The Program in Early American Economy and Society (PEAES) at the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Rothschild Archive, London, will jointly sponsor the twelfth annual PEAES conference, “Foreign Confidence: International Investment in North America, 1700 to 1860,” to be held October 11-12, 2012, in Philadelphia.
In addition to invited conference guests, proposals are solicited for papers on the conference theme, which is intended to encompass the varied ways that foreign networks of individuals and institutions provided funds and credit to North Americans for commerce, internal development, philanthropy, banking, and other forms of transnational investment. New research that highlights the great reach of capital and credit from Europe into North America and then out into many empires and world regions are especially welcome, as are proposals concerning, for example, the role of strategic international marriages, transnational secrecy and information sharing, the financial collaboration of families across imperial boundaries, and collaborative and competitive lending by individuals and early banks across national boundaries. We also encourage proposals from scholars of banking practices pioneered by the Rothschilds, Baring Bros., Hope & Co., and other institutions that had an impact on early North American development. Papers reflecting on the rich international archives that illuminate transnational investing relationships are also welcome.
Proposals of two to three pages, accompanied by a brief CV, should be submitted as a single PDF file no later than September 1, 2011, to Cathy Matson, PEAES director, at cmatson@udel.edu. Notices of acceptance will be sent out by November 1, 2011; all presenters will submit completed papers of 30 to 35 pages by September 10, 2012. Papers will be pre-circulated to conference registrants.
Update: The full call for papers is now available on the PEAES website.