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  • Master’s Degree in American History

    Apply now in time for Fall 2025 

    MA students can choose from a wide variety of courses each semester. Browse fall courses, watch lecture previews, meet the professors, and see course details.

     

    Fall Semester Dates

    • Course Registration Opens: July 14, 2025
    • Final Day to Apply: September 4, 2025
    • Courses Start: September 18, 2025
    • Course Registration Ends: September 24, 2025
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  • Subscribe to the Gilder Lehrman Collection

    For the first time, we are pleased to offer annual and one-month subscriptions to the entire Gilder Lehrman Collection. Access includes the ability to view and download images of the full Collection.


    The Gilder Lehrman Collection comprises more than 87,000 letters, diaries, maps, pamphlets, printed books, newspapers, photographs, and ephemera. It documents the political, social, and economic history of the United States from 1493 through the twentieth century.

    A photograph of Robert L. Stone's crew posed in front of one of the B-24 Liberators they flew.
  • Summer 2025 Professional Development

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  • The Citizenship Test

    Civics and American History

    The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is excited to introduce our new Citizenship hub. Take the US Naturalization Exam—available in short, intermediate, full, and Kahoot! formats—and receive real-time feedback on your results!

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  • New Self-Paced Course

    American Political History Since 1945

    Professor Beverly Gage discusses United States politics, political thought, and social movements since 1945. In this course, you will learn about pivotal elections and political figures (Truman, Nixon, Reagan) as well as politics from below (civil rights, labor, women’s activism).

    Campaign button with slogan "If I Were 21 I'd Vote for Johnson"
    • 15 Professional Development Hours

  • History Now: The Journal

    History Now, the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s quarterly journal featuring essays by leading historians, is free and open to all!

    Read the latest issue—and explore the hundreds of essays in our History Now archive–by visiting our new and improved History Now landing page.

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    Learn with the Gilder Lehrman Institute

    MA in American History

    Our master’s degree program gives K–12 educators an affordable way to earn a graduate degree while working full time.

    Self-Paced Courses

    Explore American history from your own home, in your own time, and at your own pace! Educators can obtain professional development credit.

    History U

    Free, self-paced courses in American history for high school students. Students must be 13 or older to register for a course.

    Upcoming Events

    Upcoming Deadlines

    Book Breaks

    Every Sunday at 2:00 pm ET (11:00 am PT) on Zoom

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    Join us for our weekly interview series in which historians discuss their acclaimed books followed by a Q&A with the at-home audience. Please click any of the upcoming episodes to register. You can purchase any of the books featured on our bookshop.org page, for which we receive an affiliate commission.

    Browse Past Episodes Learn More

    Upcoming Episodes

    Our Historical Documents

    In 1991, Richard Gilder and Lewis Lehrman embarked on a mission to create one of the most important repositories of historical American documents in the country. Today, the Gilder Lehrman Collection comprises over 87,000 items that document the political, social, and economic history of the United States.

    Learn about the Collection Search Our Collection

    History Now

    The Online Journal of the Gilder Lehrman Institute

    Flag representing the free states of the union as stars on the flag but not the slave states


    Published four times a year, History Now features essays by the nation’s leading historians for teachers, students, and general readers.

    History Now is free for everyone and does not require a subscription or login.

    Browse Issues

    How to Research a World War II Veteran

    Learn about the historical research process in this step-by-step guide. As you progress, you will have opportunities to apply what you are learning.

    Image: American Servicemen and women in Paris celebrating the unconditional surrender of the Japanese, August 15, 1945 (National Archives, 111-SC-210241)

    Crowd of military Service members holding up newspapers with "PEACE" headline in large letters

    News

    Our News

    Stay up to date with all the work that we do to combat historical illiteracy and invigorate the study of the past.

    See Our News

    Newsletter

    Catch up on the highlights from our work with students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.

    Read Newsletter

    Press Releases

    See all official press releases for our important events, significant programs, and special initiatives.

    View Press Releases