American Society for Legal History Conference Session: “Paper Sovereignty: The Politics of “Custom,” Natural Law, & Slavery,” November 6, 2021 @ 2:40 – 4:05 pm

2:40 PM – 4:05 PM

Paper Sovereignty: The Politics of “Custom,” Natural Law, & Slavery (Melpomene)

Chair: Laurie Wood, Florida State University (lmwood@fsu.edu), Commentator: Laurie Wood, Florida State University (lmwood@fsu.edu)

Holly Brewer, University of Maryland (hbrewer@umd.edu)
The Problem of Custom in English & American Law: Slavery, Power, and Legitimacy 1619 through 1837

Amelie Hopkins, Columbia University (ach2180@columbia.edu)
Tyranny of Paper: The Role of Documents in the Defense and Usurpation of Freedom

Asheesh Siddique, University of Massachusetts (asiddique@umass.edu)
Shredding the Body Politic: Paper and Natural Law in Early American Constitutional Thought

Note from the organizers: We are very excited about the upcoming program our program committee has developed, and wanted to make sure a working link to the conference schedule reached your inbox. So please, take a moment to look at the terrific panels and other events on tap this year at the 2021 ASLH annual conference. Additionally, we know the course of the COVID-19 pandemic can change rapidly. New Orleans policies are detailed here. The Society is committed to updating the 2021 ASLH annual conference webpage as such information comes to us. We invite you to check back often for additional updates.