ASECS – The foremost learned society in the US for the study of the long 18th Century

WELCOME

The American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, established in 1969, is the foremost learned society in the United States for the study of all aspects of the long eighteenth century.

WHO WE ARE

MEMBERSHIP

A Masked Ball in Bohemia, attributed to Andreas Altomonte, ca. 1748. Austrian. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

ANNUAL MEETING

The 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies will take place April 9-11, 2026, in Philadelphia at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown.

Congress Hall and New Theatre / Drawn, engraved & published by W. Birch & Son Neshaminy Bridge.

MEMBERS

ASECS promotes the study and teaching of the long eighteenth century through diverse networks at membership, society, and international levels. Engage with other members and partners to support our mission and the field.

Tartars Playing Polo, Kano Eisen’in Furunobu 狩野永川院古 , early 18th Century. Japan.
Metropolitan Museum of Art.

LATEST NEWS

*Painting of an Indian Woman*. Anna Maria von Phul, 1818. Native American.
Missouri Historical Society

ASECS 2026 Prize Winners

Congratulations to all the 2026 prize winners! Pages within the website will be updated to reflect the new group of winners, but this consolidated list allows you to browse in one page. ASECS Gottscha…

Downloading the 2026 Conference Program

The 2026 program is now available in three different formats. You can download a pdf, use the conference app eConference.io, or view it through the website link. The pdf and the app are being updated …

Beyond the Lecture: Engaging the Future of Doctoral Education with ACLS

The ACLS Doctoral Futures Initiative welcomes ASECS members to a set of open, discussion-based conversations about some of the most pressing questions facing doctoral education today. Each townha…

ISECS Conference

The upcoming ISECS Conference on “Reframing the Enlightenment. Intellectual and political disputes today”, will take place in Paris on June 10-12 2026. Interested people are welcome to attend the conf…

All News and Updates

The bold interlocking swirl of red and white suggests worldly dualities. Painted ceramics such as this are synonymous with Quapaw peoples. The group migrated from the Ohio River valley south to the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers around the 16th century. During this time, artists stopped using exotic North American materials sourced through long distance trade, such as copper and shell, and instead expanded upon earlier ceramic traditions. Quapaw artists seem to draw inspiration from the globular body and tapering necks of gourds while consistently using color combinations of red, white, black, and buff. It is likely this “teapot” form was based on vessels introduced following the arrival of Europeans in the mid-16th century. The Quapaw nation continued to inhabit what is now Arkansas through the early 19th century. Following policies set by the United States government and the signing of three treaties, the government forcibly removed Quapaw peoples to present-day Oklahoma, where the Quapaw nation is located today.

OUR RESOURCES

ASECS is a member of a number of associations devoted to supporting and advocating for the humanities. The Society is pleased to offer members a number of resources on research and teaching, events, grants and fellowships, and member support. Stay apprised of humanities and nonprofit policy updates, ways to advocate, and deadlines for funding.

VIEW ALL RESOURCES

Quapaw Culture (Arkansas/Midsouth), Spouted Vessel with Painted Motifs,
ca.1500–1700 (maybe 1600). Saint Louis Art Museum