Search | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

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What Would Lincoln Do? How Lincoln’s Legacy is Used and Abused in Today’s Washington

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

During the partial government shutdown of 2013, an expert panel of historians and policy analysts convened in Washington, DC, to discuss the presence of Abraham Lincoln’s legacy in contemporary politics. ...

Video

The Idea of America: Reflections on the Birth of the United States

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Gordon S. Wood, the Alva O. Way University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University, discusses his 2011 essay collection, The Idea of America: Reflections on the...

Video

A Teacher’s Tour of the Battle of Gettysburg

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Historian Matthew Pinsker leads a virtual teacher’s tour of the Battle of Gettysburg, highlighting key moments and individuals to illustrate the broad story of the battle, its implications for the Civil War, and its legacy in...

Video

The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Columbia University historian Eric Foner discusses his most recent work, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery , with James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Professor Foner was...

Video

Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory and Identity in Black America since 1940

Literature

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Yale University historian Jonathan Holloway discusses his 2013 work, Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory and Identity in Black America since 1940, with James Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Professor...

Video

"Let the Word Go Forth": Symbols and Images in JFK’s Inaugural Address

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

University of Virginia historian Barbara Perry describes John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, including background information on the President’s life and family, the writing of the speech, and major accomplishments of his...

Video

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Brooklyn College historian Jeanne Theoharis discusses the life of Rosa Parks with Gilder Lehrman president James G. Basker. Professor Theoharis's 2013 biography of Parks is the first academic study of the activist's life, and noted...

Video

New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Vassar College historian Rebecca Edwards discusses some of the complexities of the Gilded Age with Gilder Lehrman President James Basker. Professor Edwards's 2006 study, New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, offers a nuanced view...

Video

Earth Day 1970: The Teach-In That Made the Green Generation

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

University of Delaware historian Adam Rome discusses the origins of the modern environmental movement in an interview about his book, The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation. ...

Video

America’s Emergence as a Global Power

Geography, World History

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Jeremi Suri, a historian at the University of Texas at Austin, argues that Americans have never been isolated from international politics and military conflicts, but rather have projected power on the world stage since before the...

Video

Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America

Art, Literature

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Lafayette College historian Donald Miller discusses his new book, Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America, in an interview with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. ...

Video

Roundtable discussion on American Antislavery Writings

Government and Civics, Literature, Religion and Philosophy

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

On December 2, 2014, four scholars joined Gilder Lehrman president and Barnard College professor James G. Basker for a roundtable discussion on American antislavery writings. The panel included Elizabeth Alexander (Yale), Christopher...

Video

Historians Now: The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Eric Foner discusses his book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. The book begins with Lincoln's youth and through his career The book follows Lincoln's personal and political positions on slavery from childhood...

Video

Historians Now: Mourning Lincoln by Martha Hodes

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Martha Hodes discusses her book Mourning Lincoln. Hodes is the first historian to delve into personal and private responses—of African Americans and whites, Yankees and Confederates, men and women, soldiers and civilians, rich and...

Video

Historians Now: Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln by Richard Brookhiser

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Richard Brookhiser discusses his book, Founders' Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln . Brookhiser traces Lincoln's quest to follow in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers.

Video

Historians Now: The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes

Government and Civics

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

James Oakes discusses his book, The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics.

Video

Historians Now: Lincoln’s Selected Writings edited by David S. Reynolds

Government and Civics, Literature

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

David S. Reynolds talks about editing the Norton Critical Edition of Lincoln's Selected Writings. The volume not only includes an wide range of annotated texts, but perspectives on Lincoln's writings from his contemporaries and...

Video

Historians Now: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

David McCullough discusses his new book The Wright Brothers.

Video

Inside the Vault: British Troops Landing in Boston Harbor

Art, Government and Civics, World History

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Explore just one of the fascinating items from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History collection!

Video

Historians Now: "The American Revolution: Writings from the Pamphlet Debate 1764-1776"

Government and Civics

9, 10, 11, 12, 13+

Gordon Wood discusses the book "The American Revolution: Writings from the Pamphlet Debate 1764-1776".

Video

Davie Jeems Stands Up to the KKK: Document in a Minute

Gilder Lehrman Collection curator Beth Huffer discusses a 1868 Ku Klux Klan threat written to Davie Jeems, a black Republican recently elected sheriff in Lincoln County, Georgia.

Video

Henry Knox's orders for Washington's crossing of the Delaware: Document in a Minute

Gilder Lehrman Collection curator Beth Huffer discusses General Washington's 1776 orders for troops to march to Trenton. This copy of Washington’s orders, with a map of Trenton drawn on the back, belonged to Henry Knox, chief...

Video

John Adams Describes the "Ten Talents" of George Washington: Document in a Minute

Gilder Lehrman curator Beth Huffer discusses a letter from John Adams to Benjamin Rush in which Adams describes Washington's greatest talents as a "handsome Face," an "elegant Form," and "graceful Attitudes and Movement." ...

Video

Slave Tags: Document in a Minute

Gilder Lerhman curator Beth Huffer discusses slave tags from the collection. Owners of slaves wishing to rent out their slaves, or slaves with extra time available to hire themselves out, were required to pay an annual tax to the...

Video

The Calhoun School Cyanotype Album: Document in a Minute

Gilder Lehrman curator Beth Huffer discusses a cyanotpe album from the Calhoun Industrial School around the turn of the century. The Calhoun School was a social experiment of the Hampton Institute in Virginia, in which local...

Site Search

90,986 items

What Would Lincoln Do? How Lincoln’s Legacy is Used and Abused in Today’s Washington

The Idea of America: Reflections on the Birth of the United States

A Teacher’s Tour of the Battle of Gettysburg

The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery

Jim Crow Wisdom: Memory and Identity in Black America since 1940

"Let the Word Go Forth": Symbols and Images in JFK’s Inaugural Address

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age

Earth Day 1970: The Teach-In That Made the Green Generation

America’s Emergence as a Global Power

Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America

Roundtable discussion on American Antislavery Writings

Historians Now: The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner

Historians Now: Mourning Lincoln by Martha Hodes

Historians Now: Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln by Richard Brookhiser

Historians Now: The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes

Historians Now: Lincoln’s Selected Writings edited by David S. Reynolds

Historians Now: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

Inside the Vault: British Troops Landing in Boston Harbor

Historians Now: "The American Revolution: Writings from the Pamphlet Debate 1764-1776"

Davie Jeems Stands Up to the KKK: Document in a Minute

Henry Knox's orders for Washington's crossing of the Delaware: Document in a Minute

John Adams Describes the "Ten Talents" of George Washington: Document in a Minute

Slave Tags: Document in a Minute

The Calhoun School Cyanotype Album: Document in a Minute

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