The Charles Warren Center, Harvard University’s research center for North American history, invites applications for “The History of North America in Global Perspective.”

This workshop will explore a theme much discussed of late, as calls have proliferated for a more globalized history of North America. We will gather scholars whose work goes beyond the manifestos and begin to fill in the outlines of a global approach during the past 500 years. How do important events, themes, and episodes appear if we follow causes and consequences and trace networks of connections wherever they may lead, rather than stopping at the water’s edge? We seek a range of projects that locate U.S. history and its colonial antecedents in a broader context, whether they emphasize the impact of the “outside world” on North American history, the influence of the U.S. on “other” histories, or combine both. We also seek a wide range of themes and approaches, including cultural, economic, intellectual, political, and social history.

Fellows will present their work in a seminar led by Sven Beckert and Erez Manela of Harvard’s History Department. Applicants may not be degree candidates and should have a Ph.D. or equivalent. Fellows have library privileges and receive a private office which they must use for at least the 9-month academic year. The Center encourages applications, otherwise consistent with the Workshop theme, relating to the nation’s life during and as a consequence of wars, and from qualified applicants who can contribute, through their research and service, to the diversity and excellence of the Harvard community. Stipends: individually determined according to fellow
needs and Center resources. Application (on our website or by mail) due Jan. 15, 2010; decisions in early March.