David McCullough Essay Prizes

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is currently accepting submissions for the David McCullough Essay Prizes. This prestigious contest aims to recognize exceptional high school student research and interpretive essays. The contest is named in honor of David McCullough, a renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner who served as a Life Trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute.

Last modified 2024-02-26

Published on 2024-02-14

Competition Details

Introduction: The Gilder Lehrman Institute is currently accepting submissions for the David McCullough Essay Prizes. This prestigious contest aims to recognize exceptional high school student research and interpretive essays. The contest is named in honor of David McCullough, a renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner who served as a Life Trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute.

Eligibility: High school students attending schools in their Affiliate School Program are eligible and encouraged to participate.

Submission Rule: The essay should fall within a word count range of 1,500 to 2,500 words. Students can submit their work in 2 categories:

Research Essay: Research essay incorporating primary and secondary sources on a topic in American history from 1491 to 2001.
Interpretive Essay: Analysis of one primary source from American history, 1491 to 2001, in the Gilder Lehrman Collection of more than 85,000 historical documents.

Prizes:

1st Prize: $5,000 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
2nd Prize: $1,500 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
Five 3rd Prizes: $500 each

Competition Website: See general information about the organization and the competition. For other writing competitions, go to Aralia’s Competition List.

Eligibility

High school students attending schools in their Affiliate School Program

Submission deadline

Friday, June 28, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET

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