Call for Papers<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era is delighted to host its first stand-alone conference, June 4-6, 2026, at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. We welcome anyone interested in US history from Reconstruction through the 1920s, including scholars from a range of fields, public historians, archivists, and teachers, to come, meet, and exchange ideas. We plan to offer seminars with pre-circulated papers, workshops for scholars preparing books, discussion-based roundtables, as well as traditional paper panels. There will also be insider Chicago tours, social gatherings, and an evening at a local Gilded Age Mansion.<\/p>\n
The Conference Program Committee invites proposals for a variety of sessions, and we welcome creative topics and approaches within these formats. We encourage full panel, seminar, and roundtable proposals, but we will accept individual proposals for the panels and seminars. Proposals for workshops should be individual submissions. See the proposal guidelines below for submission details.<\/p>\n
Session descriptions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Panels with a chair and three paper presenters. Panels may include a commentator, or the comment could be left to the audience. Paper presenters will have 20 minutes each.<\/li>\n
- Roundtables that include three to five panelists discussing a significant theme or issue in Gilded Age and Progressive Era history. Discussions should be broad and avoid presentation of a research paper. These sessions should include time for audience discussion.<\/li>\n
- Seminars that include a convener and 2-3 papers addressing a common theme. Seminar papers will be due by April 1 and will be pre-circulated. Conference attendees will be able to register for the session, which will give them access to the papers. Presenters may make brief introductory remarks of no more than five minutes in which they provide background on the project but should not read or summarize their whole paper. The convener will provide formal feedback to each presenter. Most of each seminar session will take the form of a discussion that includes audience comments and questions.<\/li>\n
- Workshop Presentations. The Program Committee plans to organize at least two workshops (assuming sufficient interest), one focused on the process of moving from dissertation to book and another on conceiving and developing a second book project. Presenters will prepare draft book proposals by April 1 that are circulated in advance to the workshop panel (made up of senior faculty) and to pre-registered audience members. Discussion will center around the development of a book-length project for each participant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Proposal Guidelines:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Proposals should be sent to shgapeconference2026@gmail.com<\/a> by October 1, 2025.<\/li>\n
- All proposals should include a brief vita for each proposed participant (maximum two pages).<\/li>\n
- A proposal for an individual paper for a presentation in one of the panels, seminars, or workshops, described above should be 300 words and should outline the substance of the planned paper or, in the case of workshops, draft book projects. Please stipulate what kind of session (traditional panel, seminar, or workshop) you would like to be included in.<\/li>\n
- Full panel and seminar proposals should be 1000 words and include an outline of the substance of each paper as well as an explanation of topic or theme of the panel\/seminar. Please stipulate whether you are proposing a traditional panel or a seminar.<\/li>\n
- Roundtable proposals should be 500 words and should explain the significance of the topic or theme to be considered, an explanation of the qualifications of each participant, and an outline of the structure of the session (e.g. allotted time for each panelist, order of presentation, audience discussion time).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For questions, please contact Amy Wood (<\/em>alwood@ilstu.edu<\/em><\/a>) or Ben Johnson (bjohnson25@luc.edu)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Panels with a chair and three paper presenters. Panels may include a commentator, or the comment could be left to the audience. Paper presenters will have 20 minutes each.<\/li>\n
- Roundtables that include three to five panelists discussing a significant theme or issue in Gilded Age and Progressive Era history. Discussions should be broad and avoid presentation of a research paper. These sessions should include time for audience discussion.<\/li>\n
- Seminars that include a convener and 2-3 papers addressing a common theme. Seminar papers will be due by April 1 and will be pre-circulated. Conference attendees will be able to register for the session, which will give them access to the papers. Presenters may make brief introductory remarks of no more than five minutes in which they provide background on the project but should not read or summarize their whole paper. The convener will provide formal feedback to each presenter. Most of each seminar session will take the form of a discussion that includes audience comments and questions.<\/li>\n
- Workshop Presentations. The Program Committee plans to organize at least two workshops (assuming sufficient interest), one focused on the process of moving from dissertation to book and another on conceiving and developing a second book project. Presenters will prepare draft book proposals by April 1 that are circulated in advance to the workshop panel (made up of senior faculty) and to pre-registered audience members. Discussion will center around the development of a book-length project for each participant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Proposal Guidelines:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Proposals should be sent to shgapeconference2026@gmail.com<\/a> by October 1, 2025.<\/li>\n
- All proposals should include a brief vita for each proposed participant (maximum two pages).<\/li>\n
- A proposal for an individual paper for a presentation in one of the panels, seminars, or workshops, described above should be 300 words and should outline the substance of the planned paper or, in the case of workshops, draft book projects. Please stipulate what kind of session (traditional panel, seminar, or workshop) you would like to be included in.<\/li>\n
- Full panel and seminar proposals should be 1000 words and include an outline of the substance of each paper as well as an explanation of topic or theme of the panel\/seminar. Please stipulate whether you are proposing a traditional panel or a seminar.<\/li>\n
- Roundtable proposals should be 500 words and should explain the significance of the topic or theme to be considered, an explanation of the qualifications of each participant, and an outline of the structure of the session (e.g. allotted time for each panelist, order of presentation, audience discussion time).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For questions, please contact Amy Wood (<\/em>alwood@ilstu.edu<\/em><\/a>) or Ben Johnson (bjohnson25@luc.edu)<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- Proposals should be sent to shgapeconference2026@gmail.com<\/a> by October 1, 2025.<\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.shgape.org\/wp-content\/themes\/shgape-2024\/img\/member-group-mobile.webp\")
\n <\/picture>\n