AHA Resources on Current Issues
The History of Racism and Racist Violence
In response to ongoing racist violence in the United States, we have compiled a list of AHA resources on the history of racism and racist violence. Teachers can use them in classrooms to help students understand the history of the present; journalists can draw on them to provide historical context for current events; researchers can draw on them to inform future scholarship.
The Assault on the Capitol in Historical Perspective: Resources for Educators
We know teaching the events of January 6, 2021—which are not a “moment,” but the product of a long history—presents a familiar, yet unusually urgent, challenge: how can students use historical knowledge and thinking to understand current crises? Here are some resources that might help, published by the AHA on January 7, 2021.
Ukraine, Russia, and the Cold War and its Legacies: Resources from the American Historical Association
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022 we compiled a list of AHA resources on the history of Ukraine, Russia, and the Cold War and its legacies.
History, the Past, and Public Culture: Results from a National Survey
This project aspired to take America’s historical pulse by assessing public perceptions of, and engagement with, the discipline of history and the past. The AHA partnered with Fairleigh Dickinson University to develop and implement a national survey that explored the public’s definition of the term “history,” where audiences access history.
Vetted Bibliographies
A Bibliography of Historians' Responses to COVID-19
In 2020-21, the AHA compiled a professionally vetted bibliography of historians’ responses to COVID-19 as a resource for the public, teachers, and scholars seeking historical perspectives on the current crisis and its local and global impacts. The bibliography includes commentary and publications by historians in both scholarly and popular periodical literature; recorded lectures and webcasts; and digitized primary source materials from past epidemics and pandemics.
Historians on the Confederate Monument Debate
In the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy in 2017, historians across the country provided important historical context and insight to the public. The AHA compiled statements that our members, fellow historical societies, AHA Council members, and staff have made in op-eds, interviews, and other media conversations about the importance of historical thinking and knowledge within the current debate. The AHA has also released a statement on how these issues relate to the discipline of history.
Perspectives on History
Perspectives on History publishes articles throughout the year offering insightful commentary on the history of issues in the news.
Events
History Behind the Headlines
History Behind the Headlines is a webinar series featuring prominent historians discussing the history behind current events. Webinars in this series are generously sponsored by AHA member Jared Brubaker.
Congressional Briefings
The AHA’s Congressional Briefings series provides congressional staff members, journalists, and other members of the policy community with the historical context essential to understanding contemporary issues. The sessions are strictly nonpartisan and avoid advancing particular policy prescriptions or legislative agendas.
History and Policy Education Program
The AHA’s History and Policy Education Program (HPEP) brings the principles of the Congressional Briefings program into the classroom to help students appreciate the importance of bringing historical perspectives to contemporary policy conversations. This initiative provides a guide for history educators to develop and host briefings about the historical dimensions of current policy questions, using materials from past briefings.