Welcome to EMSI!
The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) explores the history, literature, art, and science of the Early Modern period (c. 1450-1850). The institute’s range is global – instead of focusing on a particular region, EMSI aims to advance knowledge of the diverse societies in and around the Atlantic and Pacific basins. Researchers nourish diverse perspectives, advance interdisciplinary perspectives, and share discoveries about the Early Modern period with the goal of informing the ways we approach problems today as well as keeping us in touch with the sources of our common humanity.
Check out the 2025- 2026 EMSI Seminar Series.
See the full calendar of EMSI events.
Join EMSI Events and Opportunities!
Everything You Wanted to Know about Publishing a Journal Article But Were Afraid to Ask: A Workshop with Three Early Modern Editors
Panelists
Ashley Cohen, editor of The Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation
Joshua Piker, former editor of William & Mary Quarterly
Brett Rushforth, editor of Huntington Library Quarterly
Friday, February 13, 2026
The Huntington, Ahmanson Classroom
Katarzyna Bartosyzńska, Ithaca College
“FID(ish): 18th Century Experiments with Voice and Perspective”
Friday, February 20, 2026
Huntington Library, Seaver Classroom 1 & 2
Hannah Farber, Columbia University
“How to Sue a Missouri Gambler: Civil Lawsuits in the Federal Territories, 1805-1819”
Thursday, February 26, 2026
USC, Doheny Memorial Library 110C
Recent Events
Sign up for our newsletter!
Find out about upcoming talks, conferences, and other EMSI events.
Image: Detail from “Vallard Atlas,” (1547) HM 29 f.1, chart 9, North America, east coast. Portolan atlas. Courtesy of the Huntington Library.
