The Department of History at Harvard University and the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History invite the submission of paper proposals for a Graduate Student Conference on International History, to take place at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA on April 20-21, 2001. This conference aims to bring together graduate students and faculty who are engaged in the study of International History. The theme of the conference is "Global America: Connections between America and other parts of the Globe." Twelve graduate students will present papers on exchanges and interactions between Americans and people from other nations and places during the early modern and modern eras (17th to 20th centuries).

The use of "International History" in the title of the conference reflects our interest in exciting new trends in both the study of the History of International Relations and in the study of American History. In recent years, the definition of "international relations" has been broadened to include certain aspects of human interaction across national boundaries that had previously received little attention from scholars. Thus, International History as it is practiced today frequently supplements the traditional study of political, diplomatic and military history with investigations of technological exchange, cultural interaction and ideological expansion. In addition, the broadening of the range and scope of inquiry has led the practitioners of International History to adopt new methodologies and to design new research agendas. This conference is intended to highlight these new methodologies and agendas, especially those that include multiarchival work in multiple countries and languages.

This conference will also explore important developments in the study of American History. Despite the lingering influence of "American exceptionalism" and "isolationism", most historians today readily acknowledge the fundamentally international character of American History. From the seventeenth century to the present, America has been the site of continuous international exchanges among Asians, Africans, Europeans and Native Americans; these exchanges have touched every aspect of American life and have helped to shape the constantly shifting meanings of American identity. In recent years, American historians have developed new ways of approaching the study of these exchanges, and have been active participants in the creation and expansion of new subfields of historical research ranging from the study of "Atlantic Communities" to the exploration of "Borderlands." As a result, the study of American History has been internationalized as never before, and Americanists and Internationalists have new opportunities for intellectual exchange.

Commentary on the papers presented at this conference will be provided by leading scholars of International History at Harvard and at other universities. Ernest May of Harvard University will deliver the conference keynote address. Graduate student presenters who must travel from outside New England will receive a small stipend to help defray expenses.

Graduate Students who are interested in participating in the conference can submit a one-page paper proposal and a curriculum vitae to the Harvard Graduate Conference on International History (see address below). Please make sure to include an email address. Proposals must be post-marked by December 15, 2000 in order to be considered. Notification of acceptance will be made by February 1, 2001. For additional information about the conference, visit our website or send email to Ed Miller at or send email to Ed Miller (listed below).