Annual Conference
The HOTCUS annual conference is the centrepiece of the organization’s calendar. Traditionally held over three days during the summer, it features a diverse programme of research presentations, state-of-the-field roundtables, and plenary lectures.
The 2026 Annual Conference will be held at the University of Manchester from 1-3 July. Professor Beth Bailey, Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions, 2025-26, Cambridge University, will be the plenary speaker. A call for papers will be released early in 2026.
HOTCUS Events 2027 – Call for hosts!
HOTCUS is actively seeking hosts for our 2027 events, including the Winter Symposium (usually held in February) and the Annual Conference (mid-June). We can only run our events with member support and input, so please do consider if this is something that you can support at your institution.
If you are interested in hosting a HOTCUS event in 2027 or beyond, or have questions about what this might entail, please reach out to our Events Secretary, Bevan Sewell at bevan.sewell@nottingham.ac.uk
Winter Symposia are usually organised around a particular research theme, sub-discipline, or anniversary. Previous recent themes have included the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the concept of neoliberalism in modern US history, and 1963 as a watershed year. Some have led to the publication of edited collections or journal special issues.
Previous conferences:
2025: Lancaster University, 18-20 June 2025 (plenary speaker: Andrew Preston) – Programme
2024: Southampton University, 19-21 June 2024 (plenary speaker: Randall J. Stephens) – Programme
2023: Northumbria University, 21-23 June 2023 (plenary speaker: Bruce J. Schulman) – Programme
2022: Edinburgh University, 22-24 June 2022 (plenary speaker: Melani McAlister) – Programme
2021: Digital Conference, 7-10 June 2021 (plenary speaker: Connie Y Chiang) – Programme
2019: Liverpool John Moores University, 12-14 June 2019 (plenary speaker: Donna Murch) – Programme
2018: Madingley Conference Centre, Cambridge, 13-15 June 2018 (plenary speaker: Brooke Blower) – Programme
2017: University College Dublin, 16-18 June 2017 (plenary speaker: Penny Von Eschen) – Programme
2016: Roosevelt Study Center, Middelburg, 6-8 July 2016 (plenary speaker: Margot Canaday) – Programme
2015: University of East Anglia, 26-28 June 2015 (plenary speakers: Gary Gerstle and Andrew Hartman)
2014: University of Reading, 5-7 September 2014 (joint conference with BrANCH, HOTCUS plenary speaker: Sarah T. Phillips)
2013: Northumbria University, 5-7 July 2013 (plenary speaker: Wesley Hogan)
2012: Roosevelt Study Center, Middelburg, 20-22 June 2012 (plenary speaker: Charles Postel)
2011: University of Oxford, 7-9 July 2011 (plenary speaker: Jeremi Suri)
2010: University of Sussex, 1-3 July 2010 (plenary speaker: Nancy MacLean)
2009: University of Cambridge, 26-28 June 2009 (plenary speaker: Lisa McGirr)
2008: Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London, 26-28 June 2008 (plenary speaker: Tony Badger)