K–12 educators can earn their graduate degree in this affordable, online, accredited program. It’s easy to apply and become an enrolled student. Applications are open all year and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Upcoming Fall Semester Dates
For the first time, we are pleased to offer annual and one-month subscriptions to the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Access includes the ability to view and download images from the 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.
Image: A photograph of a WWII crew posed in front of one of the B-24 Liberators they flew. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09620.290)
Congratulations to the five finalists for the 2025 George Washington Prize:
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!
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).
15 Professional Development Hours
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.
Our master’s degree program gives K–12 educators an affordable way to earn a graduate degree while working full time.
Explore American history from your own home, in your own time, and at your own pace! Educators can obtain professional development credit.
Free, self-paced courses in American history for high school students. Students must be 13 or older to register for a course.
Deepen your knowledge of this holiday with historical documents, essays, videos, and lesson plans from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Antietam may have helped Lincoln combat pro-slavery sentiment in the North.
Learn about and discuss teaching civics in preparation for Constitution Day.
Last day to apply for the Fall semester.
Application deadline for new students registered in the Gettysburg–Gilder Lehrman Institute master's degree program.
Submit your best creative piece for the chance to see Hamilton in New York City! (Lottery deadline: February 15)
Every Sunday at 2:00 pm ET (11:00 am PT) on Zoom
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.
Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation
American Dark Age: Racial Feudalism and the Rise of Black Liberalism
Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War
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.
We hold many rare copies of foundational American documents, like this first draft of the US Constitution
Discover 2,000+ individuals who lived through the American Revolution, like the poet Phillis Wheatley.
Bring history to life with visual sources, like this US War Department recruitment poster (ca. 1944–1945).
In addition to documents, the Collection includes objects, like this campaign button for Lyndon Johnson.
Our Collection highlights the contributions of many Americans, like those of a female pilot in the 1910s.
Explore the fight against slavery through abolitionist writings, like this note by Frederick Douglass.
The Online Journal of the Gilder Lehrman Institute
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.
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)
Stay up to date with all the work that we do to combat historical illiteracy and invigorate the study of the past.
Catch up on the highlights from our work with students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.
See all official press releases for our important events, significant programs, and special initiatives.
