. Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit proposals. The PHA also supports student engagement with a research session featuring posters and multimedia projects on all aspects of Mid-Atlantic history.
Full session proposals are preferred, but individual papers will also be considered. All program participants must be members of the PHA at the time of the annual meeting. Deadlines for paper, panel, and roundtable submissions will close on March 15, 2026. We are accepting student poster and multimedia proposals through May 15, 2026.
Contact Information
Dr. Jay Donis
Program Chair
Thiel College
Contact Email
jdonis@thiel.edu