AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIA TION. A national organization of persons interested in history and in the promotion of historical work and studies. It was founded at Saratoga, N. Y., in 1884, by a group of repre sentative scholars, and in 1889 was incorporated by act of Congress, its national character being emphasized by fixing its principal office in Washington and by providing for the govern mental publication of its annual reports. Its present membership of 3,000 is drawn from every State of the Union, from Canada and South America, and from 13 other foreign The meetings are held annually in December in cities so situated as best to ac commodate in turn the members in different parts of the country. The society has exerted wide influence in directing and stimulating his torical research, and its publications and mono graphs have covered a broad field of historical study. Important committees of the society are
the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the Public Archives Commission; the former is concerned in the preparation of valuable manu scripts for publication and the latter in the preservation of the public records of the various States and smaller political divisions. The so ciety publishes an annual report, usually in two volumes, and appoints a board of editors for the American Historical Review, published quarterly. The society has published five vol umes of 'Papers,' about 40 volumes of Annual Reports, a series of prize essays, two volumes on 'The Study of History in Schools' and a series of reprints of 'Original Narratives of American History' in 20 volumes. Membership is obtained through election by the executive council, upon nomination by a member, or by direct application.