The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Since 2020, Book Breaks has featured renowned historians and authors discussing their new or otherwise cornerstone publications live with Book Breaks hosts and participating in Q&A sessions with home audiences. February 5 - R. Isabela Morales on Happy Dreams of Liberty An American Family in Slavery and Freedom When Samuel Townsend died in 1856, he had done little to distinguish himself from other members of the South's elite slaveholding class. But Townsend made a name for himself in death by leaving almost the entirety of his fortune to his five sons, four daughters, and two nieces: all of…

Created in 2014, the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Student Advisory Council is a diverse group of high-achieving students in grades 8–12 with an interest in history. At monthly meetings, the Council provides valuable feedback on the Institute’s programs and materials, helping the Institute keep the needs of young people in mind. Council members often serve as speakers at the Institute’s four book prize ceremonies and annual gala, among other special events. Council alumni have gone on to attend Brown University, Columbia University, Duke University, Harvard University, and Stanford University…

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize: Elizabeth D. Leonard, Benjamin Franklin Butler: A Noisy, Fearless Life (University of North Carolina Press) Roger Lowenstein, Ways and Means: Lincoln and His Cabinet and the Financing of the Civil War (Penguin Press) Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (Random House) Rita Roberts, I Can’t Wait to Call You My Wife: African American Letters of Love and Family in the Civil War Era (Chronicle Books) Jonathan W. White, A House Built…

Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection is an online program that highlights unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. From iconic historical treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal letters that reveal the contributions of ordinary American citizens, each session will investigate primary sources and discuss their background, impact, and potential use in the classroom. Join us on February 2, 2023, from 7 to 8 p.m. ET when our curators discuss Benjamin Franklin’s copy of the US…