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  • The Citizenship Test

    Civics and American History

     

    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!

    Statue of Liberty with US Flag waving in background against blue sky
  • History School Book Club

    Free books for students! Help us launch our History School Book Club

     

    Students are invited to help us develop this new program by watching 2 half-hour videos of historians talking about their acclaimed books, answering 4 to 5 content questions in each video, and completing a short survey.

     

    Participating students will be named Junior Research Assistants and receive a free book as a token of our appreciation. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

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  • Book Breaks: Now free and open to all!

    Sundays at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) on Zoom

     

    Upcoming Session: November 10, 2024
    Author:  Leonne Hudson, Kent State University
    Book: Black Americans in Mourning: Reactions to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

    Stack of books with colorful covers
    • Free

    • All Audiences

    • Every Sunday

  • New Self-Paced Course

    The Early Republic

    This course explores the American struggle to establish a republic on a national scale. Award-winning historian Alan Taylor examines the politics, economy, social structure, and culture of the union created by the American Revolution and the bitter but creative debates over the meaning of the Revolution and the proper form of republican government.

     

    Regular Price: $39.99

    Affiliate Price: $29.99

     

    Image: An engraving of Thomas Jefferson by Cornelius Tiebout after a portrait by Rembrandt Peale, Philadelphia, 1801. (Yale University Art Gallery) 

    Portrait of Thomas Jefferson
    • 15 Professional Development Hours

  • EduHam Online

    Hamilton Education Program Online

     

    Explore the newly redesigned EduHam Online website. It includes classroom account creation, a historical research library, a program roadmap, and a video library. You can now access the site using your Gilder Lehrman login and password (or create an account for free). 

    Hamilton Education Program
  • Master's Degree in American History

    Register for Spring 2025 Courses

    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.

     

    Spring Semester Dates

    • Courses StartThursday, February 6, 2025
    • Course Registration Ends: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
    View of two graduating MA program students in cap and gown (one in the foreground, the other in the background) at the inaugural Gettysburg Commencement Ceremony

    Learn with the Gilder Lehrman Institute

    MA in American History

    Our master’s degree program gives K–12 educators an affordable way to earn a graduate degree while working full time.

    Self-Paced Courses

    Explore American history from your own home, in your own time, and at your own pace! Educators can obtain professional development credit.

    History School Book Club

    Students are invited to help us develop this new program by watching historians talk about their acclaimed books.

    Upcoming Events

    Image of three social change buttons: "If I Were 18 I'd Vote for Pres. Nixon," "Votes for Women," "If I Were 21 I'd Vote for Johnson"
    • American Historical Holidays
    Tuesday, November 5, 2024

    Election Day

    Deepen your knowledge of this holiday with historical documents, essays, videos, and lesson plans from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.

    • Inside the Vault
    • All Audiences
    • Free
    Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 7:00 pm ET

    First Black Cadets at West Point

    Join us to examine the United States Military Academy's first attempt to racially integrate shortly after the Civil War.

    • American Historical Holidays
    Monday, November 11, 2024

    Veterans Day

    Deepen your knowledge of this holiday with historical documents, essays, videos, and lesson plans from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.

    Upcoming Deadlines

    Book Breaks

    Every Sunday at 2:00 pm ET (11:00 am PT) on Zoom

    Books leaning against each other

    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.

    Browse Past Episodes Learn More

    Upcoming Episodes

    Our Historical Documents

    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 contains 86,000+ items documenting the political, social, and economic history of the United States.

    Our catalog is free to search. K–12 students, K–12 educators, and parents can access a selection of 7,800+ full-sized images for free. Others can purchase an annual History Resources subscription for $25.
    Log In Subscribe

    History Now

    The Online Journal of the Gilder Lehrman Institute

    Signing the Declaration of Independence

    History Now features essays by the nation’s leading historians and provides the latest in American history scholarship for teachers, students, and general readers.

    History Now is completely free for all K-12 students and teachers. Others can purchase a one-year subscription for $25.

    Log In  Subscribe

    How to Research a World War II Veteran

    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)

    Crowd of military Service members holding up newspapers with "PEACE" headline in large letters

    News

    Our News

    Stay up to date with all the work that we do to combat historical illiteracy and invigorate the study of the past.

    See Our News

    Newsletter

    Catch up on the highlights from our work with students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.

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    Press Releases

    See all official press releases for our important events, significant programs, and special initiatives.

    View Press Releases