{"id":2148,"date":"2024-03-25T12:09:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T16:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historians.org\/teaching-learning\/current-events-in-historical-context\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T20:58:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T00:58:52","slug":"current-events-in-historical-context","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.historians.org\/teaching-learning\/current-events-in-historical-context\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Events in Historical Context"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tSupporting History & the Work of Historians in 2025\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\tTracking Federal Actions Affecting History\t<\/h4>\n\t

The AHA is tracking information on federal actions and their impact on history and education.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"zach-camp-o2Hi9tMor7g-unsplash\"\n

\n\t\t\tHistorians Respond to Federal Actions\t<\/h5>\n\t

AHA members are providing important historical context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"allison-saeng-X1rfqK8JDL0-unsplash\"\n

\n\t\t\tResources for Foreign Scholars\t<\/h5>\n\t

Historical work is best done in a context of free exchange across the globe. Current conditions affecting foreign scholars and international travel can inhibit that free exchange. This document offers resources that might help individuals and departments navigate these difficult international situations, especially regarding travel and academic freedom.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"Abstract,\n

\n\t\t\tResources for Federal Historians\t<\/h5>\n\t

The American Historical Association supports historians employed by the federal government.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tHistory, the Past, and Public Culture\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\tResults from a National Survey\t<\/h4>\n\t

This project aspired to take America’s historical pulse by assessing public perceptions of, and engagement with, the discipline of history and the past. The AHA partnered with Fairleigh Dickinson University to develop and implement a national survey that explored the public’s definition of the term “history,” where audiences access history.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"Figure\n

\n\t\t\t“A Snapshot of the Public’s Views on History”\t<\/h5>\n\t

For a summary of the survey’s results, please read\u00a0“A Snapshot of the Public’s Views on History: National Poll Offers Valuable Insights for Historians and Advocates<\/a>”\u00a0by Pete Burkholder and Dana Schaffer (Perspectives on History,<\/i>\u00a02021).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Now\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"Teaching\n

\n\t\t\tAbout the Survey\t<\/h5>\n\t

The 40-question survey explored the public’s definition of the term “history,” where audiences access history, which sources of history are perceived to be reliable, their historical learning experiences, attitudes toward historical revision, correlations between civic engagement and an interest in history, and the perceived value of history.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tEvents\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView All Events\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"Newspapers\"\n
\n\t\t\tHistory Behind the Headlines\t<\/h5>\n\t

History Behind the Headlines is a webinar series featuring prominent historians discussing the history behind current events. Webinars in this series are generously sponsored by AHA member Jared Brubaker.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"IMG_8181\n

\n\t\t\tCongressional Briefings\t<\/h5>\n\t

The AHA’s Congressional Briefings series provides congressional staff members, journalists, and other members of the policy community with the historical context essential to understanding contemporary issues. The sessions are strictly nonpartisan and avoid advancing particular policy prescriptions or legislative agendas.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tAHA Resources on Contemporary Issues\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\tThe History of Racism and Racist Violence\t<\/h4>\n\t

In response to ongoing racist violence in the United States, we have compiled a list of AHA resources on the history of racism and racist violence. Teachers can use them in classrooms to help students understand the history of the present; journalists can draw on them to provide historical context for current events; researchers can draw on them to inform future scholarship.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccess the Resources\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"kyle-mills-2pxjS57_axE-unsplash\"\n

\n\t\t\tThe Assault on the Capitol in Historical Perspective: Resources for Educators\t<\/h5>\n\t

We know teaching the events of January 6, 2021-which are not a “moment,” but the product of a long history-presents a familiar, yet unusually urgent, challenge: how can students use historical knowledge and thinking to understand current crises? Here are some resources that might help, published by the AHA on January 7, 2021.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccess the Resources\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"Russia\n

\n\t\t\tUkraine, Russia, and the Cold War and its Legacies: Resources from the American Historical Association\t<\/h5>\n\t

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022 we compiled a list of AHA resources on the history of Ukraine, Russia, and the Cold War and its legacies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccess the Resources\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n

\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

\n\t\t\tVetted Bibliographies\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\"This\n

\n\t\t\tA Bibliography of Historians’ Responses to COVID-19\t<\/h5>\n\t

In 2020-21, the AHA compiled a professionally vetted bibliography of historians’ responses to COVID-19 as a resource for the public, teachers, and scholars seeking historical perspectives on the current crisis and its local and global impacts. The bibliography includes commentary and publications by historians in both scholarly and popular periodical literature; recorded lectures and webcasts; and digitized primary source materials from past epidemics and pandemics.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView the Bibliography\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\"A\n

\n\t\t\tHistorians on the Confederate Monument Debate\t<\/h5>\n\t

In the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy in 2017, historians across the country provided important historical context and insight to the public. The AHA compiled statements that our members, fellow historical societies, AHA Council members, and staff have made in op-eds, interviews, and other media conversations about the importance of historical thinking and knowledge within the current debate. The AHA has also released a statement on how these issues relate to the discipline of history.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView the Bibliography \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tPerspectives on History<\/i>\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\tThe AHA’s Newsmagazine\t<\/h4>\n\t

Perspectives on History<\/em> publishes articles throughout the year offering insightful commentary on the history of issues in the news.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Now\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tHistory and Policy Education Program\t<\/h4>\n\t

The AHA’s History and Policy Education Program (HPEP) brings the principles of the\u00a0Congressional Briefings<\/a>\u00a0program into the classroom to help students appreciate the importance of bringing historical perspectives to contemporary policy conversations. This initiative provides a guide for history educators to develop and host briefings about the historical dimensions of current policy questions, using materials from past briefings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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