Washington History is the only scholarly publication devoted exclusively to the history of our nation’s capital. First published in 1989, the magazine replaced the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (1897-1989). Washington History is filled with scholarly articles edited for the general reader. It is written and edited by distinguished historians and journalists, offering a rich array of images as well as reviews and short features.

The current and past issues are available for purchase in the DC History Center Store and at area bookstores. The magazine is mailed to members as a benefit of Membership Plus level membership in the DC History Center, and digital access is available via JSTOR to members through our online portal. (Members: see our guide to accessing Washington History).

To advertise in Washington History, download our media kit.

To sample Washington History, please take a look at the essays on the pages linked below.

Washington History in the Classroom

 

CURRENT ISSUE

Spring 2024 | Volume 36, Number 1

The latest Washington History engages themes of identity, power, and agency. Joe Lapp opens with a reflection on pioneering housing advocate Kimi Gray. Working with Republicans and Democrats, she spent decades fighting to improve conditions at the Kenilworth Courts and Parkside housing projects. Anne Dobberteen spotlights hidden figures of Washington’s World War II defenses. Women volunteers tracked the capital region’s air traffic and joined the U.S. military’s first mixed-gender unit experiment. The issue concludes with Nikki Grigg’s study of German immigrants, beer branding, and citizenship in late-19th-century DC. 

Purchase Washington History

Washington HistorySpring 2024 | Volume 36, Number 1

Current Issue Cover Art

Stories:

“I Want to Own the Plantations”

“I Want to Own the Plantations”

Kimi Gray and Tenant Empowerment in Kenilworth Courts

by Joe Lapp

How pioneering housing advocate Kimi Gray led residents to manage and revitalize their home complexes.

“Flash, Flash!”

“Flash, Flash!”

The Hidden Figures of DC’s World War II Antiaircraft Artillery Command

by Anne Dobberteen

Women volunteering as plane plotters and WAACs defend Washington, complicating home front narratives.

Beer, Branding, and Citizenship

Beer, Branding, and Citizenship

In Late-19th-Century Washington, DC

by Nikki Grigg

Archaeological evidence illuminates German immigrants’ claims to U.S. citizenship in local beer branding and drinking practices.

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Current issue:
DC History Center Store

Recent and past issues:
DC History Center Store
Second Story Books

Washington History is also accessible through JSTOR, the online service that preserves the scholarly record.

Submit to Washington History

Are you a historian, journalist, or student writing on Washington, DC history? The editors of Washington History welcome submissions of essays as well as notices of blogs and copies of books to review. Please view the submission guidelines and contact the editor for further information: editor@dchistory.org.

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Washington History accepts paid advertising, which supports the publication and the programs of the DC History Center. For rates, schedules, specifications and to reserve your space, download our media kit here.

Editorial Staff

  • Sarah Shoenfeld, Editor
  • Ryan Bacic, Managing Editor
  • Anne Masters, Graphic Design

Editorial Board

  • Chris Myers Asch
  • Sally Lichtenstein Berk
  • Kenneth R. Bowling
  • Mary Beth Corrigan
  • William C. diGiacomantonio
  • Matthew B. Gilmore
  • Michael Harrison
  • Mary D. Hewes
  • Christopher Klemek
  • Richard Longstreth
  • George Derek Musgrove
  • Joseph P. Reidy
  • Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska
  • Kim Prothro Williams

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