Montgomery County History Conference 2021
January 22-30

View the 2021 conference program here.

Want access to video recordings? Please contact HistoryConference@MontgomeryHistory.org.

Conference Handouts:
Resources for Archaeology in Montgomery County and Native American and other names used (Dr. Stephen Potter’s presentation)
Researching the Enslaved in Maryland handout (Robyn Smith’s presentation)
PDF Map of Black baseball town teams (Bruce Adams’ presentation)

Test your knowledge from the Trivia Night! Trivia Round 1; Trivia Round 2; Trivia Round 3

From January 22-30, 2021 Montgomery History held its 15th annual Montgomery County History Conference! This year the conference took place entirely online over eight days, offering myriad opportunities to take part, including three keynote sessions, twelve breakout sessions, a musical performance, and—new this year—a Trivia Night!

As the events of this year have demonstrated, never before has an understanding of our past been as important to making sense of the present. The 2021 conference gave attendees the opportunity to hear the stories that will help you answer that age-old question: how did we get here?

Organized in partnership with the county’s leading businesses, philanthropies, agencies, and organizations, the conference brings history to life with exciting topics and fresh voices.​ Whether you are an enthusiast, professional historian, student, teacher, civic leader, or just a resident who wants to better understand your community, the Montgomery County History Conference is for you!

The conference kicked off in style with a Trivia Night, where attendees tested their knowledge of local history and won fun and valuable prizes from local businesses. Keynote sessions explored the 17th century settlement of the Potomac frontier, the movement to remove Confederate statues, and the establishment of the new Josiah Henson Museum. Breakout sessions addressed topics including the history of local Black baseball teams, suburban growth in the 1970s, mid-20th century fashion, conducting genealogy research on enslaved people, the rebirth of Germantown’s Cider Barrel, Georgetown Prep’s fraught relationship with slavery, and much more. For the second year in a row there was a session in Spanish, focusing on local Hispanic entrepreneurs and business owners. In a closing performance, attendees enjoyed a musical performance, interwoven with stories encompassing Maryland’s musical history, from acclaimed musicologist Jake Blount.

View all the session descriptions here.

Click on the schedule images below:

Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

Event Sponsors:

                     


                                      


                          


General Session Sponsors: 

                                         

           

Breakout Session Sponsors: