From Rivers to Oceans: Inland Maritime History and the Nexus of Fresh and Salt Water
St. Charles, Missouri, May 20-23, 2018
North America’s many navigable lakes and rivers have played defining roles in the history of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. War, commerce, exploration, recreation, and leisure, all played out over time on their banks and waters. Under the theme “From the Rivers to the Oceans,” the 2018 annual conference of the North American Society of Oceanic History (NASOH) seeks paper and panel proposals that explore the rich history of inland waters and spaces of convergence between fresh and salt waters. The program committee is particularly interested in papers and panels that address questions of freshwater environments, the relationship between inland water-borne commerce and urban growth, the place of rivers and lakes in the inland transportation system of indigenous and colonial peoples, the movement of people, goods, and ideas in the making of the West and other regions, the history of science, exploration, and mapping, the marine archaeology of shipwrecks and inland cultural sights obscured and revealed by dynamic river systems, and the place of war, military, and naval affairs. While the program committee will assign preference to these themes, it will also give full consideration to papers and panels focusing on oceanic environments.
Individual papers are welcome, but full sessions with three papers and a chair are preferred. A complete proposal must include a brief 500-word abstract for each paper and a one-page panel abstract (for complete panels), and a brief bio for each participant, including panel chairs. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to submit proposals. NASOH offers travel stipends to partly defray the cost of graduate student travel. The conference will provide accommodations for PowerPoint presentations, but any other special requirements, including audio-visual equipment, special outlets, or accommodations for disabilities should be noted in the proposal. Scholars interested in chairing sessions are welcome to send a brief bio to the Program Committee. All participants must register for the conference and be members of NASOH in good standing.
Please send paper and panel proposals to NASOH2018@gmail.com no later than February 1, 2018.
