Do you attend a history seminar?
For the last four years, I have been a regular attendee of the Boston Early American History Seminar. It meets at the Massachusetts Historical Society on the first Tuesday of each month between October and May (January excepted).
I enjoy the Boston Early American Seminar because it allows me to meet and converse with other scholars and enthusiasts interested in the history of early America. Each seminar encourages me to consider new ideas and keeps me abreast of the latest scholarship. These opportunities to think and network help me overcome some of the hurdles I face as an independent scholar.
As an independent scholar, I do not have a department of colleagues to turn to when I wish to discuss my research, get stuck, or need a recommendation for a research fellowship. The social time before and after the seminar provides me with chances to extend my network of colleagues, scholars with whom I can talk about my work and ask for a recommendation. Additionally, my regular attendance demonstrates to my academic colleagues that I am someone who takes my scholarship seriously and that I am their peer.
New Resource: History Seminar List
The Boston Early American History Seminar has played an important role in my intellectual and professional development. I believe that all historians who have access to a seminar should attend one. To this end I have created a new resource for historians: The History Seminar List.
The History Seminar List fills a gap in the internet. I have yet to find a website that lists all of the available history seminars. I have seeded the list with the seminars that I either knew about or found via Google Search. I know that it is incomplete, but I hope that you will help me fill it in by submitting your favorite seminar or any other history seminars that you know about.
Please help me spread the word about the History Seminar List so we can populate it with as many seminars as possible and help our colleagues find a history seminar near them.
History Seminar Resource List Submission Form
History Seminar Resource List