For the last two and a half years the Transatlantic Ties project, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, has been exploring the close historical connections between America and West Sussex through the wealth of historical resources in the archives. The Transatlantic Ties symposium will be a day of lectures and presentations exploring the shared history of West Sussex and the United States.

Our keynote speaker will be Emily Sneff, a PhD candidate in the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Before graduate school, she was the Research Manager of the Declaration Resources Project at Harvard University. In collaboration with Danielle Allen, she conducted research on the Sussex Declaration held at West Sussex Record Office.

Also speaking will be Anthony Howe, Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of East Anglia, and novelist Francis Spufford, who will be giving a reading from his novel Golden Hill, set in 18th century New York.

Arrival will be from 9.30 am for a 10.00 am start, and the day will finish at 4.30 pm. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

A detailed copy of the programme will be emailed to you in advance of the symposium.