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News

Join Ken Burns on BOOK BREAKS this Sunday

Sunday March 26 – Ken Burns on Our America: A Photographic History Book Breaks is a weekly interview series with historians held every Sunday at 2 pm ET (11 am PT) on Zoom. Our hosts interview renowned scholars and discuss their...

News

Register Now for Summer 2023 American History MA Courses

The Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History allows K–12 educators, National Park Service rangers, and public history professionals to pursue a master’s degree from anywhere in the world. Registration is now open for...

Video: Book Breaks

Marc J. Selverstone - "The Kennedy Withdrawal: Camelot and the American Commitment to Vietnam"

Geography, Government and Civics, World History

Marc J. Selverstone, an associate professor in Presidential Studies, heads the Presidential Recordings Program at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, where he edits the secret White House tapes of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B....

News

International Press for GLI's Spanish-American Curriculum Partnership with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI) has partnered with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute (QSSI) to collaborate on creating teaching materials, including posters sent to more than 6,000 K–12 schools nationwide, that...

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Spring 2023 Newsletter

Thanks to your support of the Gilder Lehrman Institute, we are charging into spring and summer with a full spectrum of events and programs for students, teachers, and the general public! We particularly look forward to our 2023 Gala...

Program/Event

Student Opportunities | 2023–2024 Voting Rights Prizes

As part of The Right to Vote: The Role of States and the US Constitution , the Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to announce the ten winners of the Voting Rights Prizes. These entries (eight submitted individually, two...

Program/Event

2023–2024 Voting Rights Prizes Rules and Guidelines

Overview The 2023–2024 Voting Rights Prizes Contest ( “Contest” ) is designed to celebrate outstanding student work using material from The Right to Vote project for civic engagement. In 2023, this Contest will provide ten ...

Program/Event

David McCullough Essay Prizes: 2020 Contest Winners

More than 200 rising 11th and 12th grade students in our National Academy of American History and Civics submitted essays. These entries were reviewed by a panel of our master teachers, with twenty-two finalists then reviewed by a...

Program/Event

David McCullough Essay Prizes: 2021 Contest Winners

More than seventy rising 11th and 12th grade students in our National Academy of American History and Civics submitted essays. These entries were reviewed by a panel of our master teachers, with twenty-three finalists then reviewed by...

Program/Event

David McCullough Essay Prizes: 2022 Contest Winners

More than seventy 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in our National Academy of American History and Civics submitted essays. These entries were reviewed by a panel of our master teachers, with twenty finalists then reviewed by a...

History Now Issue

Hispanic Heroes in American History

#66 Spring 2023

History Now Essay

Juan Felipe Herrera: Poet Laureate and Pioneer of Chicano Literature

Francisco A. Lomelí

Literature

Juan Felipe Herrera, born to migrant parents Felipe Emilio Herrera and Lucha Andrea Quintana in Fowler, California, on December 27, 1948, is a writer unique for his unrelenting spirit of innovation. He boldly expands the boundaries of...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

Video: Book Breaks

Ken Burns - "Our America: A Photographic History"

Art, Economics, Foreign Languages, Geography, Government and Civics, Literature, Religion and Philosophy, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, World History

Ken Burns, the producer and director of numerous film series, including The Roosevelts: An Intimate History and Country Music , founded his own documentary film company, Florentine Films, in 1976. His landmark film, The Civil War ,...

History Now Essay

El enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo: Bernardo de Gálvez and the Battle That Saved the United States at Its Birth

Larrie D. Ferreiro

World History

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” goes the old adage, which is particularly apt when describing the relationship between Spain and the nascent United States during the War of American Independence. By 1775 when the war began,...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

History Now Essay

Antonia Pantoja, a Nuyorican Builder of Institutions

Lourdes Torres

Antonia Pantoja was a fierce community organizer and builder of influential institutions. Throughout her life she created organizations that enhanced the lives of Puerto Ricans and other minoritized communities. She was a dreamer with...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

News

Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium Open House Q&A Recording Available Now

Want to find out what to expect at our 2023 Teacher Symposium, July 16–19 at Gettysburg College? Our education team held this live discussion and Q&A open house on March 28. Discussion topics include Finding the best Teacher...

Video: Book Breaks

David P. Cline - "Twice Forgotten: African Americans and the Korean War"

World History

David P. Cline is a professor of history and director of the Center for Public and Oral History at San Diego State University. Order Twice Forgotten at the Gilder Lehrman Book Shop We receive an affiliate commission from every...

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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to Honor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Valerie Rockefeller, and Debbie and Craig Stapleton at Annual Gala

April 4, 2023, New York City — The annual Gala for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will take place on Tuesday, May 23 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. This will be the Institute’s 12th annual Gala, which...

News

Teacher Symposium Q&A about Travel, Accommodations, Events, Registration Deadlines, and More

Our education team held this live discussion and Q&A open house on March 28 about the 2023 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium, to be held at Gettysburg College . Questions from the open house and additional questions are answered...

News

Book Breaks in April Confronts Complicated Histories

Book Breaks is a weekly interview series with historians held every Sunday at 2 pm ET (11 am PT) on Zoom. The program and its archive are free for K–12 teachers and students in the Affiliate School Program, college students, and...

History Now Essay

Voices of Democracy: Jovita Idár, the Idár Family, and the Struggle against Juan Crow

Gabriela González

Government and Civics

In August 2023, the US Mint will release the Jovita Idár quarter, “the ninth coin in the American Women Quarters Program” authorized by Public Law 116–330. On its website, the Mint states that Idár’s “ideas and practices were ahead of...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

History Now Essay

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg: Archivist, Institution Builder, and Advocate of Global Black History

Vanessa K. Valdés

“The American Negro must remake his past in order to make his future.” So begins one of the most well-known essays of the Harlem Renaissance, “The Negro Digs Up His Past,” written by Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. Published in the March...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

History Now Essay

From the Editor

Carol Berkin

In this issue of History Now , we continue our mission of ensuring that the stories of Americans of all races and ethnicities appear in our national history. “Hispanic Heroes in American History” introduces readers to the...

Appears in:

66 | Hispanic Heroes in American History Spring 2023

Video: Book Breaks

Beth Bailey - "An Army Afire: How the U.S. Army Confronted Its Racial Crisis in the Vietnam Era"

World History

Beth Bailey is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at The University of Kansas and the founding director of the Center for Military, War, and Society Studies. Order An Army Afire at the Gilder Lehrman...

News

Register Now for Four Virtual Veterans Legacy Sessions through May

In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program, we are pleased to offer free professional development sessions in the spring of 2023 focusing on different aspects of American Veterans’ and Service...

Program/Event

The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America

May 17

News

Veterans Legacy Program: Free Virtual PD Programs Exploring Veterans' and Service Members' Lives On and Off the Battlefield

In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program, we are pleased to offer free professional development sessions in the spring of 2023 focusing on different aspects of American Veterans' and Service...

Program/Event

Veterans Legacy Program

Their Full Measure: Americans on the Battlefield In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program, the Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to offer free professional development sessions, lesson plans, and online...

Online Exhibition

Veterans Legacy Program | Digital Exhibitions

Their Full Measure: Digital Exhibition Veterans Legacy Program This online exhibition explores the lives of nineteen military service personnel in six conflicts: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War (Vietnam and...

Lesson Plan

Veterans Legacy Program | Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans Veterans Legacy Program Developed in conjunction with the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program, these lesson plans are a part of the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Teaching Literacy through History resources. Grades 7...

Basic Page

Veterans Legacy Program | Professional Development

Professional Development Veterans Legacy Program These professional development recordings explore the sacrifices, strengths, and legacies of American Veterans and Service Members across six major conflicts in United States history. Watch these...

Online Exhibition

Revolutionary War

Revolutionary War 1775–1783 Approximately 231,000 people served in the Continental Army at various times between 1775 and 1783. Three of those people were Margaret Corbin, Cuffee Saunders, and Henry Knox. Though each played a vital role in the...

Online Exhibition

Civil War

Civil War 1861–1865 The Union Army had more than 2,000,000 members over the course of the Civil War. Federico Fernández Cavada, Pauline Cushman, and Edward Day Cohota were three who fought for the United States in different ways. Cavada served in...

Online Exhibition

World War I

World War I 1914–1918 During World War I, 4.7 million Americans served in the military, among them Louis Santop Loftin, Ella Jane Osborn, and James Reese Europe. Louis Santop Loftin served in the US Navy, leaving behind a successful career in Negro...

Online Exhibition

World War II

World War II 1939–1945 Sixteen million Americans served in the United States military during World War II. Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama served as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese unit that remains the most decorated unit...

Online Exhibition

Cold War

Cold War Korea: 1950–1953 Vietnam: 1959–1975 More than 35 million people served in the US Armed Forces during the Cold War between September 2, 1945, and December 26, 1991. During the Korean War, Walter Schirra Jr. flew missions with the 154th...

Online Exhibition

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Afghanistan: 2001–2021 Iraq: 2003–2011 The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are the United States’ most recent armed conflicts. Alan G. Rogers served during the Gulf and Iraq Wars as a biometrics officer, and was killed in...

Interactive

Margaret Corbin

Margaret Corbin Revolutionary War Margaret “Molly” Corbin was the first woman in the United States to earn a military pension, based on her service at the Battle of Fort Washington. Image Source: Herbert Knotel, Twentieth-century sketch representing...

Interactive

Cuffee Saunders

Cuffee Saunders Revolutionary War Born into slavery, Cuffee Saunders secured his freedom by serving during the Revolutionary War. Image Source: Benjamin Huntington, Oath certifying Cuffee Saunders's purchase of freedom, 1821, Gilder Lehrman...

Interactive

Henry Knox

Henry Knox Revolutionary War Henry Knox rose through the ranks during the American Revolution to become chief of artillery in George Washington’s army. Image Source: Gilbert Stuart, Oil painting of Henry Knox, 1806, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston ...

Interactive

Federico Fernández Cavada

Federico Fernández Cavada Civil War Cuban-born Federico Fernández Cavada served in the Union Army during the Civil War as an engineer and topographer with the Balloon Corps, sketching Confederate forces from the air. Image Source: Mathew B. Brady,...

Interactive

Pauline Cushman

Pauline Cushman Civil War Pauline Cushman served as a spy for the Union Army and is buried at San Francisco National Cemetery. She was an actress who used her skills to gather intelligence for the Union Army. Image Source: Mathew Brady Studio,...

Interactive

Edward Day Cohota

Edward Day Cohota Civil War Edward Day Cohota served in the Union Army for thirty years and was one of approximately 300 Asians and Pacific Islanders who fought in the Civil War. Image Source: Photograph of Edward Day Cohota, ca. 1880-1890, Cape Ann...

Interactive

Louis Santop Loftin

Louis Santop Loftin World War I Louis Santop Loftin, Hall of Fame baseball player and WWI Veteran, is buried at the Philadelphia National Cemetery. Loftin played baseball in the Negro Leagues from 1909 to 1926 and was one of the league’s first star...

Interactive

Ella Osborn

Ella Osborn World War I Ella Jane Osborn, a nurse deployed to France during World War I, is buried at Wainscott Cemetery in New York. She kept a remarkable diary in 1918 and 1919 that captured her experiences during the war. Image Source: Ella Jane...

Interactive

Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama

Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama World War II Yeiichi Kuwayama served as a platoon medic in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed of Japanese Americans. His unit fought in some of the fiercest World War II battles in Italy and France. Image Source:...

Interactive

Joe Morris Sr.

Joe Morris Sr. World War II Joe Morris Sr. was one of four hundred “code talkers” who memorized a code that substituted traditional Navajo words for military phrases. The contributions of the Navajo code talkers were classified until 1968. Image...

Interactive

Annie Fox

Annie Fox World War II Annie Fox was Station Hospital’s chief nurse during the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawai'i. On October 26, 1942, Fox became the first woman in America to be awarded the Purple Heart for her heroism during the attack. Image...

Interactive

John W. Rogers Sr.

John W. Rogers Sr. World War II In World War II, John W. Rogers was one of the original twenty-eight Black airmen recruited to the 99th Pursuit Squadron, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Rogers flew more than 120 missions in Europe. Image Source:...

Interactive

Walter Schirra Jr.

Walter Schirra Jr. Cold War After completing ninety combat missions during the Korean War, Walter Schirra Jr. was named one of seven test pilots for NASA’s Project Mercury. Image Source: Yvette Smith, Photograph of Walter Schirra emerging from the...