The Time Boundaries of Atlantic History: Pre-Columbian, Post Colonial

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Though Atlantic History has no rigid time boundaries, the study of its core development has concentrated on the three centuries from the European discovery of the Americas through the independence movements of the late 18th century.  But the Atlantic world flourished for centuries before the discovery of the Americas and persisted after the demise of the Atlantic empires.  The subject of this conference was how to construe these broader dimensions of Atlantic history.

Two presentations were given, each followed by comments and a general discussion.

Introduction

Bernard Bailyn, Harvard University

Session I

Jean-Frédéric Schaub, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris

“The European Atlantic Before America”

Commentator: Nicolas Wey-Gomez, California Institute of Technology

Conference Participants - Discussion

Session II

Emma Rothschild, Harvard University

“Late Atlantic History”

Commentators:

Christopher Bilodeau

          Dickinson College / McNeil Center for Early American Research

Aaron Fogleman

          Northern Illinois University

Cécile Vidal

          École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris

Conference Participants - Discussion