Distortions & Deletions of American History
AHA–OAH Joint Statement on Federal Censorship of American History
On March 13, 2025, the American Historical Association (AHA) and the Organization of American Historians (OAH) released a joint statement condemning “recent efforts to censor historical content on federal government websites, at many public museums, and across a wide swath of government resources that include essential data.”
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. 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. Please donate to the AHA's Advocacy Fund to support this vital work.
Indiscriminate Cuts to the Federal Government
AHA Condemns Indiscriminate Cuts to the Federal Government
On March 24, the AHA released a statement condemning “the dismantling of federal departments and agencies through the indiscriminate termination of federal employees and elimination of programs, including historical offices.”
Resources for Federal Historians
The American Historical Association 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.
The Institute for Museum and Library Services
Defend the Institute for Museum and Library Services
The American Historical Association encourages historians to contact their Congressional representatives to protest the recent attack on the very existence of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Libraries and museums are central nodes in the networks of historical work, as sites of both research and teaching. Both constitute an essential aspect of the infrastructure of historical work in the United States.
The National Endowment for the Humanities
ACLS, AHA, & MLA File Lawsuit Alleging Illegal Dismantling of National Endowment for the Humanities
On May 1, 2025, ACLS, AHA, and MLA filed a lawsuit in federal district court, seeking to reverse the recent actions to devastate the National Endowment for the Humanities, including the elimination of grant programs, staff, and entire divisions and programs.
Historians Defend the National Endowment for the Humanities and American Public Culture
On April 4, 2025, the AHA released a statement condemning the evisceration of the National Endowment for the Humanities, as the current administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has terminated hundreds of grants and put 75% of staff on leave.
Contact Your Representatives
The AHA encourages our members to contact your congressional representatives today through the National Humanities Alliance’s action alert, and urge them to save the NEH.
“Only historians and trained museum professionals are qualified to conduct such a review, which is intended to ensure historical accuracy. To suggest otherwise is an affront to the professional integrity of curators, historians, educators and everyone involved in the creation of solid, evidence-based content.”
~Sarah Weicksel (AHA) in The New York Times on the Trump administration’s announcement of a “sweeping review” of the Smithsonian to “ensure alignment” with the administration’s goals, August 2025.
"The NEH is vital to the American public’s engagement with the vibrant landscape of humanities education and research. We remain committed to pursuing all legal options to ensure that the work of the NEH and its staff continues to connect Americans with the history and culture that is so central to civic engagement."
~Sarah Weicksel (AHA), July 2025
"The overall dismantling of the NEH will have dire consequences for the American Historical Association and its more than 130 affiliates. The NEH does more than fund the work of the thousands of historians who belong to the AHA and these affiliated societies. The agency is, in essence, the convener of humanities disciplines. Because of its resources, the professionalism and intellect of its staff, and its prestige, the NEH regularly convenes representatives of scholarly associations, higher education institutions, state humanities councils, museums, and other organizations. We learn not only from NEH staff, but from one another in ways that are impossible through publications or even online."
~James Grossman, American Historical Association
"As the agency embodying public investment in the humanities, the NEH is uniquely positioned to lead public-private partnerships in support of the humanities on a national scale. . . . As no other foundation or organization does, they [NEH staff] have knowledge of the many types of institutions of higher education in the US where work in the humanities takes place: e.g. community colleges, regional comprehensive universities, liberal arts colleges, universities."
~Joy Connolly, American Council of Learned Societies
"The loss of the NEH as an institution will harm higher education in the United States. The NEH represents the only democratic, open funding processes in the country for humanities scholars. . . .The significant loss of staffing at the NEH will also produce harm to the humanities in the US. NEH staff members are resources for faculty members, associations, researchers, and public humanities bodies all over the country. . . . This loss of institutional knowledge, the loss of data-gathering, loss of support for local programming and for individual research projects is a loss from which it is hard to imagine how the country will recover."
~Paula Krebs, Modern Language Association
The Smithsonian Institution
Historians Defend the Smithsonian
On March 31, 2025, the AHA released a statement in support of the Smithsonian Institution, the target of the recent executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” This order “egregiously misrepresents the work of the Smithsonian Institution” and “completely misconstrues the nature of historical work.”
Other Resources & Initiatives
Historians Respond
Submit a Resource
The AHA welcomes submissions of articles and other resources tracking federal actions affecting history. Submissions may be listed on the AHA's website.
Historians Respond to Federal Actions
AHA members are providing important historical context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government. We welcome submissions from our members about op-eds and other media they've contributed offering historical context for today's events.
Complimentary AHA Membership
Historians who are former employees of the federal government who have been terminated or resigned since January 20 may register for one year of free membership in the AHA. Membership provides access to numerous resources, discounts, and publications, and to a diverse and vibrant network of historians. Benefits include exclusive health insurance and related coverage options; free and discounted subscriptions to publications and online libraries; and more. Please complete this form to request a complimentary membership.