A Symposium Celebrating the Legacy of Thomas Paine,
June 16 -18, 2022 in New Rochelle, New York
by Gary Berton, President of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association
The Symposium will contribute to a Festival inaugurating the Thomas Paine International Historical Center in New Rochelle, NY. The Center comprises the Thomas Paine Memorial Building, built and maintained by the Thomas Paine National Historical Association (TPNHA), The Thomas Paine Cottage and Museum, owned by the Huguenot and New Rochelle Historical Society, and the Thomas Paine Monument, the oldest monument to a Founder and maintained by the City of New Rochelle. The Center strives to unite public history focused around Thomas Paine and New Rochelle with scholarly study of the legacy of Paine and his impact today, often in cooperation with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies nearby at Iona College, where the TPNHA Collection is now housed.
Individual presentations and panels will be organized addressing Thomas Paine as a central figure in the history of modern democracy and the philosophy of government, and a major influence on the freethought movement.
Submissions are invited on the following topics:
- The Works of Thomas Paine
- The Transatlantic Impact of Paine’s writings and activities
- Thomas Paine in New Rochelle
- Freethought Movement in America
There will be a special panel discussion by the Editorial Board of the Collected Works of Thomas Paine Project. See details of the Board at www.thomaspaine.org.
We are interested in presentations by independent scholars as well as academics. While submissions addressing the topics above will be given priority, original papers on other aspects of the impact and legacy of Paine will also be considered.
The Symposium will take place June 17 – 18, 2022. Information about accommodations and other details of the Festival will be provided to all participants, who must be self-funded. A banquet and other social events, family-centered entertainment, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Center are all part of the Festival plan, which will draw from the community of New Rochelle and the New York area. Ian Rushkin, creator of the play about Thomas Paine, To Begin the World Over Again, will be among the performers.
Send your proposals (less than 500 words) for individual presentations to tpnhamail@gmail.com, with Subject Heading “Presentation Proposal”. Panel presentations by organizations and groups may also be accommodated, submitted with subject heading “Panel Proposal”. Deadline for submission of papers is March 1, 2022.
For more information, contact the Thomas Paine National Historical Association at tpnhamail@gmail.com. Or call 732-581-8442.
A website for the event will be initated in November, 2021: thomaspainenewrochelle@gmail.com for details on registering and accommodations.
Contact Email: tpnhamail@gmail.comURL: http://www.thomaspaine.org