David McCullough Essay Prizes

# David McCullough Essay Prizes Named for the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, the David McCullough Essay Prizes are awarded annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nonprofit behind the Hamilton Education Program and the largest network of American history classrooms in the country. High school students submit an original essay on an American history topic - often one begun for a class, then revised and expanded to meet the prize specifications. ## What You'll Do - Choose or refine an American history research topic that genuinely interests you - Revise, expand, and adapt an essay written independently or for a current academic year class to conform with the McCullough Prize specifications - Submit online by the annual early-summer deadline (June 22 in 2026) - Compete for a $5,000 first prize, $1,500 second prize, and five $500 third-place prizes, with $500 awarded to the first- and second-place winners' schools ## Who Should Apply Students in grades 9-12 attending schools in the Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School Program - a free network any US school can join, so students at non-member schools can ask a teacher to enroll the school. It suits serious history students, National History Day veterans, and strong writers looking for a research-writing credential. ## Outcomes Winners earn substantial cash prizes, national recognition from a leading history education institute, and a polished research essay - a portfolio piece that doubles as evidence of scholarly writing for college applications.