This international workshop highlights the importance of the UK Prize Papers collection for research on the American War of Independence and offers new insights into lived experiences in war at sea and on land. Bringing together specialists on prize law, the American War of Independence and the Prize Papers, the workshop approaches the collection as a transnational archive of wartime capture and its afterlives. The workshop creates a forum for sustained international exchange and collaboration.

This year, the Prize Papers Talks are setting sail on a new course, evolving into a compelling mini-conference series that delves deeper into the world of prize-taking and the age of sail. In collaboration with the German Maritime Museum, we’ll once again explore the rich maritime histories, global connections, and human stories behind naval trade, seafaring life and warfare.