The federal government acted in 1862 to implement its vision for the development of the Great Plains. Congress passed the Homestead Act, the Morrill Act, the Pacific Railroad Act, and the act establishing the US Department of Agriculture. The Dakota Conflict, which ended with the defeat and forcible removal of the Dakota, also inadvertently provoked more general hostilities with the Lakotas and Yanktonais. How did these acts and events drive regional development over the ensuing decades in some directions and foreclose it in others? How did they shape the culture, economy, environment, social customs, land use, demography, history, technology, literature,and politics of the Great Plains as well as the nation? How do they continue to have relevance today and in the future?

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Sarah Carter, Myron Gutmann, Martin Jischke, William G. Thomas III, David Von Drehle, Elliott West, Richard White, Daniel Wildcat, David Wishart, and Donald Worster

We invite presentations on any topics exploring the influence of these acts and events on the Great Plains and beyond; eligible topics include but are not limited to:

• settlement patterns
• gender relations
• regional and national literature
• university research
• urban development
• Indian-white relations
• land tenure and land use
• economic development
• impact of railroads
• Native American culture
• agriculture and conservation
• art and culture
• natural resources
• attitudes, work habits, values
• politics

The Symposium Committee invites submissions of proposals for papers, panels, and posters focusing on the impact of these events on the subsequent historical development of the Great Plains and on its present and future. Please submit your proposal/abstract of 150–200 words with a brief resume by NOVEMBER 1, 2011. Submit electronically at the website: www.unl.edu/plains using the Abstract Submission Form. Posters may feature animations, mapping, or other special effects and must be under five minutes in length. Electronic posters will be displayed on 40-inch flat television screens. If your proposal is accepted, technical assistance at the site will be available.

PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS:

RICHARD EDWARDS, Professor of Economics and Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
MARK ENGLER, Superintendent, Homestead National Monument of America