History of the Society & Journal

In 1940, the Teachers' History Club at the University of Notre Dame created the "Quarterly Bulletin of the Teachers' History Club" to improve the learning experience in the history classroom.

By 1967, the expanding collaboration of educators reorganized as the History Teachers' Association and decided to transform the bulletin into an academic journal—The History Teacher.

In 1972, the association transferred guardianship of The History Teacher to coordinating faculty members at the Department of History at California State University, Long Beach. In the interest of independence and self-determination, the associated teachers incorporated as a non-profit organization.

The Society for History Education, Inc. (SHE) was recognized by the State of California in 1972.

In 1998, The History Teacher began publishing the winning student essays from the annual National History Day contest, in recognition of the impact that history teachers have in shaping the next generation of young historians. 

In 2012, the Society became a leader among publishers, offering full-text, open access to recent archives of The History Teacher at its website, thehistoryteacher.org.

In 2014, The History Teacher launched full-color covers on both front and back covers, showcasing high-quality historical images specifically designed to spark classroom discussion. 

In 2025, the American Historical Association honored The History Teacher with the William and Edwyna Gilbert Award for the Best Article on Teaching History for the fourth year in a row, marking an unprecedented nine wins for the journal. 

SHE is an Affiliate of the American Historical Association (AHA).