On 30 November – 1 December, the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies (formerly the Roosevelt Study Center) in Middelburg, The Netherlands, will host its annual conference, entitled ‘Pursuing the Rooseveltian Century.’ The conference seeks to explore a new interpretation of the history of United States in the twentieth century, by re-casting it as a ‘Rooseveltian Century’, that connects the emergence of the United States as a global power to the evolution of progressive politics at home and abroad. It examines the three most prominent Roosevelts – Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor – as a ‘collective agent’ who changed our understanding of the responsibilities of government and the global role of the United States. It links the three Roosevelts not only by name but also by belief, purpose and worldview.
The conference explores how the concept of a Rooseveltian Century might be used to reinterpret major themes in American and global history. To that end, it brings together a wide range of scholars to address how the Roosevelts redefined American history within three overarching themes: security, equality, and freedom.
The conference will feature some of the leading scholars of American history on both sides of the Atlantic. Confirmed speakers include Frank Costigliola (University of Connecticut); Mary Dudziak (Emory University); Petra Goedde (Temple University); Kiran Patel (Maastricht University); Lisa McGirr (Harvard University); Justin Hart (Texas Tech University); Elizabeth Borgwardt (Washington University in St. Louis); Mario del Pero (SciencesPo); Michael Cullinane (Northumbria University); and David Woolner (Roosevelt Institute).
Registration is open until 1 November 2017. More information, including a full conference program and details on how to register, are available here: https://www.roosevelt.nl/activities/conference-pursuing-rooseveltian-century. Any inquiries can be directed to the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies at rias@zeeland.nl.
