National History Day 2009 Theme
by Cathy Gorn, Executive Director for National History Day
The Individual in History: Actions & Legacies
During the 2008-2009 school year National History Day invites students
to research topics related to the theme The Individual in History:
Actions and Legacies. A combination of the right person at the right
time in history has powerful outcomes which can be both inspiring
and catastrophic as illustrated by the lives of such figures as George
Washington, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi,
Rachel Carson, Caesar Chavez, Jane Adams, or Idi Amin Dada and
Adolf Hitler. Inspirational individuals ask difficult questions of society and
themselves and believe passionately in an issue. Examples of individuals
who cared deeply about a cause and nudged history forward are
Eleanor Roosevelt in her quest for human
rights, John Peter Zenger and the fight for
freedom of the press, and Walter Reed in his
quest for a cure for yellow fever. The list can
extend exponentially. Individuals who were
activists, world leaders, scientists, or artists
followed their fervor and focused their life’s
work that eventually became a catalyst for events to unfold in history.
In each case the decisions and the route that the individual followed
ignited a change.
Many individuals in history were not famous—or infamous—and their
names are lost to history. But often, such individuals played significant
roles in the course of human events: a foot soldier in the Battle of
Normandy on D-Day during World War II; a pioneer woman on the
Oregon Trail; or a voter registration activist in Mississippi during Freedom
Summer 1965. How did each contribute to a larger event or movement
that changed history?
The individuals your students select may illustrate important values,
such as courage in the face of great opposition or in striking out in a
new direction; selflessness in helping others during a time of disaster;
ingenuity in founding or building an institution; patriotism in time of
national crisis; or leadership in a cooperative effort to protect human
rights or improve the community.
In 1789 George Washington was the individual unanimously selected to
be our first president. Why? What traits and talent did he possess to make
him a great leader? How did he use his talents to shape his Presidency
and the new nation? In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, a book associated with the launch of the environmentalist movement. Rachel
Carson wrote about insecticides when few people were aware of the
danger. Why did she pursue her concern when the wider audience of
the nation was unconcerned with pesticides and their danger? What
other obstacles, besides national apathy, did she overcome? What inner
strength did she possess to persevere and make new discoveries to make
people aware? How did she eventually gain the attention of so many?
What impact did her book have on history?
History and the story of individuals and groups of individuals cannot
be separated. One person does not stand alone, isolated in time, but
is a product of the events and the people
that came before and those who were
influenced by history. Susan B. Anthony
was influenced by her environment and
her historical context as she was born into
a large family of abolitionists. Her deep
religious upbringing and her passion for equality began a national
conversation that eventually brought about change for women.
Anthony and her desire for equality were preceded by the abolitionist
movement and women like Sojourner Truth who spoke out for equal
rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton joined and worked alongside Susan
B. Anthony and both were followed in the fight for equal rights by
suffragettes like Alice Paul. Each woman persevered in her belief and
followed a different path to the same goal, the 19th Amendment. In
what way did each individual’s efforts eventually lead to a change in
the social and legal status for women?
Queen Elizabeth I, Joan of Arc, and Florence Nightingale represent women
in world history who defied the conventional wisdom and behavior of their
societies. Choosing one of these famous women can reveal how each
reacted against or transformed male dominated societies. Rosie the Riveter
was a symbol of women during World War II. How was a lesser known
individual from your own community, like a woman who worked in a factory
during World War II, instrumental in expanding the roles of women?
Whether the individual was a diplomat, a politician, or an everyday
person, the plight of the individual affects us all. The individual is the force
behind history. How does an individual change history? Events that have
changed the course of history are often associated with an individual or a group of individuals with the same goal. The Abolitionists of the 19th
century represented distinct ideologies about how to end slavery. William
Wilberforce believed that through the political system the institution of
slavery would be changed. John Brown relied on emotion and violence.
William Garrison employed rational thought and an appeal to the public
conscience through the newspaper.
Students should remember that understanding time and place are crucial
to examining an individual’s role in history. Sometimes the individual is
a catalyst for the events examined. People make history. Jackie Robinson
and Marion Anderson are excellent examples of individuals being at the
right place at the right time in history. Through their desire to pursue
their dreams, they achieved a great, but maybe unintended, step in the
Civil Rights movement. In 1946 Jackie Robinson broke through the racial
barrier to become the first black baseball player to play in the major
leagues. Why was this possible in 1946? He had been playing baseball
for years before 1946. So why didn’t this happen in 1936 or 1940?
What obstacles did he face before and after he signed with the Dodgers?
How did his example set a precedent for other athletes in other sports?
In 1939 Marion Anderson was refused the right to sing at Constitution
Hall because of segregation policies. She eventually sang on the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial after Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters
of the Revolution who blocked Anderson from singing there. Even the
decision for the concert to be moved to the Lincoln Memorial caused a
backlash of criticism. A section of the population saw her consent to sing
on the Lincoln Memorial as a great success, and another section of the
population felt her decision to sing caved in to the segregation policies.
Why and how was Eleanor Roosevelt a significant player in this event?
Students who are interested in ancient history may discuss Xerxes and
Pericles as symbols of the early clash between east and west, or the
attitudes of Caesar and Brutus toward republicanism in ancient Rome,
or Eleanor of Aquitaine and the medieval development of France and
England. What was the context of the time in which each lived? How did that context influence the individual’s success or failure? What impact
did the individual’s actions have on the course of history?
The history of science and technology represents another fascinating area
of study. Students might investigate not only the effect of an individual
on scientific knowledge, technological development, and societal change,
but also the impact of science and technology on the individual. In what
way was Galileo’s discovery controversial? What impact did his discovery
have? What were the consequences of his work? How did his work
influence history?
Can art influence history? Students might examine the influence
photography has had on history. How did Brady’s photographs of the
Civil War inform and influence the nation’s perception of war between
the north and south? Students might follow Lewis Hine’s photos of child
labor leading to the Keats-Owings Act or Dorothea Lange’s famous
photographs of the migrants during the Dust Bowl.
Historical Relevance
As with any NHD theme, these topics present students with many
fascinating opportunities to explore history and to learn to use a wide
range of primary and secondary sources. This year’s theme also offers
teachers an excellent entry into philosophical discussions about personal
actions and responsibilities.
Stories of individuals in history are compelling but pose a challenge for a
National History Day project. While working with a theme, students must
move beyond biographies and description of specific people or events
and demonstrate how that person’s actions had an impact on history. The
challenge for students engaged in a National History Day project with
the theme of The Individual in History is to capture that specific moment
in time in which change occurred and the role played by an individual. As
with any NHD theme, the key to good historical study is an examination
of cause and effect and change over time.
For more information, contact:
National History Day, Inc.
0119 Cecil Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
301.314.9739 info@nhd.org www.nhd.org
National Contest: June 14-18, 2009
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