Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution

Slavery North’s inaugural academic conference, Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution, takes place at UMass Amherst from Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12, 2026.

Marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this conference assembles scholars and graduate students who will present papers that examine the cultures, events, and experiences of the American Revolutionary War across the liminal borders (regional and proto-national) of British North America.

The conference will feature keynote lectures by Dr. dann j. Broyld and Dr. Richard Bell and nine panels that engage new approaches and perspectives, interrogate un(der)studied archives, and tackle original topics and themes on the art, visual and material cultures, and histories of the Revolutionary War on both sides of the 49th parallel. Our organizing premise insists that participants recuperate and centre the aspirations, resistance, perspectives, and experiences of enslaved people and communities.

 

Conference registration is free.

Advanced registration required by Thursday, June 18, 2026.

Register: https://slaverynorth.com/rrr-conference/