Early Modern History in the Making: The J H Elliott History Forum Inaugural Symposium

Early Modern History in the Making: The J H Elliott History Forum Inaugural Symposium

The J H Elliott History Forum has the objects to preserve, promote and disseminate the intellectual legacy of Sir John Elliott, Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford between 1991 and 1997, by means of supporting individuals and institutions engaged in the fields of his research, and encouraging future generations to share an interest in history and an awareness of its role in shaping global events. The Inaugural Symposium of the J H Elliott History Forum will focus on some of the main directions in current research that intersect with the contribution of Sir John Elliott to the field of early modern history. It will provide a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge scholarship with special reference to Atlantic and Mediterranean history. Participants will include leading early modern historians as well as early career researchers, including some of the past and present Sir John Elliott Fellows in Oxford and at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The Symposium is sponsored by the J H Elliott History Forum, the Faculty of History of the University of Oxford, and Exeter College, Oxford. 

Programme:

Thursday, 5 June 2025 – Turl Street, Exeter College, Oxford

17:15 Sir John Elliott Memorial Lecture 

Welcome and Introduction by Giuseppe Marcocci (University of Oxford) 

Serge Gruzinski (CNRS, EHESS),
Between Imperial History and Global History: Sir John Elliott, Historian of the Americas

19:00 Drinks 

Friday, 6 June 2025 – Cohen Quad, Walton Street, Exeter College, Oxford 

10:00-12:30 Session 1: The Early Modern Atlantic World 

Chair: Molly Warsh (University of Pittsburgh) 

Fabien Montcher (St Louis University), Iberian Knots: Rhizomatic Readings of the Composite Monarchies

Erica Feild-Marchello (University of Oxford), Language and Race in the Early Modern Spanish World

Gabriel Rocha (Brown University), Corridors in Common: Towards an Integrated Vision of the Early Atlantic

12:30-13:30 Luncheon Break (speaker: Judith Elliott) 

13:30-16:00 Session 2: The Early Modern Mediterranean 

Chair: Harald E Braun (University of Liverpool) 

Cecilia Tarruell (University of Oxford), Runaway ‘Queens’ and ‘Sultanas’: Gendered Histories of Mobility and Resistance in the Early Modern Mediterranean

Andrew Devereux (University of California, San Diego), A Golden Web: Auriferous Geographies and Imperial Rivalry in the Early Modern Mediterranean and Sahara 

Daniel Hershenzon (University of Connecticut), Forced Baptism and the Inheritability of Servile Status: The Enslavement of Muslims in Early Modern Spain

16:00-16:30 Tea Break 

16:30-18:00 Roundtable: Sir John and his World 

Moderator: Richard L Kagan (Johns Hopkins University) 

Rebecca Earle (University of Warwick)
Xavier Gil Pujol (Universitat de Barcelona)
Erin Rowe (Johns Hopkins University)
Francesca Trivellato (Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton) 

19:00 Dinner (Clore Library, University Church, High Street, Oxford) 

Valedictory Speaker: Alexandra Walsham (University of Cambridge) 

Scientific Committee: 

Harald E Braun (University of Liverpool)
Xavier Gil Pujol (University of Barcelona)
Richard L. Kagan (Johns Hopkins University)
Giuseppe Marcocci (University of Oxford)
Geoffrey Parker (Ohio State University)
Molly Warsh (University of Pittsburgh) 

Administrative Support: Euan Huey (University of Oxford)

For further information, please contact: info@jhelliotthistoryforum.com