2022 Annual Conference The Society for the History of Discoveries
Where: St. Louis, Missouri
When: 29 September – 1 October, 2022
Venue: St. Louis University, co-sponsored by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The 2022 Annual Meeting of The Society for the History of Discoveries will be held in the Pere Marquette Gallery at St. Louis University and will be cohosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The opening reception will take place on Thursday evening (29 September), followed by the conference the following two days. There will be a post-conference excursion on Sunday (2 October).
Theme: At the Heart of the Continent: Native Americans and Newcomers in the Upper Mississippi Region
Often referred to as the “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis was founded by French fur-traders in 1764, ceded to Spain within the year, returned to French control in 1800; then bought by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. It was a territory that was rich in people and natural resources. Directly across the Mississippi River from the city are the Cahokia Mounds, a major center of the Mississippian peoples who flourished in the area through the fifteenth century. Several Native American nations lived in this region in the historic era as well, including the Osage or “People of the Middle Waters.” Trajectories of cultural contact, trade, and exploration radiated in all directions from this land. This intriguing place offers the inspiration for our conference.
Papers, 20-25 minutes in length, are invited on all points of view of this theme, including: discovery, exploration, conquest, resistance, settlement, economy, daily life, and all aspects of cultural encounters.