K–12 teachers: Study with world-renowned scholars—and earn PD credits—without leaving home! Learn more and register for our online professional development opportunities this summer:
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).
Image: A 1964 campaign button supporting Lyndon B. Johnson (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09750)
15 Professional Development Hours
History Now, the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s quarterly journal featuring essays by leading historians, is now 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.
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.
Join us for the next open house on July 9 at 8 p.m. ET. We'll provide an overview of the program and a walk-through of the application process.
Fall Semester Dates
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.
High school students in our Affiliate School Program are encouraged to participate in this prestigious competition.
Colonists tried to avoid the American Revolution by sending a petition to King George III a year before declaring independence.
Deepen your knowledge of this holiday with historical documents, essays, videos, and lesson plans from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Register for this seminar, led by Prof. Daina Ramey Berry, by June 30.
Last day to submit your interpretive or research essay
Final day to enroll in one of our three free summer courses!
Last day to apply for Gilder Lehrman Institute school-year internships
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.
Sedition: How America’s Constitutional Order Emerged from Violent Crisis
Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation
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.
Beginning on March 14, History Now will be free for everyone and will 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.
