“Leadership & Legacy in History”

2015 National History Day in Wisconsin Theme Guide

The Annual Theme

The Annual Theme

• Annual theme applies to everyone• Topics must connect to annual theme• Think about it: How does the theme connect

to the argument that you are making about your topic?

Define

• Leadership & Legacy: What is happening in your topic where someone is making a lasting impact with their actions?

• Leaders could be political, military, economic, humanitarian, etc.

• Make sure you address not only the leader but also their legacy in your topic.

What Does Leadership & Legacy Mean?

• Leadership is a position as a leader of a group, organization, etc. It is the power or ability to lead other people. Leadership can also come from organizations and groups of people.

• Legacy is the way leadership is remembered; the impact it left for the future, or the example that leaders gave to later generations.

In History

• You need to look at the significance of your topic over time

• Topics should not be current events

• In general, try to base topics on events that took place at least 20 years ago

Choosing a Topic

• One of the most important decisions you’ll make for National History Day!

• Choose something you love!

HUGE Variety of Possible Topics

• Brainstorm! Don’t stop with just your first idea. • Leaders can be found in all areas and time

periods of history.• Think about the relationship between the topic

and the events that came before and after it:– Why did it happen?– What impact did it have?

Sample Topics

• These topics are not the only ones out there– Just a few ideas from many areas of history

• Where can you find more ideas?– Think about your interests– Talk to your teacher, parents, classmates– Look through your textbook– Visit the library or a museum

Narrowing Topics

Take a big idea and narrow it to a manageable size for National History Day

ThemeArea of History

Broad TopicNarrow Topic

Thesis

Science and Technology Albert EinsteinLes Paul and the Electric Guitar

Les Paul is known for innovations in the world of music. More than just playing

guitar, Paul was responsible for the sound of many forms of modern music, including

blues, alternative, and metal. He developed the solid-body electric guitar and also

effects (such as multitrack recording) to be used in sound recording. How have Paul’s innovations in music impacted the music

we hear today?

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Albert Einstein revolutionized how we see the world around us. His breakthroughs in science changed the way we understand things like gravity, time, and light. His ideas are used constantly by scientists today, but in his time they were shocking.

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Education Charles Van Hise and the

“Wisconsin Idea”

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The Wisconsin Idea is based on the philosophy that the universities in the state should serve the people of the state and improve the quality of life for all those living within it. This idea expanded beyond education to influence politics and Progressive reforms. How does this idea govern the state today?

Brown v. Board of Education

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Brown v. Board established equal education for all races in the U.S. The idea of integrating the schools of America was a tumultuous time in our history. How did Oliver Brown and the NAACP change how African Americans lived in America?

Labor Movements John R. Commons Advocates

Labor-Related Reforms

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John Commons supported and worked on innovative legislation in labor, economics,

and social welfare. He helped make Wisconsin workplaces safe, and advocated

unemployment compensation, among other very important reforms. How did it affect workers in the state and beyond?

Pullman Strikes of 1890s

In the summer of 1894, the American Railway Union and the employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company fought for

rights which shut down much of the nation’s freight and passenger traffic west of

Michigan. How did this strike differ from others? What changed for future labor

workers because of this strike?

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Environment John Muir Inspires Conservation Gaylord Nelson Founds Earth Day

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Born in Scotland, Muir began his life in Wisconsin by working on his family farm. Nearly going blind from a factory accident, Muir walked from Indiana to Florida, trying to experience as much nature as possible. It was in California that Muir began working to preserve nature, founding the Sierra Club, publishing articles, and promoting conservation, eventually leading to the foundation of our National Parks Service. How did Muir’s work impact the use and view of natural space in this country?

Nelson was a Wisconsin native who after serving in World War II and becoming a lawyer, took on political office. From the state senate, to governor, to the

U.S. Senate, Nelson served the state of Wisconsin for the majority of his adult life. He is well-known for

founding Earth Day and creating a following for the conservation movement.

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Famous Figures Frank Lloyd Wright Lewis & Clark

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Wright’s architectural work and influence

extends far beyond the state of Wisconsin and his hometown of Richland Center. More than designing homes and buildings, Wright created a whole new architectural style in which the buildings harmonized with their environment. How did the innovative architecture of Wright change the way buildings were designed? What legacy did this new style leave for other architects?

Lewis & Clark originally crossed the continent to document the landscape. What right did they have to explore? What was their responsibility to document what the discovered?

Military History Cordelia Harvey Red Cross

Courtesy WI Historical Society Courtesy WI Historical Society

Cordelia spent much of her life fighting for better medical facilities to soldiers in the Civil War. She asked President Lincoln to open 3 hospitals in Wisconsin to give soldiers the proper care they deserved. How did this spark more rights for injured soldiers?

The Red Cross was the first organization to fight for the right to give aid oversees and be an organized membership to provide services for military personnel. How did this change in medical care change wartime?

Politics and Government “Fighting Bob:” Robert M. LaFollette Constitution of the U.S.

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La Follette developed his fierce opposition to corporate power and political corruption as a young man. A Republican almost his entire career, went from Congress to WI governor to the U.S. Senate. His support for progressive reforms, rousing oratory, and frequent clashes with party leaders earned him the nickname “Fighting Bob.” He supported measures that doubled the taxes on railroads, broke up monopolies, preserved the state’s forests, protected worker’s rights, defended small farmers, and regulated lobbying to end patronage politics. What impact did this one man’s ideas have on progressive politics in the early 20th century?

As the foundation of the United States this document set up the rules and practices of a

new nation. If you choose this topic, you could focus on one signer and their impact on the Constitution, or you could focus on the Constitutional Convention as a whole.

What effect did the constitution have on the developing country? Today? How did it effect

other governments at the time?

Social Issues Mathilde Anneke: Forty-Eighter Title IX

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Anneke was born in Germany but came to call Wisconsin home, just as other "Forty-Eighter" immigrants to the United States. Once here, pursued the ideal of freedom, including women's rights and opposition to slavery. She published a suffragist newspaper and founded a girls' school in Milwaukee. How did Anneke's past in Germany influence her actions in the United States? What legacy did Anneke and other "Fourty-Eighters“ leave in the United States?

Title IX allowed for equal access to sports in schools for women. How have sports programs in schools changed since 1972?

Transportation Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Montgomery Bus Boycotts

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Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the bus system was used as a way for African Americans to speak their voice. They boycotted in Montgomery to oppose the segregation that lived on the bus system. How did this way of protesting affect the Civil Rights movement?

Harley-Davidson produced the first motorcycle with founders and friends William Harley and Arthur Davidson in the early 1900s. After their first model was built in 1903, the company saw increased demand for their machine with the unique V-twin shaped engine. How did this machine change transportation? What was the impact on the Wisconsin economy then and today? How did the company transform into the modern motorcycle-manufacturing leader we know today?

Women in History Golda Meir: Israel’s First Female

Prime MinisterWomen’s Suffrage

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In 1907, Golda Meir was one of the many new immigrants to Milwaukee. Although her time in Wisconsin was brief, it was influential in her later quest to establish a homeland for Jews in Palestine. She moved there in 1921 with her husband, and was active in many Zionist organizations and the Israeli government. She was elected as Israeli Prime Minister in 1969 and served until 1974. How did her role as the first woman in that position change the mold of leadership? What difficult political decisions did she have to make and what was her legacy?

Following the passage of the 19th amendment in 1919 women had the chance to vote. How did their fight for years before create a turning point for all women with this law?

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Arts & Literature Lynn and Alfred Lunt Harriet Beecher Stowe and

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

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Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne are largely considered the most influential acting team from America. At the peak of their careers they both took major pay cuts because they believed their art was more important than their salary. This allowed them more control over their contracts, and with this freedom they were able to experiment with acting the way they wanted. The led the way from oratory theater to a new style of naturalism. What kind of legacies can celebrities leave? How can a person or a group lead an art movement?

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist in a time when slavery was still widely accepted in the United States. Her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, described slavery in a very realistic way. The second-best-selling book of the 18th century, Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped change how many people viewed slaver, and helped strengthen the abolitionist cause. How can an author change a culture? Is a writer a leader?

Where can I find more ideas?

• Sample topic lists from NHD and NHD in Wisconsin

• Talk to your parents, teachers, friends• Pick an area of history that interest you

and explore the library• Email us: historyday@wisconsinhistory.org

Thank You!

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