New England History Teachers Association
Welcome to the online home of the New England History Teachers Association (NEHTA). Founded in 1897, the NEHTA is the nation's oldest association of history and social studies teachers. Explore our website for more information on our organization and various resources for teaching social studies. Visit us often to stay informed on the latest in both history and education.
NETHA Endorses OAH/AHA Statement on Use of Historical Information
NEHTA supports the OAH and the AHA as they criticized the incorrect application of historical knowledge on abortion in the determination of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. As purveyors of history education, we must support the use of historical information in an accurate manner and engage in activities that hold accountable organizations who choose to sidestep facts even in the highest offices of our government.
On June 24, 2022, in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not confer the right to abortion, overturning nearly 50 years of precedent established by both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992).
On Thursday, July 7th, OAH held a webinar examining the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in historical perspective. Erika Lee, OAH President and University of Minnesota, hosted guests Gillian Frank, cohost of Sexing History, Felicia Kornbluh, University of Vermont, and Stacie Taranto, Ramapo College of New Jersey, in a conversation about the history leading to Dobbs and how the ruling could potentially impact other past SCOTUS decisions. The video is available here and the full joint statement from the OAH and AHA can be read here.
Latest News & Updates
2024 UPDATES
September 12, 2024 - The NEHTA highly recommends a few upcoming workshops for social studies teachers...
Mary Beth Norton - 1774 and All That: Reflections on a Long Year of Revolution
September 19, 2024 - 7 p.m. @ The Concord Museum
Sponsor: The Society of Colonial Wars and The Colonial Society
Coordinator: Charlie Newhall
Cost = FREE! For more info, see: https://concordmuseum.org/event/1774-and-all-that/
Followed by:
Teaching Historical Thinking and Research Skills in the Classroom
Educator History Workshop with Mary Beth Norton
September 20, 2024 - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. @ The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Beacon Hill, Boston
Sponsor: The Society of Colonial Wars and The Colonial Society
Coordinators: Charlie Newhall and Gorman Lee
Cost = FREE! For more info, contact: Charlie Newhall CLNewhall@gmail.com
Massachusetts Provincial Congress: Exploring Democracy - Our Rights and Our Responsibilities
October 11, 2024, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. @ First Parish Concord and the Wright Tavern
For more info, contact: Tom@WrightTavern.org
Organized by Bob Gross (The Minutemen and Their World and The Transcendentalists historian) and with keynote speaker Woody Holton - one of the best Revolution era historians)
August 26, 2024 - List of board members updated to include new members and leadership positions.
April 22, 2024 - The Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) is now known as the Digital Inquiry Group (DIG), and this change is now reflected on the NEHTA website's Historical Thinking Resources page.
March 28, 2024 - NEHTA is proud to help promote and co-sponsor some upcoming webinars on the Chagos Islands. Please see the following flyers for more details: Webinar Series Flyer and Webinar #3 Flyer
March 11, 2024 - The USS Massachusetts Commissioning Committee has a great opportunity for middle and high school social studies students. Please see their message below for more details...
Dear Massachusetts Middle and High School Teachers,
We are reaching out to you on behalf of the USS MASSACHUSETTS Commissioning Committee, with an exciting opportunity for your students to engage in a unique educational experience centered around Massachusetts history and its significant role in the development of the United States Navy.
The USS MASSACHUSETTS naval submarine is scheduled for commissioning in 2025, marking a historic moment for our state and our nation. To celebrate this occasion, the Commissioning Committee is organizing an essay contest for middle and high school students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
We invite you to encourage your students to research and write an essay on a chosen event in Massachusetts history or an aspect of the role of Massachusetts in the development of the United States Navy. The essay can focus on an individual, an event or moment, a specific ship, a policy, or a place at a particular historical time.
Twelve winners will be selected, and they will have the unique opportunity to be invited to the commissioning ceremony in Boston, MA. Additionally, their essays will be framed and permanently installed within the submarine, creating a lasting legacy. Winners will also be invited to the post-reception ceremony to celebrate their achievements.
The deadline for essay submissions is June 15, 2024. More details, including submission guidelines, can be found on our website at https://www.ussmassachusetts.org/essay. We encourage you to share this information with your students, inspiring them to explore the rich history of Massachusetts and the vital role it played in shaping the U.S. Navy.
Thank you for your support in promoting this educational opportunity. We look forward to receiving insightful and creative essays from your students.
Best regards,
USS MASSACHUSETTS Commissioning Committee
2023 UPDATES
November 8, 2023 - Board members updated to reflect the most recent changes. Awards have been updated to reflect upcoming opportunities. Membership page to join or renew has been updated to the most current pricing options.
January 30, 2023 - Avon Old Farms is hosting a conference titled "Teaching in the 21st Century" that "aims to make sense of the twenty-first century, contribute to scholarship about it, affect how it’s taught, and historicize events over its first two decades. Attendance is open to teachers, academics, school administrators, and policy makers" (para. 1). Learn more and register here.
2022 UPDATES
July 12, 2022 - Information on the first annual Vera Laska Book Award was added to the Awards page. Please navigate to the Awards page to find out more about this new award opportunity.
April 10, 2022 - On Saturday, April 23 ASCH (The Association for the Study of Connecticut History) will host a full-day virtual conference on the topic of "Teaching History with Courage." Secondary school teachers, university instructors, pre-service teachers, and others interested in the teaching of history and controversies related to this topic are all invited to attend. High school and college students are also invited to attend.
Keynote sessions will be presented by Professor David Blight from Yale University, who will speak on the main theme of the conference and by Professor Manisha Sinha from the University of Connecticut, who will speak on the controversies surrounding the teaching of slavery.
A panel discussion by educators on the topic of "Teaching History with Courage" will follow Dr. Blight's presentation. This will be followed by a panel on "Accessing Digital Resources in History." An early afternoon panel will focus on "Fostering Inclusivity in History and Social Studies Education," with separate sessions on "African History in Global and Local Contexts," "Hispanic and Latino Voices in the Curriculum and Archives," and "LGBTQ History from Connecticut's Past and Present." A special part of the "Hispanic and Latino Voices" panel will be a presentation by Dr. Paul Ortiz from the University of Florida.
The final panel of the afternoon will be on "Disrupting White Supremacy in American History." Nataliya Braginsky, the 2021 Gilder Lehrman National American History Teacher of the Year, will be part of this panel.
To register for this conference, please click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asch-2022-spring-conference-teaching-history-with-courage-tickets-294219146387
The cost to attend the conference is $15 for non members, $10 for members, and free for students and presenters.
To see the full schedule for the conference please visit https://asch-cthistory.org/
2021 UPDATES
March 19, 2021 - The NEHTA is proud to announce the recipients of its annual awards for 2020...
Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed (Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard) - Kidger University Award
Mr. William G. Jordan (Teacher, Philips Exeter Academy) - Kidger Secondary Award
Ms. Rena Klein (Board Member, NEHTA) - Hicks-Kennedy Award
For more information on the criteria for these awards, and how to nominate future candidates, be sure to visit the "Awards" section of our website.
Please click here to read a brief bio on the 2020 Kidger Award winners.
