Brown v. Board of Education: On This Day, May 17

Posted by Anna Khomina on

On May 17, 1954, the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, unanimously ruling that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson, which infamously permitted "separate but equal" facilities. Chief Justice Earl Warren responded directly to the 60-year-old case when he declared, "In the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

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Apply and Register Now for Fall 2023 American History MA Courses

The Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History allows K–12 educators, National Park Service rangers, and public history professionals to pursue a master’s degree from anywhere in the world.
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July 24 and August 31 American History MA Open Houses and More

Interested in learning more about the MA in American History? Sign up for an open house! Each one offers an overview of the MA program, a walkthrough of the application process, and a Q&A session with program administrators, students, and graduates. To register for an open house, click the desired date in the schedule below.  2023–2024 Open House Schedule
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Announcing the 2023 Ham4Progress Scholarship Winners

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Hamilton are delighted to announce the winners of the third annual Ham4Progress Award for Educational Advancement, a cash award supporting college-bound high school students from communities that directly experience the consequences of injustice and discrimination.
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Explore the American History MA through Free Sample Course Lectures

The Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History offers an affordable, fully online master’s degree program led by renowned, award-winning historians to Gilder Lehrman Institute–affiliated K–12 educators.
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Register Now for Teacher Seminars Beginning June 26

We are excited to begin our 2023 Teacher Seminars program next week. June 21 is your last chance to register for courses that begin on June 26. SEMINAR TOPIC LEAD SCHOLAR LIVE SESSION TIMES (ET) Week of June 26     Colonial North America Sponsored by the Hingham Historical Society
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Live Stream Lectures from the Statesmanship in American History Seminar, July 17-19

All K–12 teachers can register for free to attend via Zoom the scholar’s lectures at the Statesmanship in American History Seminar. Each lecture will be broadcast live from the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions in Princeton, NJ.
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Recent Press Mentions

Graduation Ceremony Held for the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History

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On Saturday, July 15, Gettysburg College celebrated the achievements of graduates of the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History.
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International Press for GLI's Spanish-American Curriculum Partnership with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute

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The Sentinel Interviews Kevin Weddle on Winning the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History

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"In today’s 5 Questions, The Sentinel gave Weddle the opportunity to delve deeper into the research and findings of his book that recently earned him the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History."
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