 AHA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. |
The American Historical Association (AHA) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1884 and incorporated by Congress in 1889 for the promotion of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research. As the largest historical society in the United States, the AHA provides leadership and advocacy for the profession, fights to ensure academic freedom, monitors professional standards, spearheads essential research in the field, and provides resources and services to help its members succeed. The AHA serves more than 14,000 history professionals, representing every historical period and geographical area. AHA members include K –12 teachers, academics at two- and four-year colleges and universities, graduate students, historians in museums, historical organizations, libraries and archives, government and business, as well as independent historians.
What We Do
Leadership and Advocacy for the Field
As the umbrella organization for the profession, the AHA plays an important public role as a leader and public advocate for the field. Within the profession, the Association defines ethical and professional standards, and offers advice on good practices in the field. Externally, the Association works broadly in behalf of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research.
The AHA is governed by established Constitution and Bylaws. Much of the policy work of the Association is done through the Council, divisions, and committees of the American Historical Association. Members of the Council and divisions are elected to three-year terms. Members of the Nominating Committee and the Committee on Committees are also elected to three-year terms, the other committees are appointive positions. Day to day operations are performed by the staff at the Washington, DC Headquarters, under the direction of the Executive Director.
The AHA's activities are as diverse as the constituency that it serves.
The American Historical Review is the major journal of record for the history profession in the United States. |
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Its flagship publication is the American Historical Review, since 1895 the major journal of record for the history profession in the United States.
The Association also publishes Perspectives on History, the major national news monthly of the profession, which provides the most comprehensive news and information about the state of the field, and the most extensive list of jobs in the discipline.
Its annual meeting is the largest annual gathering of historians in the U.S., with a diverse agenda that brings together historians from every specialization and work context.
Beyond the dissemination of information by historians and about history, the Association's also provides a clearinghouse for information on history careers, compiles directories of historians and historical programs, publishes pamphlets on professional issues and other aspects of history, works with various advocacy coalitions to protect the rights of historians, and serves as the principal U.S. liaison with foreign scholars and historical organizations. In regard to research, the AHA sponsors four small grant-in-aid programs, cosponsors two fellowship competitions, awards twenty different book prizes, publishes an online publication on sources of financial assistance for historians. Teaching-related activities include publication of pamphlets and instructional materials for teachers, cosponsorship of National History Day, awarding of the profession's first national award for distinguished history teaching.
Other activities include:
Awards more than 100 grants and fellowships to graduate students and junior faculty members for research travel.
Supports efforts such as the National History Day program for promoting history education in junior and senior high schools.
Maintains a web site that serves as a unique resource for teaching, including a directory of collaboratives between precollegiate teachers and those in higher education and public history institutions, examples of teaching portfolios, and curriculum modules for using digital resources in teaching.
Provides key leadership and financial support to the History Cooperative, a consortium of fifteen journals and two presses established to disseminate leading history journals electronically and provide technical and other advice to history editors and scholars interested in taking advantage of this new medium for presenting history scholarship.
Provides timely information on a wide array of topics of concern to the profession through its Department and Organization Services Program.
Participates with other organizations in advocacy efforts to address issues affecting historians, including part-time and adjunct teaching, escalating costs of scholarly publishing, and support for federal historical programs such as the National Archives, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, and the new Teaching American History initiative.
Affiliates and Coalitions
The AHA cooperates with more than one hundred affiliated
societies.
Additionally, the AHA collaborates with other historical and scholarly
associations in its
advocacy
efforts, including:
The National Coalition for History, which serves as the national advocacy office and lobby group for the historical and archival professions;
Last Updated: September 3, 2008 3:53 PM