The AHA Prize in American History is awarded for an outstanding work on any subject relating to United States history that is the author’s first book or scholarly equivalent. Originally called the John H. Dunning Prize, this biennial prize was first awarded in 1929, and has been awarded in odd-numbered years since 1991. The prize name was changed in 2023.

The current prize amount is $1,000. See the list of past recipients.

The general rules for submission are:

1. To be eligible for consideration, an entry must be of a scholarly historical nature and must be the author’s first book or scholarly equivalent. Research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors.
2. Only books bearing a copyright of 2021 or 2022 are eligible for the 2023 award.
3. Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes.
4. Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.
5. No more than five titles from any one publisher may be submitted.
6. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “AHA Prize in American History Entry.” Print copies preferred unless otherwise indicated. If only e-copy is available, please contact review committee members beforehand to arrange submission format.

Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2023, to be eligible for the 2023 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2023 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2024 AHA annual meeting in San Francisco.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.