Attention Teachers! To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, National History Day is introducing a new webinar series, Revolutionary Ideals: Understanding 250 Years of American Principles. This series, developed in partnership with the American Historical Association, will run from April 2026 to March 2027. The series will explore revolutionary ideals and their evolution across U.S. history.
Funded by a generous grant through the U.S. Department of Education, NHD will guarantee space for at least two teachers from every NHD affiliate to participate in the program. Participants can earn 90 professional development hours or three graduate extension credits from the University of San Diego at no cost.
Each module will include primary and secondary source readings, one academic task, one pedagogical application, and a live webinar with a leading historian. The modules are spaced across a year to allow teachers time to complete the tasks and process the content. Teachers will be grouped in professional learning cohorts with other teachers who teach similar grade levels. Scheduled presentations and topics include:
- April / May 2026: American Foundational Principles with Dr. Brendan Gillis, Director of Teaching and Learning, American Historical Association. Dr. Gillis will utilize the Declaration of Independence to examine the historical context that shaped a profound articulation of the ideals and principles underlying the American Revolution.
- Summer 2026: Summer Field Trip – America 250 ties to ALL communities. Take a field trip or attend an event in your community.
- July / August 2026: Confederation to Constitution with Dr. Christopher Pearl, Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Department, Lycoming College. Dr. Pearl will examine the political turmoil of the 1780s, which highlighted the need for a new federal system.
- September / October 2026: The Marshall Court with Dr. Kate Brown, Associate Professor of History, Western Kentucky University. Dr. Brown will examine the role of the Marshall Court in defining the implementation of Article III of the U.S. Constitution, highlighting the Supreme Court precedents that established judicial review, enforced the sanctity of contracts, protected interstate commerce, and placed limits on the federal government’s reach.
- November / December 2026: The Reconstruction Amendments with Dr. Justine Hill Edwards, Associate Professor of History, University of Virginia. Dr. Hill Edwards will use the Freedman’s Bank to explore the importance of the Reconstruction Amendments at the intersection of political and economic rights in the mid-to-late nineteenth century.
- January / February 2027: The 26th Amendment with Dr. Kyle Longley, Director of War, Diplomacy, and Society and a Professor of History, Chapman University. Dr. Longley will explore the origins and consequences of the 26th Amendment, underscoring the role of youth leaders in petitioning for expanded voting rights and placing the amendment within the context of the Vietnam War era. This program will examine the relationship between military service and the expansion of political, social, and economic freedoms.
Open to: Teachers or librarians in grades 4 -12. 120 spots are available.
Dates: March 30, 2026 to February 17, 2027
Credit: Teachers may earn 90 professional development hours OR three graduate extension credits at no cost.
Deadline and Notification: Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. HT on Friday, February 27. All candidates will be notified about acceptance to the program on or before March 13, 2026, and the course will launch on March 30, 2026.
