The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History proudly announces Valencia Abbott, an educator at Rockingham Early College High School in Wentworth, NC, as the 2025 National History Teacher of the Year.
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.
Spring registration opens on Monday, November 24.
The founding era refers to the period in American history from approximately 1774 to 1797, encompassing the Revolutionary War, the establishment of the United States, and the creation of its foundational government.
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!
This course, led by John Fabian Witt, Yale University, takes up the social and political history of the document and the practices that have arisen around it, from the founding era to the 1937 transformation that now hangs in the balance.
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.
Learn about and discuss teaching civics in preparation for Constitution Day.
Deepen your knowledge of this holiday with historical documents, essays, videos, and lesson plans from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Almanacs were used to popularize the abolitionist cause.
Deadline for scholars of American history to apply for a $3000 research fellowship.
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.
Saints and Liars: The Story of Americans Who Saved Refugees from the Nazis
Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840–1920
The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America
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.
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