The 27th annual meeting of the society for Historians of the Early American Republic will take place in Center City Philadelphia, July 21-24, 2005. The Program Committee invites proposals for sessions and papers in all areas of research on the history and culture of the early American republic, ca. 1776-1860. This meeting will celebrate SHEAR’s move to Philadelphia and its new relationship with the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society, and the McNeil Center for Early American Studies. The meeting site will allow access to the new National Constitution Center, Independence National Historical Park, and many, many important museums and archives. Note that 2005 also marks the bicentennial of Tocqueville’s birth. The theme for the meeting, as SHEAR looks forward to new associations while maintaining the high quality of scholarship for which it has been known, is “Continuities, Contingencies, and Change in the Early Republic.”

The Program Committee encourages members of SHEAR and other scholars to propose sessions and papers that relate to the theme. We welcome submissions from advanced graduate students as well as established scholars. Proposals for entire sessions are encouraged and e-mail submission is preferred. For sessions, include a rationale for the session, no more than one page, a one-page abstract for each paper, and brief C.V.s for all participants including the chair and commentators. Individual papers should be submitted with a one-page abstract and a brief C.V. Any special requirements, such as audio-visual equipment, outlets, or accommodations for disability, should be included in the proposals. Scholars who would like to volunteer to chair or comment on sessions should contact the chair of the Program Committee and send a brief C.V. Please note that all program participants, unless in fields other than history, are required to be members of SHEAR. All participants must be registered for the conference.