The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in New York City by businessmen-philanthropists

Richard Gilder Richard Gilder Jr. (May 31, 1932 – May 12, 2020), was an American philanthropist and co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He also headed the brokerage firm Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co., whose specialty is tradi ...

and

Lewis E. Lehrman Lewis E. "Lew" Lehrman (born August 15, 1938, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) is an American investment banker, businessman, Republican politician, economist, and historian who supports the ongoing study of American history based on original source ...

in 1994 to promote the study and interest in American history. The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public. Its activities include the following: * creating history-centered schools; * organizing seminars and programs for

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

s; * producing print and electronic publications and traveling exhibitions; * sponsoring lectures by eminent historians; * administering a History Teacher of the Year Award in every state through its partnership with Preserve America; * awarding the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize,

Frederick Douglass Book Prize The Frederick Douglass Book Prize is awarded annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. It is a $25,000 award for the most outst ...

, George Washington Prize, and the

Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History The New-York Historical Society gives three book prizes annually. From 2005 to 2012 there was one award for American history. A second award was added in 2013 for children's history. A third award was added in 2016 for military history. Barbara a ...

; * offering fellowships for scholars to work in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and other archives.

Website

The institute maintains a website to offer educational material for teachers, students, historians, and the public, and to provide up-to-the-minute information about the institute's programs and activities. The Web site offers learning modules on major topics in American history, podcasts from noted historians discussing their work, online exhibitions of primary source documents, and information about the institute's programs.

Journal

The institute publishes a quarterly online history journal, ''History Now'', featuring articles by historians, teacher lesson plans, interactive activities, and advice from the archivist.

The Gilder Lehrman Collection

The collection contains more than 60,000 documents on deposit at the New-York Historical Society detailing the political and

social history Social history, often called the new social history, is a field of history that looks at the lived experience of the past. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in his ...

of the United States. The collection's holdings include manuscript letters, diaries, maps, photographs, printed books and pamphlets, ranging from 1493 through modern times. It is particularly rich with materials in the

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

, Antebellum, Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Highlights of the collection include signed copies of the

Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal sta ...

, the Thirteenth Amendment, a rare printed copy of the first draft of the Constitution, and thousands of unpublished Civil War soldiers' letters. Letters written by

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass et al. vividly record the issues and events of their day. The writings of such notable women as

Lucy Knox Lucy Knox (9 November 1845 – 10 May 1884), styled The Honourable from 1870 until her death, was an Anglo-Irish poet of the Victorian era. Knox was born as Lucy Spring Rice in Hither Green, Lewisham, the second daughter of Stephen Spring Rice ...

, Mercy Otis Warren, and

Catharine Macaulay Catharine Macaulay (née Sawbridge, later Graham; 23 March 1731 – 22 June 1791), was an English Whig republican historian. Early life Catharine Macaulay was a daughter of John Sawbridge (1699–1762) and his wife Elizabeth Wanley (died 1733 ...

discuss a variety of military, political, and social issues.

The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition

The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition was established at Yale University.

Prizes

In 1990 the $50,000 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize was established by the institute and Gettysburg College. In 1999 the $25,000

was established by the institute. In 2005 the $50,000 George Washington Book Prize was established by the institute, Washington College, and George Washington's Mount Vernon.

References

External links

*
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History at Google Cultural Institute
{{Authority control American studies Education in New York City History organizations based in the United States Educational organizations based in the United States 1994 establishments in New York City