Conference on Women and the Civil War 2025
Call for Presentation Proposals
The Society for Women and the Civil War proudly hosts its annual conferences focused upon the lives of women during the period of 1861-1865, living and serving in both in the United States and the Confederate States. For each year’s conference, it invites professional and amateur historians, scholars of all genres, members of the Society, and members of the public to join it in celebrating women’s contributions to our country's history during the Civil War, showcasing original and innovative research.
SWCW’s 2025 conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on 25-26 July 2025.
The Society invites proposals for presentations examining the lives and contributions of USA and CSA Civil War-era women at local, regional and national levels. Proposals for presentations regarding all relevant topics which further our knowledge and understanding of these women, to include the life-styles, milieu, material culture, arts and skills of the mid-nineteenth century, will be welcomed for consideration; however, topics which address the lives of women – Confederate, Unionist and/or neutral - in the American west are particularly welcome for this conference.
Potential speakers should submit by electronic means:
1. A synopsis of the presentation, of at least one (1) page, but not more than three (3)
pages. The synopsis must indicate why the presentation is relevant to the conference.
It must also include a description of visual and physical aids used to illustrate
and highlight the presentation, and specify the technology required to use the aids.
2. A bibliography of the sources used, with an emphasis on the primary sources.
3. A personal biography of not more than two (2) pages, including a listing of credentials, prior presentations (if any), publications (if any) and contact information. Links to on-line presentations made previously are considered quite useful. This should not be construed to discourage amateur historians.
To the fullest extent possible, the use of quality graphics and images is encouraged.
All submissions should be provided in MS Word format.
Note that presentations are expected to be of a duration of approximately one hour and will be followed by Question-and-Answer sessions of approximately fifteen minutes.
If a presentation is selected for this conference, the information provided by the speaker will be included in the conference binder. The speaker will be asked to contribute to a follow-on issue of the Society’s scholarly journal, At Home and in the Field, an article in MS Word format which is based upon the presentation The speaker may also be invited to have the presentation videoed for later television broadcast.
Submissions will be evaluated principally upon the following criteria:
1. Originality of the topic.
2. Relevancy of the topic to the lives and efforts of women living in the USA and CSA
during the Civil War era.
3. Quality of research, highlighting the use of primary sources.
4. Quality of the presentation, including the use of visual aids.
5. Presentation ability of the speaker.
6. Anticipated attendee interest level for the topic.
Submissions from graduate students are encouraged. Subjects examined from a macro-history perspective, or a micro-history perspective are welcomed. Displays accompanying the presentations are also welcome.
Please send submissions, and any questions or inquiries, to: [email protected] ATTN: 2025 Conference Speaker Proposals.
Those chosen to speak at the conference will be provided a fee of $100 as compensation for their presentations. As in-kind compensation they will also receive complimentary conference participation, including access to conference presentations, field trip(s), displays, social events and meals. In-kind compensation also includes provision of complimentary lodging for the Friday and Saturday nights of the conference.
Speakers will additionally benefit from conference and general publicity provided by SWCW and its partner organizations. Those selected who have published books on Civil War-era subjects are invited to set up tables for book sales and signings – without fee. Speakers will be provided with a one-year courtesy membership in SWCW for the following year; speakers may care to renew that membership for themselves for subsequent years. Speakers are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the conference.
Deadline: All submissions must be RECEIVED by 1 November 2024. Presentation submission indicates the willingness to speak if selected by the SWCW conference committee. In December 2024, the Society will contact all those who have provided proposals.