2008 Conference on Illinois History
October 30-31, 2008

The annual Conference on Illinois History is scheduled for October 30 and 31 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in downtown Springfield and is the state’s largest meeting devoted to the history of the Prairie State. This is the ninth year of the conference, which is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The conference will feature topics that include politics, geography, community studies, Abraham Lincoln, African American history, and the Civil War. Teachers will benefit from workshops on a variety of topics will be offered. All teacher workshop sessions are approved for Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs).

For additional information, contact contact Donna Lawrence, IHPA, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701, by email at donna.lawrence@illinois.gov, or phone 217/785-7933.

TEACHERS! The Conference is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education for CPDU.

Download the 2008 preliminary program in PDF format.

2007 Program

More than three hundred attended the 2007 conference, which featured traditional academic papers, local history studies, teacher workshops, and roundtable discussions. The Conference on Illinois History is a meeting that encourages the sharing of Illinois history research with a diverse audience that serves.

*Established scholars who seek a forum and feedback for their ongoing research
*Graduate students planning academic careers who wish to gain experience delivering papers at professional conferences
*Avocational historians who wish to share a local history study with a broader audience
*Public historians who have an institutional history or project of interest to the focused audience of the conference
*Teachers with a desire to bring new perspectives and teaching techniques into their classrooms
*Students of Illinois history of all ages and all walks of life who appreciate opportunities to learn in a welcoming environment with others who share an interest in the history of Illinois and its people

Applications are being accepted for the King V. Hostick Award.  Details.