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At 10:13 p.m. on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC, President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln, unconscious and bleeding, was rushed...
Dinner with the nuclear family, 1950
The threat of invasion and subversion in the Cold War era led Americans to seek consensus and conformity, in politics and in culture. The rise of consumer culture in the same period, driven by an economic boom, a population surge, and...
D-Day correspondence between a soldier and his wife, 1944
On June 6, 1944, as Allied forces numbering approximately 160,000 troops landed along fifty miles of coastline in Normandy, France, Moe Weiner, a native of Brooklyn, was serving in the US Army Quartermaster Corps in England. He did...
Understanding President Washington through His First Inaugural and Farewell Addresses
Lesson Overview In this lesson, students will read and analyze excerpts from two of George Washington’s most important addresses. The first is the speech he gave to Congress on the day of his first inauguration in 1789; the second is...
Opposing Viewpoints on the Ratification of the US Constitution
Lesson Overview Students will develop a rich understanding of the arguments in favor of and in opposition to the ratification of the US Constitution. They will examine and analyze key excerpts from "Federalist No. 51," George Mason’s...
How Hamilton Solved the Economic Problems Facing the United States
Lesson Overview In this lesson students will develop an understanding of the economic challenges facing the newly independent United States. Those challenges included the lack of a national currency, the national government’s...
Hamilton v. Burr: The Story behind the Duel
Lesson Overview Students will develop an understanding of the tensions in the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr prior to their famous duel in 1804. They will read and analyze key excerpts from primary source...
The Middle Passage, 1749
Historians estimate that approximately 472,000 Africans were kidnapped and brought to the North American mainland between 1619 and 1860. Of these, nearly 18 percent died during the transatlantic voyage from Africa to the New World....
The Fort Pillow Massacre, 1864
"Among the stories of the stormy days of the Republic, few will longer be remembered than the heroic defense and almost utter annihilation of the garrison of Fort Pillow." —Mack J. Leaming, April 1893 On April 12, 1864, fifteen...
Nat Turner’s Rebellion, 1831
In the early hours of August 22, 1831, a slave named Nat Turner led more than fifty followers in a bloody revolt in Southampton, Virginia, killing nearly 60 white people, mostly women and children. The local authorities stopped the...
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 1775
In April 1775, John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore and Virginia’s royal governor, threatened to free slaves and reduce the capital, Williamsburg, to ashes if the colonists rebelled against British authority. In the months that followed,...
Slave Patrol Contract, 1856
In the 1800s, particularly after Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831, the legislatures of slave states passed increasingly strict laws governing the activities of enslaved and free African Americans and the interactions between whites and...
Infographic: Life in Colonial America: Climate, Commerce, and Culture
Click here to learn more about the New England Colonies. Click here to learn more about the Middle Colonies. Click here to learn more about the Southern Colonies.
Programs & Events
The Gilder Lehrman Institute promotes the study and love of American history through a wide array of programs and exhibitions for teachers, students, historians, and the general public. From weeklong seminars and other professional...
Programs & Events
The Institute promotes and celebrates accomplishments in American history education and scholarship at every level. Deepen your understanding and appreciation of American history by participating in a program or joining the Institute...
Visit The Collection
Visit the Collection Field Trips A field trip to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History gives students the unique opportunity to learn history from real documents, up close with no display cases! This exciting experience...
Visit the Collection
Collection Programs Inside the Vault Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection is a zoom presentation of documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Join our curators and learn the fascinating stories behind...
Spotlight on Primary Sources
Spotlights on Primary Sources Each of the Spotlights from our Collection provides explanatory text, a transcript, and an image of the featured document. Questions for classroom discussion are available to K–12 teachers. Below are some...
History School
This summer we are offering three AP prep courses led by Gilder Lehrman master teachers. AP US History: "Complex Understanding": July 2–August 13 AP African American Studies: An Overview: July 10–August 14 AP US Government and Politics: The US...
Self-Paced Courses
Self-Paced Courses offer graduate-level instruction in American history—led by the nation’s top historians The Gilder Lehrman Institute’s fifty Self-Paced Courses, drawn from our MA in American History , allow you to study 500 years...
Hamilton Cast Read Alongs
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is excited to share its archive of Hamilton Cast Read Alongs. Hamilton Cast Read Alongs is a program that features Hamilton cast members reading award-winning children’s books followed...
Veterans Legacy Program
Their Full Measure: Americans on the Battlefield In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program, the Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to offer free professional development sessions, lesson plans, and online...
Self-Paced Course PD Programs for K-12 School Districts
Meet the needs of your history, social studies, and ELA teachers with a customizable, scalable, and affordable PD program. Contact PD@gilderlehrman.org to discuss a custom program for your state or district. What are Gilder Lehrman...
How to Participate in the Hamilton Education Program
Thank you for your interest in the Hamilton Education Program. Middle and high school students in Title I schools are currently eligible to participate in the program. If you are from a school , please register your interest in...
Pilgrims, the Plymouth Colony, and Thanksgiving, 1608-1621
Click here to download this five-lesson unit.
Traveling Exhibitions
Traveling exhibitions are available to rent or purchase for display at any site in the United States. These informative, colorful pop-up displays cover subjects in American history, from leading figures like Alexander Hamilton to important events...
Applying to and Enrolling in the MA Program
Applying and Enrolling Start your application here. Read below for guidance on how to apply to and enroll in the MA in American History. Educators affiliated with the Gilder Lehrman Institute are eligible to join the program. Upcoming Summer 2024...
Master's Degree in American History
Master's Degree in American History 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....
United States Naturalization Test
United States Naturalization Test Could you pass the test required of new United States citizens? The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to present our version of the citizenship exam for use in the K–12 classroom. Students will be able to assess...
Inside the Vault: A 1925 Study Guide for Eighth-Grade Graduation in Iowa
Are you smarter than a (1925) eighth grader? In the 1920s, when most students did not go to high school, the eighth-grade state examinations marked the end of their formal education. Sam C. Stephenson published review books to help...
Collection Programs | Inside the Vault
Inside the Vault: Destruction of the King George III Statue in 1776 How did New Yorkers react to the Declaration of Independence? Join us on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 to 5:00 p.m. PT) as we learn more...
The Road to Revolution
The Peace of Paris (February 10, 1763) marked a glorious moment in the history of the British Empire. France surrendered Canada, ending more than a century of warfare on the northern frontier. At the time, no one seriously thought...
Ratifying the US Constitution: Federalists v. Anti-Federalists and the State Debates, 1787-1788
Click here to download this five-lesson unit.
Monthly Affiliate School Offer
Our offer of the 2025 Calendar of the American Revolution is now closed. Please check back later this month for the next Affiliate School offer.
Voting and Elections in American History (Teacher Seminar Online)
Voting and Elections in American History, 1788–2020 Lead Scholar : Allan J. Lichtman, American University Master Teacher : Alysha Butler Partner Organization : The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute Live Session Dates : Week of...
History U | The Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass
The Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass This History U course probes the nature of the life, work, and thought of the nineteenth-century abolitionist, orator, and author Frederick Douglass. Course Instructor : Professor David Blight, Yale...
Scholarly Advisory Board
Cawo Abdi, Professor of Sociology University of Minnesota Lauren Acker, History Instructor Pasadena City College Laura Rosanne Adderley, Associate Professor of African Diaspora History Tulane University Westenley Alcenat, Assistant...
Richard Gilder History Prize
The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to sponsor the Richard Gilder History Prize. This prize serves as an opportunity for Affiliate School teachers to honor a promising and passionate history student in their school. The Richard...
History U | American Environmental History
American Environmental History This History U course introduces the history of human interactions with the environment in the United States, focusing on the history of political, social, cultural, and economic forces that have structured...
The New Nation, 1783–1815
The leaders of the American Revolution made three great gambles. First, they sought independence from the powerful British Empire, becoming the first colonies in the Americas to revolt and seek independence from their mother empire....
Guided Readings: Reconstruction
Reading 1 We hold it to be the duty of the government to inflict condign punishment on the rebel belligerents, and so weaken their hands that they can never again endanger the Union; and so reform their municipal institutions as to...
American Indian History since 1900 (Teacher Seminar Online)
American Indian History since 1900 Lead Scholar : Donald L. Fixico, Arizona State University Master Teacher : Patience LeBlanc Partner Organization : The National WWI Museum and Memorial Live Session Dates : Week of July 29 Registration Deadline :...
Book Breaks
Book Breaks Sundays at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) on Zoom Upcoming Session: June 23, 2024 Author: Fergus M. Bordewich Book : Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction Register Past Episodes Free All Audiences Every Sunday
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Livestream Registration for Reframing Lincoln
Livestream: Reframing Lincoln Myth, Memory, and Changing Narratives Program Dates : July 22–26, 2024 Location : Online (Broadcast from Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois) Cost : Free Image: Photograph of Abraham...
History U | American Indian History: Recasting the Narrative
American Indian History: Recasting the Narrative This History U course will introduce and explore the complexities of American Indian history from the Columbian Exchange through Native activism in the twentieth century. Course Instructor : Professor...
History U | American Immigration History: People, Patterns, and Policy
American Immigration History: People, Patterns, and Policy This History U course enables students to better understand the history of American immigration from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. Course Instructor : Professor Madeline Y...
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