The Officers and Executive Committee of the New England Historical Association (NEHA) condemn political violence and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The attempt by insurrectionists to prevent our representatives and senators from carrying out their constitutional duty–the certification of the election of President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris–was unlawful and a brazen threat to our democratic republic.

As we prepare for a new semester, the leadership of NEHA encourages our colleagues and members to consult the resources prepared by the American Historical Association (AHA) to engage students in thoughtful discussions about the long history of political violence and threats to our democratic institutions:

https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/everything-has-a-history/the-assault-on-the-capitol-in-historical-perspective-resources-for-educators

We also support the AHA’s statement on this travesty:

https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/aha-advocacy/ransacking-democracy-statement-(january-2021)