The Newsmagazine of the American Historical Association
American Historical Association Announces 2026 Prize Winners
The American Historical Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2026 prizes.
Don’t Miss Content
Seismic Pacific
Over the course of the 20th century, the Pacific Rim, long treated as peripheral, became central to the production of earthquake knowledge.
Current Issue
September 2026
Harry Houdini was not a fan of the spiritualism movement. The famous magician worked in his later years to expose the fraud of mediums, psychics, and other spiritualists. This photograph of Houdini speaking to the ghost of Abraham Lincoln was created in the 1920s to debunk spirit photography of the era. Today, people are still seeking to contact historical figures, but instead of communicating with their spirits, they are speaking with chatbots. In “Teaching with Ghosts,” Amy Allen and David Hicks caution against classroom use of AI tools that mislead and (at worst) lie about the past and offer pedagogical tips for evaluating the ghosts students now encounter in the AI era.
Photograph: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, public domain
Explore by Topic
About Perspectives
Perspectives on History is the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association and is the principal source for news and information about the discipline of history. Since 1962, Perspectives has cultivated the community of historians and promoted our work by publishing articles and commentary on all aspects of the historical discipline. The print magazine and its website showcase work by historians working in various professional settings.
Get the Newsletter
Stay informed: subscribe to our monthly newsletter highlighting recent and upcoming articles in Perspectives.
Write for Perspectives
Want to join the conversation? Perspectives is always looking for new pieces on the discipline and practice of history.
American Historical Review
The American Historical Review is the official publication of the American Historical Association and has been the journal of record for the historical discipline in the United States since 1895.