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Eric Foner, the eminent historian of slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, retires this year as DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History at Columbia University, a position he has held since 1988. Foner has taught at Columbia...

At this evening’s Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize Ceremony, at the Union League Club in New York City, we will honor James B. Conroy and Douglas R. Egerton for their outstanding scholarly works on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. The...

The Gilder Lehrman Collection has a multitude of personal letters and writings by prominent politicians, which often reveal a lighter side to their austere public personas. This poem written in 1829 by John Quincy Adams to a female...

On April 24, 1800, John Adams signed a Congressional Act authorizing the transfer of the nation’s capital from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. Tucked into this bill was a provision of funds "for the purchase of such books as may be...

In 1918, Ella Osborn, an American nurse serving in France at the close of WWI, copied two poems into her personal diary: "In Flanders Fields," written in 1915 by Canadian surgeon Lt. Col. John D. McCrae, and "The Answer," a response...

At the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize ceremony, at the Union League Club in New York City, on April 19, we honored James B. Conroy and Douglas R. Egerton for their outstanding scholarly works on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Read...

In October 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a Caribbean island he called San Salvador and claimed it for the king and queen of Spain. A few months later, on May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued a papal bull known as " Inter...

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! At Gilder Lehrman, we’re celebrating social studies/history teachers for their invaluable work in not only bringing history to life for their students, but educating future generations of knowledgable,...

On May 8, 1945, one day after Germany’s unconditional surrender ended World War II in Europe, Commander of the Expeditionary Armed Forces Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a Victory Order of the Day to commend the victorious Allied forces...

On May 19, 1735, the New-York Weekly Journal republished an article from England’s The Guardian on the reasons to educate women. Most notably, the author (most likely Joseph Addison) states that women, though they have different roles...

Summer is a great time for teachers to take a Self-Paced Course and earn professional development credit while picking up content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Each Self-Paced Course is equivalent to 15 PD credit hours and can be...

Since the introduction of the Hamilton Education Program more than a year ago, there have been a staggering 22 student matinees in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Before attending a Hamilton matinee and enjoying a day of student...

On Monday, May 8 the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History held its 2017 Gala, bringing together more than 300 supporters at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. This year we honored John L. Nau, III, and Jeffrey Seller,...

Fifteen college juniors and seniors were chosen for the Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Award based on their exemplary leadership skills, commitment to public service, academic excellence, and demonstrated passion for American history....

Lin-Manuel Miranda received the 2017 US Capitol Historical Society Freedom Award on September 12 for his efforts in creating the musical Hamilton and the Hamilton Education Program, a program developed in partnership with the Gilder...

Yesterday, the Hamilton Education Program wrapped up its first full school year of matinees. From October 2016 to June 2017, the program held 24 matinees in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, giving students from more than 430...

Need professional development credit? Several Gilder Lehrman programs can be used by educators to obtain professional development points (PDPs) or continuing education units (CEUs) in historical content knowledge and curriculum design...

On the night of February 17, 1864, during the Civil War, the Confederacy made naval history off Charleston, South Carolina. The H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship, the USS Housatonic, in combat. Captain...

In June 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt wrote to NAACP president Arthur B. Springarn, seeking support in the event of war. Though the US would not enter the war until December 1941, the letter demonstrates that President Roosevelt...

Melanie Sheehan is a 2017 Gilder Lehrman History Scholar. These 15 exceptional college students were in New York City, June 4 – 9, learning from eminent historians and exploring New York City through a historical lens. Here Melanie...

On June 30, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act, marking an achievement in federal regulation of the food industry. The catalyst for these acts was Upton Sinclair’s best-selling...

Jacob Bruggeman is a 2017 Gilder Lehrman History Scholar . These 15 exceptional college students were in New York City, June 4 – 9, learning from eminent historians and exploring New York City through a historical lens. Here Jacob...

On July 24, 1959, at the height of the Cold War, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Vice President Richard Nixon held a "Kitchen Debate." Since the end of WWII, the Soviet Union and United States had been locked in a fierce battle...

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History recently acquired a letter from President Harry Truman to Dr. Channing Frothingham of Boston. In this letter, written in 1951, the President thanked Channing for his support of Truman’s...