The David Center for the American Revolution at the American Philosophical Society invites proposals for works-in-progress for its 2022-2023 seminar series.  We welcome proposals from individuals focusing on any aspect of the American Revolution and its era, especially the cause, course, consequence, and experiences of the event (1750-1820). The seminar meets once a month on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 p.m. ET during the Fall and Spring semesters. All meetings in 2022-2023 will be held on Zoom. To submit a proposal, please email a one-page proposal, a brief statement (2-3 sentences) explaining how this paper relates to your other work, and a brief CV by June 10, 2022 to [email protected].

On December 1-2, 2022, The David Center will host the conference, Somerset v. Steuart @ 250: Facts, Interpretations, and Legacies. The program committee invites paper proposals from scholars in all fields to assess what we have learned and how we might interpret events before, during, and after the 1772 decision. To propose a paper, please send an abstract of 250 words, a one-page cv, and a brief cover letter about how this topic fits into your past, present, and/or developing research, by June 15, 2022, to Interfolio.

The recordings from the APS's Fall Conference on "Meanings of Independence" are now available on YouTube. They may be accessed here.

The David Center for the American Revolution integrates the collections of the David Library with that of the APS to create a one-stop-shop for the study of the American Revolution.

The David Library collections consist of approximately 8,000 volumes, 9,000 reels of microfilm, and the large Sol Feinstone manuscript collection. The Sol Feinstone Collection, a rich collection of letters and documents, was assembled by DLAR Founder Sol Feinstone (1888-1980) over a period of fifty years. It includes material on almost all notable Americans from before the Revolution to the 1850s, as well as prominent Europeans and documents relating to military affairs. There are substantial groups of letters from: John Adams, Henry Dearborn, Alexander Hamilton, Jedidiah Huntington, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette, George Washington, and a long run of letters from a Massachusetts military surgeon named Samuel Adams. Many letters, though written by revolutionary figures, relate to events that occurred before or after the War.

This adds to the APS Library's Early American History Collections, which are particularly strong for the period from 1750 to 1840. In addition to the Benjamin Franklin Papers and the Thomas Paine Collection, the APS has a wide assortment of documents from the revolutionary era. Among these are official government documents and correspondence, military records that range from the Continental Army to Pennsylvania county records, and personal correspondence from various historical actors. Notable collections of correspondence include the Nathanael Greene Papers, the Peale-Sellers Family Collection, the Richard Henry Lee Papers, and the William Temple Franklin Papers. 

Of particular note is the record of the American missions to Europe during the American Revolution. The William Temple Franklin Papers, the Arthur Lee Collection, the Benjamin Franklin Papers, and the Benjamin Franklin Bache collections provide a nearly complete window into America’s diplomatic maneuverings in Europe during the American Revolution. 

Finding aids that were previously available on the David Library website can be found to the right. Please check "Latest Updates" above for when the materials they list will be accessible.

The David Center aims to build a community of scholars through a program of long- and short-term fellowships:

David Center for the American Revolution Short-Term Resident Research Fellowships

Deadline: March 5, 2021

These fellowships continue the 30-year tradition of the David Library awarding over 200 fellowships to scholars working on projects about the American Revolution and Founding Era. These opportunities provide one month of support for researchers in residence and are open to scholars in all fields who show a demonstrated need to use the collections for their project.

2020-2021 Fellows:

• Benjamin Bankhurst
• Christopher R. Pearl
• Meg Roberts
• Robert E. Wright

David Center for the American Revolution Postdoctoral Fellowship

Deadline: January 29, 2021

This 24-month fellowship is intended for a recent Ph.D., professor at any level seeking sabbatical support for a research project, or an independent scholar working on a project. Applicants will receive a stipend of $50,000 per year to support twenty-four months of work on projects about the American Revolution and Founding Era. 

David Center for the American Revolution Predoctoral Fellowship

Deadline: January 29, 2021

This 12-month fellowship is intended for advanced Ph.D. students working toward the completion of the dissertation. Applicants will receive a stipend of $25,000 to support twelve months of work on projects about the American Revolution and Founding Era. 

Friends of the APS Predoctoral Fellowship in Early American History (to 1840)

Deadline: January 29, 2021

The APS Library offers long-term residential predoctoral fellowships for graduate students working on topics in early American History (to 1840). The 12-month fellowship is intended for advanced Ph.D. students working toward the completion of the dissertation.

Swan Foundation Short-Term Resident Research Fellowship for Revolutionary-Era Material Culture

Deadline: March 5, 2021

This funding opportunity provides one month of support for researchers to work in the artifact collections of the Swan Historical Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, and other repositories in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The fellowship is open to scholars in all fields who show a demonstrated need to use the collections for their project.

Library & Museum Short-Term Resident Research Fellowships

Not offered in 2021-2022

Short-term Fellowships generally support scholars working toward the completion of a dissertation or book. The grant is also open to independent or community-based scholars as well as academic scholars. The grant provides a stipend of $3,000 for 1–3 months of research in residence at the APS.

Brendan McConville (Co-Chair), Professor of History, Boston University and member of the David Library's Board of Trustees

Patrick K. Spero (Co-Chair), Librarian and Director of the American Philosophical Society Library & Museum

Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History, Harvard University

Katherine Grandjean, Associate Professor of History, Wellesley College

Patrick Griffin, the Madden-Hennebry Professor at the University of Notre Dame

Woody Holton, the McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina

Jack Rakove, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies, Stanford University

Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center

R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution

The David Center regular holds international conferences, public lectures, family and adult programming, and major exhibitions inspired by the Sol Feinstone Collection.

The David Center is now accepting proposals for the 2021-2022 David Center for the American Revolution Seminar Series. To submit a proposal, please email a one-page proposal, a brief statement (2-3 sentences) explaining how this paper relates to your other work, and a brief CV by August 29, 2021 to [email protected]. 

For more information, visit the seminar website.