H ) ▁is ▁the ▁major ▁organization ▁for ▁histor ians ▁who ▁study ▁and ▁teach ▁about ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Form er ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Valley ▁Historical ▁Association , ▁its ▁membership ▁compr ises ▁college ▁and ▁university ▁profess ors , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁gradu ate ▁students , ▁independent ▁histor ians , ▁archiv ists , ▁museum ▁cur ators , ▁and ▁other ▁public ▁histor ians . ▁The ▁O A H ▁publish es ▁the ▁quarter ly ▁scholar ly ▁journal ▁Journal ▁of ▁American ▁History . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁its ▁individual ▁membership ▁was ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁its ▁institution al ▁membership ▁ 1 , 2 5 0 , ▁and ▁its ▁operating ▁budget ▁was ▁approximately ▁$ 2 . 9 ▁million ▁ ▁Other ▁large ▁regional ▁groups ▁for ▁profession als ▁include ▁the ▁Southern ▁Historical ▁Association , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁for ▁white ▁histor ians ▁teaching ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁It ▁now ▁chief ly ▁special izes ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁South . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁it ▁elected ▁its ▁first ▁black ▁president , ▁John ▁Hope ▁Franklin . ▁The ▁Western ▁History ▁Association ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁to ▁bring ▁together ▁both ▁professional ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁amateur ▁writers ▁dealing ▁with ▁the ▁West . ▁Do z ens ▁of ▁other ▁organizations ▁deal ▁in ▁special ized ▁topics , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Society ▁for ▁Military ▁History ▁and ▁the ▁Social ▁Science ▁History ▁Association . ▁ ▁Pre - 1 8 0 0 ▁During ▁the ▁colonial ▁era , ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁serious ▁sch