Salem State College will host the Eighteenth Annual World History
Association Conference in Salem, Massachusetts, 25-28 June 2009. The conference theme will be "Merchants and Missionaries: Trade and Religion in World History."

The conference begins with registration and a reception on the afternoon of 25 June. Panel sessions and other conference-related activities commence on the morning of 27 June and continue to midday 28 June. The local committee has included activities at local venues of historical significance as well as pre-conference tours. At least one session will be held at the Peabody Essex Museum, the USA's oldest and largest maritime museum. Salem State College is also making a social room available where attendees can meet informally.

The local Conferences Committee, headed by Dane Morrison, has made arrangements for reasonably priced accommodations, at substantially reduced rates, at the Hawthorne Hotel (a charming hotel out of another era), and the Peabody Marriott (which will be ideal for those bringing their families and who want amenities such as a pool). Housing will also be available on the Salem State campus in its new student suites. Information regarding housing, registration, the keynote speakers, and related issues will begin appearing on the WHA website www.thewha.org in
September 2008.

The World History Association (WHA) invites proposals from scholars and teachers for full panels, single papers, and roundtables on academic topics and pedagogical issues related to the conference's themes. Proposal forms will soon be available at the WHA website http://www.thewha.org and should be filled out and submitted electronically.

PLEASE NOTE:
When filling out the form, be sure to include ALL of the following required information.
1) Each panel or roundtable proposal must
include a title and a brief (300 words or less) description of the topic and, in the case of panels, a 100- to 200-word abstract of
each paper.
2) Single paper proposals must also include an abstract.
3) Proposals should include the names and e-mail addresses of all participants and a short CV for each.

The Program Committee will give preference to proposals for full sessions and roundtables and will schedule them in the most advantageous time slots. As warranted, the Committee will fill out the program by placing individual papers into sessions of its own devising. The Committee also reserves the right to add appropriate participants to panels having only two scheduled presentations. Papers and sessions that do not directly address the conference theme will be considered and may be accepted as the program
allows.

Proposals are due by 15 January 2009, to allow time for early notification and travel planning. Notwithstanding acceptance of a proposal, any presenter not registered for the conference by 1 May 2009 will be dropped from the program.