On Academic Freedom
About These Resources
Principles of academic freedom are central to the American Historical Association’s Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct and inform the Association’s work in support of historical scholarship and teaching. The relationship between academic freedom, the First Amendment, and freedom of expression is nuanced and has been examined extensively by scholars across many fields, including history, law, and higher education. This page provides resources to help historians better understand academic freedom, its role in the historical discipline and in different professions, and the broader conversations surrounding it. The AHA will continue to update these resources as new scholarship and guidance become available.
AHA Key Documents and Resources
The Federal Government & Academic Freedom in Higher Education
In 2024, the AHA hosted a Congressional Briefing offering historical perspectives on the role of the federal government on issues of academic freedom in higher education.
Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct
This document addresses dilemmas and concerns about the practice of history.
Freedom to Learn
The AHA’s Freedom to Learn initiative responds directly to bills that would restrict history education.
AHA Committee on Academic Freedom
The committee provides ideas and resources to guide the Association’s efforts to support the protection of academic freedom.
Foundations of Modern Academic Freedom
AAUP 1915 Declaration of Principles
The American Association of University Professors' 1915 declaration offers a comprehensive justification of academic freedom.
AAUP 1940 Statement and 1970 Interpretive Comments
This joint statement of the AAUP and the AAC sets forth basic principles of academic freedom and continues to serve as the basis for judicial understandings of academic freedom.
Public History & Censorship
AHA Statement in Support of the Smithsonian at Congressional Hearing
AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel submitted written testimony defending the Smithsonian’s independence and professional integrity for two Congressional hearings in July 2026.
Historians Defend the Smithsonian
The Association reiterates its strong support for an independent Smithsonian Institution—one that remains free from the ideological priorities of any presidential administration and one that belongs to all of the American people.
AHA Files Amicus Brief in Lawsuit Defending Public History
The AHA filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the City of Philadelphia’s lawsuit challenging the removal of the Freedom and Slavery Exhibit at Independence National Historical Park.
Standards for Museum Exhibits Dealing with Historical Subjects
Standards to guide historians, museum curators, administrators, and members of museum boards aiming to achieve exhibit goals.
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.
AHA–OAH Joint Statement on Federal Censorship of American History
The AHA and the Organization of American Historians 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.”
Recent AHA Actions Supporting Academic Freedom
February 4, 2016