▁the ▁United ▁States ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁studies , ▁sources , ▁critical ▁methods ▁and ▁interpret ations ▁used ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁While ▁history ▁exam ines ▁the ▁inter play ▁of ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁histor i ography ▁exam ines ▁the ▁secondary ▁sources ▁written ▁by ▁histor ians ▁as ▁books ▁and ▁articles , ▁evalu ates ▁the ▁primary ▁sources ▁they ▁use , ▁and ▁provides ▁a ▁critical ▁exam ination ▁of ▁the ▁method ology ▁of ▁historical ▁study . ▁ ▁Organ izations ▁Histor ians ▁have ▁formed ▁scores ▁of ▁scholar ly ▁organizations , ▁which ▁typically ▁hold ▁annual ▁con ferences ▁where ▁scholar ly ▁papers ▁are ▁presented , ▁and ▁which ▁publish ▁scholar ly ▁journ als . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁every ▁state ▁and ▁many ▁local ities ▁have ▁their ▁own ▁historical ▁soci eties , ▁focused ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁histor ies ▁and ▁sources . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁Historical ▁Association ▁( A HA ) ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁and ▁largest ▁society ▁for ▁professional ▁histor ians ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁F ounded ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁it ▁prom otes ▁historical ▁studies ▁covering ▁all ▁contin ents ▁and ▁time ▁periods , ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁history , ▁and ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁and ▁access ▁to ▁historical ▁materials . ▁ ▁It ▁publish es ▁The ▁American ▁Historical ▁Review ▁five ▁times ▁a ▁year , ▁with ▁scholar ly ▁articles ▁and ▁book ▁reviews . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁A HA ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁organization ▁for ▁histor ians ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Organ ization ▁of ▁American ▁Histor ians ▁( O A