ChLA 2007
Welcome to
Newport News!
On May 13, 1607, three small English ships under the command of Captain Christopher Newport arrived on the shore of the Virginia Peninsula to found Jamestown, the first permanent British colony in the Americas. The mythology of American history, as taught to countless generations of schoolchildren, starts with that moment, as the colonists begin the work of transforming the American "wilderness" into "civilization." Fifteen miles northeast of Jamestown, 174 years later, General George Washington defeated the British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, thereby effectively ending British rule of the thirteen colonies and thus making possible American self-governance.
ChLA 2007 will be hosted at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. The conference theme, "Anniversaries, Histories, and Colonialisms," reflects the historical character of the local area and the 400th anniversary of the founding of nearby Jamestown, the first permanent English-speaking settlement in the Americas. This anniversary of the genesis of Anglo-American culture in 2007 offers a perfect opportunity to consider the constructions of history and colonialisms in relation to children's literature.
e-mail Jennifer Miskec