Supporting Educators
The AHA, our members, and other historians find ourselves on the front lines of a conflict over America’s past, confronting opponents who are actively promoting ignorance in service of misleading notions of unity. Historians have a crucial role to play as participants in public deliberations about how to engage students in truthful and rigorous inquiry in history classrooms.
AHA Initiatives
Mapping the Landscape of Secondary US Education
Americans care about how their history is taught, but they don't always agree. Mapping the Landscape of Secondary US History Education is the AHA’s multi-stage effort to provide a research-based grounding for ongoing civic deliberations about the teaching of US history in American classrooms.
AHA State History Standards Support
As part of its mission to promote historical thinking in public life and professional integrity in history education, the American Historical Association monitors and offers guidance on state-level academic frameworks.
Legislative Advocacy Letters: Behind the Scenes at the AHA
What is the process of putting together a letter responding to state legislatures?
American Lesson Plan: Teaching US History in Secondary Schools
The AHA’s 2024 report shares findings from the most comprehensive study of secondary US history education undertaken in the 21st century. AHA researchers appraised standards and legislation in all 50 states, conducted a survey of over 3,000 middle and high school US history educators, interviewed over 200 teachers and administrators, and reviewed thousands of pages of instructional materials from small towns to sprawling suburbs to big cities. The report provides empirical evidence and rigorous analysis to inform current debates over how history is taught in our schools.
Freedom to Learn
Advocating for History
The AHA’s Freedom to Learn initiative educates historians and others on how to advocate publicly for honest history education, responds directly to the bills themselves, and creates resources to help teachers directly affected by these bills think about how to maintain the integrity of their history courses.
Historians Speak Out
Teaching with Integrity: Historians Speak
These videos feature historians describing how exploring America's past honestly in the classroom benefits the nation's students, and how the freedom to learn also strengthens our shared democracy.
AHA Media Appearances & Publications
AHA staff and Council members have written articles and made public appearances highlighting the challenges teachers and educators face from legislation restricting the teaching of “divisive concepts" and issues related to teaching history with integrity.
AHA Testimony Before Legislatures and Boards of Education
AHA staff and Council members have written articles and made public appearances highlighting the challenges teachers and educators face from legislation restricting the teaching of “divisive concepts" and issues related to teaching history with integrity.
Recent Action Alerts
The AHA will share action alerts with our members in states where legislation that may affect historians is under consideration.
Support the AHA's Advocacy Efforts
The AHA is unique among history organizations with the breadth and depth of our advocacy efforts. Our advocacy work is more critical now than ever before, and we need your help. If you believe in the importance of honest history education, please join the AHA as a member or donate to the AHA's Advocacy Fund to support our advocacy work.
AHA News
AHA Advocacy
In a wide range of situations, whether involving the rights and careers of individual historians, historical practice in diverse venues, or the role of history in public culture, the AHA has the responsibility to take public stands.
Press Resources
The AHA is pleased to provide resources for journalists and 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.
Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism in American History
In June 2021, the American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and PEN America authored a joint statement stating their “firm opposition” to legislation that would restrict the discussion of “divisive concepts” in public education institutions.
History, the Past, and Public Culture: Results from a National Survey
With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the AHA partnered with Fairleigh Dickinson University to develop and implement a national survey to assess public perceptions of, and engagement with, the discipline of history and the past.
Resource Library
Check out the AHA’s Resource Library for teaching and learning resources, AHA Online recordings, professional development, and much more.