WILLIAMSBURG — The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture, in partnership with William & Mary and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, announced the second conference in the five-year “For 2026” series: “Contested Freedoms.”
Following a successful inaugural conference last year, “Contested Freedoms” will be held Oct. 26-28, and will delve into the exploration of how freedom was defined and experienced in the long era of revolution, organizers said.
“William & Mary is the university for exploring this country’s first 250 years — with strong, enduring cultural partnerships and deep ties to the foundation of U.S. democracy,” said William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe. “Our Vision 2026 democracy cornerstone amplifies new stories of revolution. We are pleased to join our close research partners in Williamsburg for this second leg of our ‘For 2026’ series.”
“Early American history is as relevant to the general public as it is to scholars,” added Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. “As a leading public history institution, Colonial Williamsburg is honored to collaborate with William & Mary and the Omohundro Institute to make content about our nation’s origins available to as broad an audience as possible.”
“Contested Freedoms” will feature a mix of researcher-to-researcher panels, public audience events, roundtable discussions, site visits, workshops, and plenary sessions designed to engage scholars, public historians, students, and other interested audiences in questions and insights about competing and contentious definitions of freedom in vast early American history.
This year’s conference features scholars from across the country and around the globe, according to the organizers. Scholarly daytime panels on Friday and Saturday, hosted at the W&M School of Education, will tackle diverse topics ranging from the exploration of LGBTQ+ people in Revolutionary America to “Indigenous Politics and Polities,” to “Storytelling as Meaning Making and History,” providing diverse perspectives on a broad range of topics.
“By creating this event in Williamsburg we are taking full advantage of the resources in our city, our region and across the Commonwealth,” noted Ann Marie Stock, Presidential Liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships at William & Mary. “Our significant locale positions us as collaborators and conveners; and our partnership positions us to activate an array of resources and expertise to invite questions, promote debate and discussion and foster understanding.”
Highlights of the conference will include two evening plenary sessions covering topics relevant to the Indigenous experience in America. Friday’s plenary will be held at the Indigenous in the Hennage Auditorium.
Fleet will introduce “Restoring the Indigenous Voice in Museums of Early America,” moderated by Dr. Mariruth Leftwich from the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation. The panel will focus on exploring the interpretation of archaeological and historical evidence of the Indigenous peoples of early America, and the approaches museums are taking to give those communities a voice.
A reception at the Art Museums Café will follow the Friday plenary.
On Saturday evening Rowe will introduce an address by Dr. Ned Blackhawk, acclaimed
American historian and award-winning author of “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.”
Catherine E. Kelly, executive director of the Omohundro Institute, said, “For the last 80 years, the Omohundro Institute has been at the center of every important conversation about the early American past, and we are fully committed maintaining that place today. ‘For 2026: Contested Freedoms’ will provide scholars, museum educators, and members of the public with the opportunity to consider the complicated, even contradictory, meaning of ‘freedom’ in early America and to learn about cutting-edge research unfolding across our field. These conversations have never been more vital for our republic, and I’m grateful to Colonial Williamsburg, William & Mary, and scholarly partners from across the nation for helping bring this important conference to Williamsburg.”
Full conference registration (through Omohundro Institute) is available at low-to-no-
cost for Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary staff/students, Indigenous communities, and more. All Omohundro Institute registrants receive a ticket voucher to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums valid for seven consecutive days from the time of redemption.
