The SAH sponsors three prize competitions: the annual Francis Parkman Prize for a nonfiction book in American history that is distinguished by its literary merit; the biennial James Fenimore Cooper Prize for the historical novel on an American theme; and the Allan Nevins Prize for the best-written doctoral dissertation on an American subject.
The Society also presents the annual Tony Horwitz Prize for distinguished work in American history of wide appeal and enduring public significance. The prize is supported by The Cedars Foundation.
The Francis Parkman Prize for Special Achievement was awarded periodically between 1962 and 1994; the Bruce Catton Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Writing of History was presented biennially from 1984 to 2006, and the Arthur M. Schlesinger Award for distinguished writing in American history of enduring public significance was given jointly with the Roosevelt Institute from 2008 to 2017.