The Gilder Lehrman Institute, Essay Example

Historical Internet Site Review: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Located on the World Wide Web at http://www.gilderlehrman.org., the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History stands out above many similar sites because of its vast collection of primary documents related to the history of the United States and its ease of access. Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, this nonprofit organization is “devoted to the improvement of history education” via the creation of a number of special programs for teachers and students. This website has also been recognized as an outstanding non-profit organization and has been awarded and praised by the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Organization of American Historians (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

Structurally, this website is composed of six major sections–1), History by Era which allows the user to access articles, essays, and primary documents on all aspects of American history, beginning in 1620 and through to the present day; 2), programs and exhibitions which includes seminars for history teachers and American historians, and traveling exhibitions for the general public; 3), a collection of primary historical documents and sources via links to the New York Historical Society which includes 60,000 “letters, diaries, maps, pamphlets, printed books, newspapers, photographs, and ephemera that document the political, social, and economic history of the United States;” 4),  History Now, an online magazine with articles and essays (and videos) written by some of the most prominent American historians writing today; 5), multimedia which includes hundreds of videos on topics like the rise of Industrial America, Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement; and 6), the online community which allows the user to collect and save documents, access the collection catalog, and share viewpoints with many social websites like Facebook and Twitter (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

For example, the History by Era section of the website discusses in-depth the rise of Industrial America (http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/rise-industrial-america-1877-1900) between 1877 during the last days of the Grant Administration and 1900. The first part is an introduction by historian Richard White which is followed by the development of the American West, Populism and Agrarian Discontent, the Gilded Age of the late 1880’s and 1890’s, Empire Building which explores the lives and accomplishments of the so-called “Robber Barons” like DuPont, Rockefeller, and Carnegie, and Immigration and Migration during the late 1890’s and into the early years of the 20th century (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

Each of the History by Era sections provides easy access to other sections related to American history, such as Colonization and Settlement, 1585 to 1763, the American Revolution, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression, and 1945 to the Present. Also, each section provides a handy recently viewed pages sub-section that allows the user to go back to previous section; each section also provides a themes link that lets the user explore “important topics across chronology and periodization” and many important “key developments in our national history” related to  Literature and Language Arts, African-American history, the history of the women’s movement, and American immigration. Each theme also provides essays, primary sources for study, multimedia videos, and interactive features (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

For students researching topics and subjects related to American history, the most important section of this website is the Gilder Lehrman Collection. This section includes links to reference guides and finding aids, featured primary sources like letters and journals written by soldiers from the Civil War and documents written at the time of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, rights and reproductions for historians and scholars needing permission to reprint or use excerpts from copyrighted materials, a collection of historical treasures like letters written by General Robert E. Lee, Benedict Arnold, Martha Washington, and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and lastly, links to current museum exhibitions, such as an exhibition on the Civil War in 1864, George Washington’s manuscript collection at Mount Vernon, and correspondence from President Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses Grant, all of whom “achieved national fame by helping to chart a future course through a nation’s greatest crisis,” being the Civil War (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

This website also provides a section for students, ranging from elementary and high school levels to undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Students can recommend articles and essays to add to the U.S. History Reader, find instructions on how to participate in National History Day projects, essay contests, and how to apply for an internship with the Gilder Lehrman Institute in New York City (“The Gilder Lehrman Institute”).

Overall, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website offers students, historians, teachers, and scholars a vast array of primary documents that can be used for articles and class essays in American history. After a thorough review of this website, I would strongly recommend it as an excellent starting point for students who wish to explore almost any aspect American history. This website is also great for scholars, due to the links provided to the prestigious New York Historical Society.

Works Cited

“The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.” 2014. Web. Accessed 8 April 2014.