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  • Register for Summer PD

    Whatever your budget and your interests, the Gilder Lehrman Institute has a professional development opportunity for you. Study with world-renowned scholars, connect with other teachers from across the United States, and reinvigorate your enthusiasm for teaching history.

     

    • Online: 10 Teacher Seminars
    • In Person5 options across 5 states
    • Teacher Symposium: 7 courses
    Teachers on the Gettysburg Battlefield with cannon
  • The Annual Gala

    Join us as we celebrate and recommit ourselves to the rising generation and the future of our democracy.


    When: Monday, May 12, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
    Where: The Lighthouse, New York City
    Honorees: Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Cast of Hamilton, and the Rockefeller Foundation

     

    Image: Students introducing honorees at the 2024 Gilder Lehrman Annual Gala. Copyright Ilir Bajraktari.

    Student speakers at the 2024 Gilder Lehrman Gala
  • 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). This is a free program for students in grades 6-12. 

    Hamilton Education Program
  • 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
  • New Self-Paced Course

    African American History to Emancipation

    Professor Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham (Harvard University) recounts the story of African Americans from their beginnings in Africa, through centuries of enslavement in the United States, and during the Civil War years’ promise of freedom. In this course, you will learn about the momentous events, heroic voices, social movements, cultural beliefs, and creative forms that are expressive of everyday life.

     

    Regular Price: $39.99

    Affiliate Price: $29.99

     

    Image: A photograph of an African American family at Smith’s Plantation, Beaufort, SC, 1862 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC05111.01.1038_00001.)

    Photograph of a Black family in Beaufort, North Carolina, 1862.
    • 15 Professional Development Hours

  • Book Breaks: Now free and open to all!

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

     

    Upcoming Session: February 23, 2025
    Author:  Richard Munson
    Book: Ingenious: A Biography of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist

    Stack of books with colorful covers
    • Free

    • All Audiences

    • Every Sunday

    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.

    David McCullough Essay Prizes

    High school students in our Affiliate School Program are encouraged to participate in this prestigious competition.

    Upcoming Events

    • American Historical Holidays
    Monday, February 17, 2025

    Presidents' Day

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

    • American Historical Holidays
    Saturday, March 8, 2025

    International Women's Day

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

    Upcoming Deadlines

    • Students
    • Teachers
    Monday, February 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET

    EduHam Online Lottery

    Last day to submit your best creative piece for the chance to see Hamilton in New York City! 

    • Students
    February 15, 2025

    Apply to Marist University

    Affiliate School students intending to major in history are eligible for $10,000 scholarships.

    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.

    Read Newsletter

    Press Releases

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

    View Press Releases