This prize, sponsored by the National Park Service, is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of African American history. The prize is awarded to an outstanding student project in both the Junior and Senior divisions that documents and analyzes the African American experience. The subject(s) can be an individual, group(s), a right, challenge(s), triumph(s), or any topic that has historical significance, influence or impact. The project should explain why the subject(s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context.
The American Labor Studies Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect, analyze, create and disseminate labor history and labor studies curricula and related materials. The American Labor Studies Center prize is awarded to an outstanding entry in any category, in either division, that involves an aspect of American labor history, including the role that individuals and/or labor organizations have played in American economic, political, legislative, social or cultural life.
Arts are integral parts of a society’s culture and history. This prize, sponsored by the Friends of National History Day, is awarded to an outstanding entry in any category, in both the Junior and Senior divisions, that focuses on the arts (including visual, literary, musical, or performance art); the topic can be an individual artist, event, organization, or movement. The entry should place the arts topic in its historical context and analyze its historical significance.
This prize, sponsored by the National Park Service, is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of Asian American history. The prize is awarded to an outstanding student project in both the Junior and Senior divisions that documents and analyzes the Asian American experience. The subject(s) can be an individual, group(s), a right, challenge(s), triumph(s), or any topic that has historical significance, influence or impact. The project should explain why the subject(s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context.
This prize is sponsored by the United States Naval Institute – an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security. Founded in 1873 and co-located with the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland, the Institute is a non-profit membership association serving a community of individuals who participate in an open forum to debate key issues in the Sea Services. Our mission includes the preservation of naval history through Naval History magazine, the Naval Institute Press which publishes 70+ books per year on naval history topics, an extensive oral history primary source collection, and a collection of over 500,000 photos of which nearly 150,000 are fully digitized and indexed for use by historians.
The prize is named for the late Captain Ken Coskey, a Vietnam War combat aviator and Prisoner of War, and former executive director of the Naval Historical Foundation, which is now part of the Naval Institute. The award is given to the best entry on naval history in any category and both divisions.
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), this prize is awarded in both the Junior and Senior divisions to an outstanding entry in any category that utilizes the newspaper resources that are available on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers web site.
Each content item from Chronicling America (article, image, etc.) used for the entry must be noted in the Primary Sources section of the Annotated Bibliography and follow proper NHD citation guidelines for Web content. The Chronicling America website provides free access to over 14 million pages of select digitized historic newspapers published between 1690 and 1963. It is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a long-term partnership between NEH and the Library of Congress to digitize representative historic newspapers from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Chronicling America currently has digitized newspapers from 46 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, with new content added regularly, including newspapers published in foreign languages starting with Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
Primary sources are not limited to newspaper articles, but also include advertisements, images, literary prose, and other content that appears in historic newspapers. In addition to providing basic factual details about an event or topic, historic newspapers can shed light on local perspectives about a major historical event, insight into social or cultural practices, traditions, political opinions, economic circumstances, and a wealth of other historical information. For more information on NEH visit their homepage at neh.gov.
Sponsored by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, this prize is awarded to an outstanding project in any category, in either the Junior or Senior divisions, that best utilizes original sources [journals, letters, newspapers, maps, government records and/or oral histories, etc.] to focus on the Corps of Discovery.
Topics could include the Corps of Discovery, an individual expedition member, government official, or tribal leader, natural history, international politics and exploration, cartography, the sciences, leadership, diplomacy, or the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail or a related historic site. For more information about the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, visit lewisandclark.org.
Sponsored by the Library of Congress, this prize is awarded in the junior and senior divisions for an outstanding project in any category on American or international discovery or exploration. The Elizabeth Ridgway fund was established in memory of Ms. Ridgway, Library of Congress Education Outreach Director, for her passion for history, students, education, and the Library of Congress.
This prize goes to an outstanding entry in any category in both the junior and senior divisions. The winning entries will explore how individuals or groups of people have challenged each other and the status quo to create “a more perfect union.” The vision of the America 250 commemoration captures the balance between protecting individual freedom and ensuring the common good, “Coming together as a nation recognizes the power of our diverse stories while never losing sight of our common bonds as Americans. This unity is reflected in our democratic institutions, voluntary associations, and collaborative enterprises. Ideally, we act in concert to promote the common good even as we exercise our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness while honoring the freedom of others to do the same.” The E Pluribus Unum Prize is sponsored by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and the America 250 Foundation.
Sponsored by Celie and Tabitha Niehaus, this prize is awarded in both the junior and senior divisions to an outstanding entry in any category that illuminates the history of human equality, especially with respect to the role that individuals and/or organizations have played in the efforts for isolated groups (e.g., LGBT, women, and girls) to have the same status in certain respects, often including civil, voting, and property rights, freedom of speech, marriage and gender equality, and equal access to social goods and services.
George Washington stood at the center of the world stage through the second half of the 18th century until his death in 1799. He played a pivotal role in every major event surrounding the founding of our nation in his roles as Commander in Chief, president at the Constitutional Convention, citizen farmer, and president of the United States of America. His actions have been examples of civic responsibility, patriotism, and historic complexity over time and remain relevant in national dialogue today.
The George Washington Leadership in History Prize is presented by the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. This $1,000 prize will be awarded to outstanding projects in both the Junior and Senior divisions that demonstrate a clear understanding of the ideas and events defined by Washington’s life, leadership, and legacy. In addition to recognizing outstanding historical interpretation, special consideration will be given to projects that seek innovative and compelling ways to tell the story of George Washington so that his timeless and relevant life are accessible to the world.
Sponsored by the Society for History in the Federal Government, a national professional organization open to all that are interested in federal history programs and the history of all branches of the U.S. government. The prize is awarded to the best entry in any category, in either division, which illuminates the history of the American federal government.
Sponsored by the Agricultural History Society the prize is awarded to the best project in either division, in any category, focused on the history of agriculture and/or rural life in any country or time period. The Agricultural Historical Society was founded in 1919 to promote the study of the history of agriculture and rural life in America and throughout the world.
The History of the Physical Sciences and Technology Prize is sponsored by the American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives, whose mission is to preserve and make known the history of physics and the physical sciences. The prize is awarded to an outstanding entry in any category, in both the Junior and Senior divisions, which explores a person or event important to the history of science and technology.
The project should explain why the subject(s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context. (Note: projects related to the biological or psychological sciences are not considered for this award.)
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), this prize is awarded in both the Junior and Senior divisions to an outstanding entry in any category that documents and analyzes the power of place in American history. Places (i.e., land and waterways, settlements and cities, structures, regions, and communities, etc.) are links to the past. The project should explain how the power of place can impact a historical moment.
Sponsored by the Lombardo Family, this prize is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of Immigration history. The prize is awarded to an outstanding student project in either division that documents and analyzes Immigration to the United States. The subject(s) can be an individual, group(s), a right, challenge(s), triumph(s), or any topic that has historical significance, influence or impact. The project should explain why the subjects (s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context.
Co-sponsored by The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (AOH) and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (LAOH), two prizes are awarded in both the junior and senior division, for a total of four prizes. The winning entries must demonstrate excellence in the study and presentation of Irish / Irish American history. The AOH awards first and second-place prizes in the senior division and the LAOH awards first and second-place prizes in the junior division.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization founded in 1836 and the oldest and largest Irish organization in the U.S. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is the largest Irish organization outside of Ireland and has membership in each of the United States and Washington, DC.
The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians founded in 1894 is the oldest and largest Irish Catholic women’s organization in the United States. They are a sororal organization of American Catholic Women with the intention of keeping Irish history and culture alive. The LAOH has members in each of the 50 states/commonwealths as well as Washington, DC.
Sponsored by the National Park Service, this prize is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of Latino-American history. The prize is awarded to an outstanding student project in both the Junior and Senior divisions that documents and analyzes the Latino American experience. The subject(s) can be an individual, group(s), a right, challenge(s), triumph(s), or any topic that has historical significance, influence or impact. The project should explain why the subject(s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context.
Sponsored by the Society for American Baseball Research, an association of over 6,300 individuals who enjoy reading, writing, talking, and learning about all aspects of baseball. The Lee Allen prize honors the best entry in any category and in either division relating to baseball which best demonstrates research skills, accuracy, and an appreciation of the national pastime. The prize is named in honor of Lee Allen, the historian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum from 1950-1969.
Sponsored by the National Park Service, this prize is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of Native American history. The prize is awarded to an outstanding student project in both the Junior and Senior divisions that documents and analyzes the Native American experience. The subject(s) can be an individual, group(s), a right, challenge(s), triumph(s), or any topic that has historical significance, influence or impact. The project should explain why the subject(s) is/are important and place it/them in historical context.
Sponsored by The Better Angels Society, these awards are given in recognition of excellence in historical filmmaking to the top three winners in both divisions of the individual documentary category. In addition, the first place senior division winner receives the Anne Harrington Award, named for the late longtime friend and colleague of filmmaker Ken Burns. The Next Generation Angels Awards are the youth component of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, an initiative to support professional filmmakers exploring themes in American history. Students who receive these awards will have the opportunity to partake in virtual mentorship sessions with Ken Burns and finalists of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.
Sponsored by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting the study of Marine Corps history and traditions, this prize is awarded to an outstanding entry in any category in either the junior or senior division that demonstrates an appreciation of Marine Corps History.
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), this prize is awarded in both the Junior and Senior divisions to an outstanding entry in any category that uncovers and highlights an untold story of America’s history: a significant but neglected event, document, movement, person, group, or culture that helped shape the republic.
Sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, the prize is awarded to an outstanding entry in any category and in both Junior and Senior divisions that uses the records of the Federal government to either illuminate the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution or to focus on Constitutional issues throughout American History.
Sponsored by the White House Historical Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion, this prize is awarded to an outstanding project in both the Junior and Senior divisions that documents and analyzes White House history through such subjects as individual presidents, first ladies, residence staff, White House art and architecture, or important events that took place in the White House.
Sponsored by the National Women’s History Museum, these two prizes recognize the most outstanding projects in any division and category that highlight the contributions, achievements, and unique perspectives of women in U.S. history.
Sponsored by the National World War II Museum, which illuminates the American experience during the WWII era with moving personal stories, historic artifacts and powerful interactive displays. This prize is awarded to an outstanding entry in both the junior and senior divisions that involves World War II history.