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Historian Catherine Clinton traces the life and times of the woman whose face will grace the new twenty dollar bill.

Thinking of hosting a Gilder Lehrman traveling exhibition at your school? Get some tips for incorporating one of our exhibitions into your curriculum from New Dorp High School in Staten Island, New York! New Dorp High School has...

The second Hamilton Education Program student matinee is underway! Over 1,200 high school students are having a day of student performances inspired by the musical, a cast Q-and-A session, and a performance of Hamilton. Stay tuned for...

On May 17, 1954, the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, unanimously ruling that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The decision overturned the 1896...

Many Americans are familiar with at least a few of the haunting images taken at the behest of the federal government during the Great Depression and World War II. Dorothea Lange’s haunting " Migrant Mother" is among the most...

On this day in 1932 Amelia Earhart took off from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. Although Earhart aimed for Paris, icy weather forced her to land in a farmer’s pasture in Ireland fifteen hours after takeoff. She became the second person...

The Indian Removal Act was passed by Congress on this day in 1830 and signed by President Andrew Jackson two days later. The act called for the removal of American Indians residing within state borders in the East to a newly created...

According to the US Veterans Administration, every three minutes a veteran of World War II dies. That means that some 430 memories of that conflict go missing each and every day. You can help preserve important memories of WWII and...

When Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, the world mourned. The American Federation for the Blind summarized her life: "Her story is, in brief, that of a half-wild creature become a highly intelligent and sensitive citizen with a...

Seventy-two years ago today Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, opening a second front. The secrecy surrounding "Operation Overlord" is legendary. In a letter from the Gilder Lehrman Collection written on June 6, 1944,...

On June 7, 1892, New Orleans native Homer Plessy purposely violated the Louisiana separate car law in order to bring the issue of segregation to the Supreme Court. Plessy was chosen for this action by the Comité des Citoyens—a ...

Be part of a national public programming initiative to mark the 100th anniversary of the US entry into World War I The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to announce that beginning in Fall 2016 grants of $1200–$1800 are available to...

Take some time out from the 2016 election to explore our Electing the President timeline and fill up on facts from elections past. Then look for more of the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Online Exhibition and Interactive Features. ...

Today marks 112 years since the sinking of the General Slocum, the worst maritime disaster in New York City history. The General Slocum, named after a Civil War general, Henry Warner Slocum, was built in 1891. On June 15, 1904, St....

It comes as no surprise that Hamilton won eleven Tony Awards last night. It was, after all, the most nominated show in Broadway history with sixteen nominations. It fell one short of tying the record of twelve awards won by The...

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964. Title VII of the act banned discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, or national origin. The March on Washington and other widespread, grassroots...

When Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016, the world mourned. Many recalled his boxing prowess, some his powerful role in the Civil Rights Movement, others his philanthropy. But Ali also made legal history in his lifetime as a plaintiff...

" I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. " The words of the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted by...

On June 28, 1919, one of the most controversial political documents in recent history was signed at the Palace of Versailles. President Wilson, Georges Clemenceau of France, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Britain, and Vittorio...

On June 27, 1950, President Truman announced that the US would be sending air and naval troops to Korea. The conflict on the other side of the world had begun two days before when North Korea invaded South Korea in an effort to unify...

Desire for a civil service job might seem like an odd reason to commit a capital crime—but it was one of the reasons given by the man who assassinate President James A. Garfield, Charles J. Guiteau. He shot the President on July 2,...

The Battle of the Little Bighorn looms large in American history. Civil War hero and larger-than-life general George Custer and more than two hundred of his men died along Montana’s Little Bighorn River. On June 25 and 26, 1876,...

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1 to July 3, 1863, ended with a victory for Union General George Meade and the Army of the Potomac. The three-day battle was the bloodiest in the war, with...

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. The following day John Adams wrote home from Philadelphia that "the Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am...

The radio journalists at NPR followed some of the 20,000 New York City students who are getting a chance to see the Broadway smash Hamilton thanks to a program of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Gilder Lehrman Institute. A capstone...