American Historical Association

09/02/2026

“Students (and teachers) on both sides of the Atlantic reminded me why I fell in love with history in the first place.”

In , Brendan Gillis reflects on a 250th commemorative summer and the encounters that reminded him just how exciting it can be to teach, learn, and do history.

Read more: https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/the-kids-are-all-right/.

For AHA director of teaching and learning Brendan Gillis, the most memorable moments of America's 250th did not come from historic places or remarkable artifacts. They came from students.

09/02/2026

As sanctions continue to shape international relations today, history can provide critical context.

This AHA program, presented to elected officials and congressional staff on Capitol Hill in February 2024, offers historical perspectives on the role and impact of sanctions as an instrument of international relations.

Featuring Benjamin Coates, Bruce Jentleson, and Nancy Mitchell.

Watch the recording:

AHA Congressional Briefing | February 6, 2024On February 6, 2024,...

09/02/2026

Remember your favorite day of US history class? K–12 teachers have their favorites too, including the American Revolution, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Check out the AHA’s American Lesson Plan to see what teachers love to teach, what they find challenging, and what they want their students to walk away with.

A nine-state examination of topics and themes in US history classes, including Native American history; the Founding Era; Westward Expansion; Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; Industry, Capi...

09/01/2026

It’s here! 📖 Alana Venable, AHR managing editor, and Sarah Muncy, AHR senior managing editor, with their copies of our long-awaited special issue: "'76 Objects."

"'76 Objects" marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by exploring what material culture can reveal about the American revolutionary era. Each contribution to the issue centers on an object, from a plow and woodworking plane to a fire bucket, store ledger, needle case, Franklin stove, and more.

Explore "'76 Objects" at historians.org/ahr.

09/01/2026

What can you do with a history BA?

The AHA’s Careers for History Majors booklet conveys the value of the undergraduate study of history through clear graphs and informal prose. Readers will find hard data, practical advice, and answers to common questions from students and their parents.

Studying History Can Enrich Our Lives The Value of a History Degree With clear data and informal prose, Careers for History Majors equips readers with data, practical advice, specific strategies, and ...

09/01/2026

How can department chairs help create better conditions for historians doing the work of teaching and scholarship?

The AHA’s recommendations offer concrete ways departments can improve the status of non-tenure-track faculty and support their NTT colleagues.

Read the recommendations in full here:

Recommendations for history department chairs, many of whom can influence change in as the integration of NTTF into departmental life and cultures.

08/31/2026

Last week, history educators gathered at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond for our 2nd annual Virginia Conference on Introductory History Courses. 📚

Over two days, they shared their experiences and approaches to teaching introductory history courses in K–12 and college classrooms.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined the conversation.

08/31/2026

Come work with us!

The AHA is hiring for two positions in Washington, DC: a Public Affairs Assistant and a Program Assistant.

Join our team and help advance the work of the AHA while supporting historians across the historical discipline.

Learn more about the Public Affairs Assistant position and Program Assistant position.

Review of applications will begin September 8, 2026, and continue until the positions are filled.

08/28/2026

This week, 106 members of Congress, 25 former senior national security officials, and seven former senior leaders of the National Archives filed amicus briefs backing us in our fight to stop the Trump administration from evading the Presidential Records Act. The fight to preserve presidential records continues to gain support from across the political and historical landscape.

The briefs argue that the administration’s position threatens the preservation and public access to records that document our nation’s history.

Read the briefs and learn more about the case:

Three Amicus Briefs in Case Brought by Watchdogs and Historians Reject Trump Administration’s Claim That a Nearly 50-Year-Old Recordkeeping Law Is Unconstitutional WASHINGTON, DC — Three groups filed ...

08/28/2026

Twenty-one years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated communities across the Gulf Coast. Days later, Civil War fi****ms, covered in mud, sat on the banks of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

We’re revisiting a 2020 article by Jessica Unger on how disaster response can and should protect cultural heritage.

Read more:

Climate change and extreme weather threaten the objects historians use to learn about the past. What can we do to protect them?