Migration and the Early Modern Spanish Empire
CALL FOR PAPERS ANNOUNCEMENT:
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Migration and the Early Modern Spanish Empire
June 10th–12th, 2026
Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Confirmed Keynote Speakers:
Thomas O’Connor
Professor
(History)
Maynooth University
Mayte Green-Mercado
Associate Professor
(History)
Rutgers University-Newark
Leonardo Velloso-Lyons
Assistant Professor
(Spanish and Portuguese)
Emory University
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Exile, diaspora, displacement, multilingualism. Although recent events have brought current issues of migration into sharp relief, the existential dilemmas arising from globalisation, cultural homogenisation, and territorial expansion are anything but new. These dilemmas are deeply rooted in the imperial projects of the early modern period in many ways — and especially so for migrants caught in the ever-shifting dynamics of the Spanish empire as it expanded across the world. In the early 1600s, for example, the Spanish Crown welcomed thousands of Irish refugees who would use their newfound positions and language skills to aid fellow migrants in some cases (such as converso communities facing persecution in Mexico or their own kin facing often violent political subjugation in Ireland) even as they assisted in upholding the status quo in others (such as morisco communities facing expulsion in Iberia).
This conference aims to spark innovative conversations on the way such crosscurrents contributed to emerging conceptions of identity and belonging at the time. What roles did migrants, whose movements were shaped by varying degrees of coercion and agency, play in sustaining, resisting, or remaking community structures in local as well as global contexts? And how did this complicate their representation amid power and precarity? Proposals are thus encouraged, but not limited to, the following topics on the early modern Spanish empire:
Migration & Community
Migration & Naturalisation
Migration & Solidarity
Migration & Diplomacy
Migration & Dissent
Migration & Memory
Migration & Multiculturalism
Migration & Multilingualism
Migration & Translation
Migration & Book History
Migration & Archives
Migration & Materiality
Migration & Racialization
Migration & Religion
Migration & Gender
The conference also specifically aims to cultivate interdisciplinary debates and welcomes work from across fields, such as history, literature, philosophy, etc. Perspectives on understudied relations among multiple migrant communities and/or contact zones are especially desired.
Application Information
For consideration, those interested are invited submit a paper title (15 words maximum), abstract (200 words maximum), and brief biographical note (50 words maximum) to this form by December 19th, 2025. Scholars at all career stages are highly encouraged to apply, and all applicants will be informed of acceptance by the end of January.
Publication Opportunity
The conference may lead to the development of an edited volume or special journal issue. If you would like to be considered for inclusion in such a publication, please indicate your interest on the application form.
Conference Registration
Registration will open on February 1st and close on April 15th, 2026. There will be a small fee to offset the cost of catering (40 euros for PhD students/independent scholars or 80 euros for lecturers/professors/researchers in paid employment). Attendees can book accommodation on the historic campus of St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth (prices from 48 euros/night).
Early Career Researcher Funding
A limited number of scholarships will be awarded to early career researchers to cover the registration fee and accommodation costs during the conference. Those interested are invited to submit a statement in the application portal outlining the significance of the conference theme to their research as well as their reasons for applying for funding (300 words maximum). Priority will be given to early career researchers without institutional support.
Conference Organiser and Contact
School of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Maynooth University
Conference Sponsors
This conference is funded by the European Commission as part of Intersectional Exile: Irish-Iberian Identities and the Comparative Translation of Diaspora (1592-1642) under project number 101151290. It is also generously supported by the Maynooth University School of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures as well as the Grupo de Estudios sobre el Colegio de los Irlandeses de Salamanca · DISCOLIR project at the University of Salamanca.