Who We Are

AskHistorians is one of the most successful public history projects in the world. The premise is simple: anyone can come and ask a question about the human past, and receive an in-depth, comprehensive answer from an expert in the field. Since being founded in 2011, AskHistorians has grown to become one of the largest online communities dedicated to historical knowledge, with almost 1.2 million subscribers and over 2 million unique monthly visitors.

But that is our day job. Why are we raising money now?

This September 15-17, AskHistorians will host its first-ever conference.

We’ve never done anything like this before – in fact, no one has ever done anything like this before. Rather than keep conversations between scholars locked away in dry, dusty seminar rooms, this conference will take place on the world’s largest digital history forum, free to access and open for all to take part. You can read the details here.

This conference represents a huge new step in fulfilling our mission of breaking down the barriers between historians and the people who love history. We're excited to bring you some brilliant new scholarship from around the world, to let you sit in on our guests' discussions and ask your own questions. Alongside talks and panels, we hope to host a range of new events and threads that will let all our users engage with history, historians and one another like never before. But to make this all happen...

We need your help!

We’re calling on our community to help cover the costs of hosting the conference. Any contribution is welcome, though we know that not everyone is in a position to give just now – if you can’t give money, please help spread us the word on social media! For those that can donate, we have a series of exclusive rewards to claim:

$10 – “I’m Just Here For The History”

Love history, and want the world to know it? For a $10 contribution, we’ll shout your name from the rooftops. Or our sponsor page. Whichever is easier.

**NEW** $25 – “I Just Want to Chat”

Have you grown beyond material possessions, but not wanting to talk to people about history? What a special stage of evolution you must be! Fortunately, we cater for everyone here: get guaranteed access to all conference networking events, but none of the clutter.

$25 – “More Moderation, More Of The Time”

Have you ever wondered why the entire world can’t be moderated to the same standards as AskHistorians? Now it can! With these exclusive new packs of [removed] stickers, the power to remove whatever you like is in your hands. Don’t like that ad? [removed]. That park bench? [removed]. Your ex’s face in your favourite photo? [removed].

$50 – ‘Get Mugged’

  You can’t just walk into a store and buy an AskHistorians mug – they’re reserved for special people like AMA guests and annual ‘Best Of’ winners. This is the first-ever chance for users to claim their very own mug, and as befits such an esteemed trophy, you’re also invited to our behind-the-scenes networking events with conference participants!

$75 – ‘Knight of the Roundtable’

  Like everything you read so far, but need more content and access? Get your hands on all the swag and events mentioned above, as well as exclusive access to a VIP Round Table event, with the chance to take part in discussion and ask questions in real time.  

$100 – ‘I Love It. I’ll Take Everything.’

Not only do you get all the swag along with a backstage pass to all conference events, we’re offering the chance to sit down for a one-on-one (moderated) chat with select moderators and conference participants. Want to follow up on a paper you really enjoyed? Ever want to know what makes a historian tick? Got a question about Hitler that you’re too embarrassed to ask in public? We can make it happen.

We'll use your contribution to...

• Ensure that the conference is free to attend and participate in for everyone
• Cover the cost of digital platforms for the event
• Provide attendees and contributors with AskHistorians swag
• Support our marketing campaign
• Any excess funds will be used to support future AskHistorians events and initiatives
• Funds raised will not be used to pay salaries or otherwise profit the organisers or participants.