AHA Resources
Tracking Federal Actions Affecting History
The AHA is tracking information on federal actions and their impact on history and education.
Submit Your Op-Ed
AHA members: The AHA welcomes submissions of op-eds, media appearances, or other resources that offer context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government. Submissions should specifically address federal actions that pertain to history, the work of historians, and historical thinking in public life.
For the Press
The AHA is pleased to speak with and provide resources for journalists and the media. If you are a member of the media and would like to submit a request for a referral or interview, please email press@historians.org. The AHA can find you a historian for any topic, and assists with dozens of inquiries each year.
Speak Up: Op-Ed Writing as Activism
In Perspectives on History (April 2025), senior managing editor Laura Ansley encourages historians to respond to government policies through op-eds. "More than ever, we need smart, knowledgeable, skilled communicators to explain what is happening at the federal, state, and local levels."
Op-Ed Writing for Historians: How to Pitch, Write, Revise, and Get Your Ideas to the Public
Writing short articles for the general public is an important skill in the historian’s toolkit. A panel of experienced editors and writers discussed how to pitch and write op-eds meant for a general audience, as well as what to expect from the editorial process.
AHA Speaks Out
AHA Members in the Media
Support the AHA
These statements, letters, and op-eds represent only one aspect of the AHA’s advocacy on behalf of historians employed by the federal government and foreign scholars. Among other efforts, we are engaging with federal historians on how best to support them and their agencies, closely monitoring legislation and executive orders and tracking job losses for historians, and coordinating with AHA affiliates and other partners on critical advocacy to support historians and history education at the federal and state levels. The AHA, in collaboration with our colleagues at the ACLS and the MLA, have filed a lawsuit in response to the illegal dismantling of the NEH. Please join our community of members and donors. Join or donate to the AHA's Advocacy Fund today.
Other Resources & Initiatives
Resources for Federal Historians
The AHA supports historians employed by the federal government. We appreciate the important work they do every day to preserve, chronicle, and interpret American history. The AHA recognizes that our colleagues in the federal government are facing unprecedented workforce reductions and has compiled resources in support, and are offering one year of free membership in the AHA to former employees of the federal government who have been terminated or resigned since January 20.