Since its founding in 1884, the American Historical Association has played a key role in providing direction for the historical profession as a whole. According to the American Historical Association website, it is the largest historical society in the United States. It uses such influence to advocate for academic freedom. It also monitors the professional standards of its members. As of 2011, the organization serves about 14,000 professionals -- including grade school and high school teachers, college professors, museum historians, historical organizations, libraries, archivists and independent historians.
This nonprofit publishes two magazines -- the American Historical Review, which since 1895 has been one of the major journals for the history field in the United States, and Perspective on History, a key national news monthly in the discipline. The magazine provides news and information about the field, and listings for job seekers in the discipline.
This organization also supports National History Day programs in hopes of interesting both junior and senior high school students in history. The association also runs a website that serves as a resource and directory for teachers.
Phi Alpha Theta is an honor society for history students, although the organization accepts students of other disciplines. The organization officially began on March 17, 1921, at the University of Arkansas. As of 2011, it has over 900 chapters with 350,000 members. The Historian Journal is the quarterly publication. Phi Alpha Theta awards more than 25 scholarships per year, to support undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies.
In order to become a member of this group, you must carry a 3.1 grade point average in more than 12 credit hours of history. Also, your overall average must be a 3.0. Although its primary focus is history, Phi Alpha Theta is open to non-history majors as well.
Since its inception in 1907, the Organization of American Historians has become the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and learning of American history, according to its website. One of its main objectives is to encourage discussion of history questions, with the equitable treatment of historians who hold diverse views about the interpretation of American history. The group represents more than 7,800 historians, both in the United States and abroad. Its membership includes teachers, college professors, archivists and museum curators. The organization publishes the Journal of American History.
The National Women's History Project focuses on highlighting the accomplishments of multicultural women in the United States, whose achievements might otherwise go unnoticed. According to the NWHP website, its goal is to recognize women from many walks of life -- in science, community, literature, arts, medicine and sports. In so doing, the aim of the organization is to create positive female role models for girls and young women. Every March, the group organizes celebrations commemorating National Women's History Month throughout the United States. It sets the theme for the year, produces educational materials surrounding the theme and chooses women to honor nationally for their achievements. The organization also holds workshops highlighting the roles of women in particular regions -- such as "Women of the East," or "Midwestern Women."