In 2026, the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In light of this significant occasion, the journal California History is preparing a special issue focusing on “American Revolutions in California.” This issue will examine the legacies of the Declaration and the American Revolution in the nation’s largest state, and the potential for new approaches to research, public presentations, and teaching American Revolutionary history as informed by the California experience.

The journal invites submissions exploring topics relating to American Revolutions in California. These may include, among many possibilities: the impact of the Declaration’s political ideology and the model of the U.S. Constitution on the founding of the state; the impact of the “continental” concept of the U.S. on California’s Indigenous peoples; interconnections among the American Revolution, the Mexican Revolution, and the origins of the state; the ways in which the multi-ethnic origins of the state did or did not change the original meanings of the American Founding; the “Three Revolutions” – the American Founding, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement – in California history; the ways in which the American Revolution did or did not inspire the powerful Progressive Movement in the state; the repeated trope of “revolutions” in California cultural history.

California History seeks several types of submissions:

• Original Research or Research-in-Progress essays on a topic relating to “American Revolutions in California.”
• Public History essays – detailing exhibits, websites, blogs, etc. – on “American Revolutions in California.”
• Pedagogical essays discussing teaching materials, lesson plans, and experiences centered on teaching the Declaration and/ or the American Revolution in California classrooms. 
• Forum essays: featuring accessibly written, academically sound opinion pieces interpreting current events through an historical lens, in this case as they relate to the Declaration and/or American Revolution in California. 

Submission Process

The journal welcomes submissions from scholars at all stages of their careers, including college and university faculty, public historians, secondary school teachers, and graduate students.

A 200- to 250-word abstract and 1-page CV (providing name of author, professional appointment or affiliation, field of expertise, and current research or awards) are due no later than December 15, 2024.

Manuscript submissions will be due no later than September 15, 2025. 

Editorial Process

The Guest Editors will conduct an initial review. Selected manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review. Final essays will be due no later than April 1, 2026.

Contact

Interested contributors with questions are encouraged to contact Guest Editors Jason Daniels, jason.daniels@csueastbay.edu or Dee E. Andrews, dee.andrews@csueastbay.edu. All materials should be sent as attachments to Mary Ann Irwin, Editor, California History, at maryann.irwin@csueastbay.edu.

About the Journal

Originally launched and published by the California Historical Society for nearly a century, California History is the premier journal of historical writing on California. This tradition continues under the auspices of the University of California Press. Showcasing scholarship, engaging writing, and innovative research, California History is essential reading for students and scholars of the history of California and the West, as well as California residents curious about the imprint of the state’s rich past.

For more details, see https://online.ucpress.edu/ch/pages/submit.

 

Contact Information

maryann.irwin@csueastbay.edu

Contact Email

dee.andrews@csueastbay.edu

URL

https://online.ucpress.edu/ch/pages/submit