2016 National History Day
Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History
Topic Ideas
Exploration (investigation): New discoveries, new ideas, new concepts, new theories
Encounter (to meet unexpectedly): Meeting different people, new environments, new ideas
Exchange (to give and receive): Perhaps involving goods, food, ideas, disease, gunfire (war)
California History:
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
18481855
California Gold
Rush
Prospective gold
miners explored the
Sacramento Valley
looking for gold and
triggering a huge
migration non-Native
people
Encountered hardships
during travel;
encountered Native
American tribes with
disastrous results
Development of new
mining techniques;
exchanged Native
American population
majority for non-Native
population growth
18261827
Jedediah
Smith
Explored the Rocky
Mountains, the
American West
Coast, and the
Southwest
Encountered Native
Americans and rugged
terrain
Smith’s explorations
allowed for the
development of
accurate maps of the
Pacific-West region
18421853
John Charles
Fremont and
the Bear Flag
Revolt
American army
officer and explorer
who charted trails to
the West and played
a decisive role in the
takeover of California
from Mexico during
the Bear Flag Revolt
Encountered geographic
and weather challenges;
encountered Mexican
hostility during the Bear
Flag Revolt
Fremont earned a
national reputation for
his reports on the
American West;
exchanged an
uncomfortable peace
with Mexico for a
rebellion that
established California as
a short-lived
independent republic
1841
BidwellBartleson
Emigrant
Party
First American
emigrants to attempt
a wagon crossing
from Missouri to
California
Encountered two great
obstacles – the Great Salt
Lake Desert in Utah and
the Sierra Nevada
Mountains in California
Exchanged doubt for
proof that overland
travel to California was
possible with wagons
18461847
The Donner
Party
Looked for a shorter
route from Illinois to
California
Encountered the bitter
winter of 1846-47; lost
half of their group on the
trip
The story of the Donner
disaster spread across
the country and
emigration to California
dropped off significantly
Time
Period
1860-61
Topic
Pony Express
Trail
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
A faster way to
communicate news
across the Great
Plains and the Rocky
Mountains about the
threat of civil war
was needed.
Encountered dangers on
the route between St.
Joseph, Missouri and
Sacramento, CA
The Pony Express Trail
cost its founders a lot of
money and they went
bankrupt, but it also
became legendary in
people’s minds
U.S. History and Westward Expansion:
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
18041806
Lewis & Clark
Expeditions
Searched for a water
route to the Pacific
Ocean
Encountered Native
Americans and
unmapped land, lakes,
and rivers
Exchanged gifts &
cultural practices with
Native Americans; share
knowledge of new
plants & animals with
scientists & President
Jefferson
18061807
Zebulon Pike’s
Expedition
Explored uncharted
regions west of
Mississippi Valley
Encountered hostilities
and was arrested by
Spaniards
Exchanged lack of
information for detailed
written records of his
explorations and
knowledge of Spanish
power as a spy
1843
Wagon Train
of 1843
Effort to colonize the
Oregon territory for
the US
Encountered Native
Americans, poor weather
conditions, and the Blue
Mountains of Oregon
Usable wagon trail
established from the
east to Oregon; US reach
extended
18631869
Transcontinental Railroad
Connected the Pacific
coast with the
territory west of the
Mississippi and
Missouri Rivers
Exploitation of Chinese
and Irish immigrant
labor; land challenges –
blasting tunnels &
building bridges through
mountains
Facilitated trade; made
transportation across
the country faster and
cheaper
1867
Seward’s Folly
– Purchase of
Alaska
Alaska Territory
purchased from
Russia
Encountered mixed
reactions in the US to the
purchase
Exchanged apparent
wilderness for the
discovery of gold in the
Klondike district;
cultural exchanges
between Russians and
Americans
1846
Mormon Trail
Members of the LDS
Church traveled from
Illinois to find a new
home for the Church
in the Great Basin of
the US
Encountered harsh
winter conditions; heavy
rains; inadequate
supplies and experience
Tamed the dry, rugged
land for successful
agriculture and
established a booming
community
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1930s
Dust Bowl
Migration
Evicted, bankrupted
farmers were forced
to drive West to
California to find
work
Encountered fierce
competition for jobs –
growers offered
extremely low wages and
poor work conditions
Californians began
demanding decent
housing and sanitary
conditions for millions
of seasonal migrant
workers
1902
Theodore
Roosevelt and
Gifford
Pinchot –
Beginning of
the
Environmental
Conservation
Movement
Roosevelt wanted to
use his presidential
power to protect
wilderness and the
environment
Influenced by Gifford
Pinchot, John Muir, and
others to get federal
government involved in
environmental
protection
Millions of acres of
federally owned land
was set aside as forest
reserves and national
parks
1898
US Annexes
Hawaii
US government
wanted to put a navy
base on the islands;
traders and
merchants wanted
US to overthrow the
Hawaiian
government for their
own benefit
Encountered opposition
to annexation by the
majority of Hawaiians
Hawaii exchanged
independence for the
status of a US territory
in 1900 and a state in
1959
19331938
Franklin
Delano
Roosevelt and
the New Deal
Explored new ideas
for providing relief,
recovery, and
financial reforms
following the Great
Depression
Encountered opposition
from many political
groups and
business/banking
organizations
Put people back to
work; helped stabilize
the economy and
country
16061631
Captain John
Smith –
Jamestown,
Virginia
Explored Virginia
and the Chesapeake
Bay region
Encountered unknown
wilderness, hostile and
friendly native tribes,
and disgruntled English
settlers
One of the men
responsible for
establishing Jamestown,
the earliest English
settlement in North
America; mapped out
the area
17341820
Daniel Boone
and the
Wilderness
Trail
Blazed the
Wilderness Road
from Virginia to
Kentucky through
the Appalachian
Mountains
Encountered Native
American attacks and
uncharted wilderness
His efforts led to
300,000 settlers finding
their way west and led
to Kentucky statehood
in 1792
1913 -
Lincoln
Highway (US
Route 50)
First
transcontinental
highway for cars
across the US
There weren’t many
roads that crossed state
lines; a coast-to-coast
highway was a new
concept so there was
resistance
Inspired by the Good
Roads Movement; it
brought increased
business to towns and
cities along the route
Women in History:
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
18231896
Nancy Kelsey
– the Betsy
Ross of
California
Member of the
Bartleson-Bidwell
expedition; first
white woman to
cross the Sierra
Nevada into
California
Encountered hardships
as a result of not having a
navigation guide and
compass
Kelsey is credited with
creating the first Bear
flag and is known as the
Betsy Ross of California
1848
Women’s
Rights: Seneca
Falls
Convention
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton & Lucretia
Mott broke new
ground by organizing
first national meeting
on women’s rights
Encountered men’s
prejudice
Exchanged silence for
the publication of the
Declaration of
Sentiments
1920
19th
Amendment –
Women’s
Right to Vote
Women breaking
new political ground;
women’s suffrage
movement
Encountered opposition
from many groups; 70
year battle for women to
be allowed to vote
Exchanged quieter
means of protest for
techniques of civil
disobedience to
accomplish their goal.
Wyoming was the first
state to grant women
the right to vote in
1920; Mississippi was
the last in 1984
1920s
Social Change
in the 1920s –
Exploring New
Roles for
Women
During World War I
women filled men’s
jobs at home and did
not want to give
them up when the
men returned
Encountered a clash of
values – the Flapper era
brought many changes in
women’s clothing, hair
styles, etc.
Many women
exchanged traditional
roles for newly
expanded roles in the
workforce and the arts
1928
Amelia
Earhart, Pilot
Became the first
woman to fly over
the Atlantic Ocean
and the first person
to fly over both
Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans
Encountered difficult
weather conditions and
mechanical problems
Paved the way for
women in the field of
aviation
History of Space, Flight, and Oceans:
Time
Period
1903
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
Wilbur &
Orville Wright
– First Piloted
Airplane Flight
Explored their
interest in flight
Encountered technical
difficulties in solving
problems of lift, power,
and control; lawsuits
over the airplane design
patent
Their first successful
flight led to successful
commercial and military
use
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1927
Charles
Lindbergh –
First Solo
Flight Across
the Atlantic
Lindbergh wanted a
career in aviation
Encountered technical
and weather challenges
to become the first pilot
to fly nonstop from New
York to Paris
Exchanged a quiet life
for many honors and
awards but also became
the target of excessive
public attention
1969
Neil
Armstrong
Walks on the
Moon
Became the first man
to walk on the moon
Encountered
technological challenges
and training challenges
Armstrong championed
the American space
program until his death
in 2012
19551975
The Space
Race: From
Sputnik to the
Moon
The US and Russia
experiment with
space flight and
compete to be the
first to put a man in
space
Led to the development
of artificial satellites,
space probes, and human
spaceflight
While the space race
was fueled by the Cold
War, it also led to the
“handshake in space” in
1975 which began
improving relations
between the US and
Russia
19101997
Jacques
Cousteau
Famous French
undersea explorer
Encountered obstacles in
underwater research and
overcame them by
inventing diving and
scuba devices including
the Aqua-Lung
Made a TV series called
The Undersea World of
Jacques Cousteau to
draw the public’s
attention to the
importance of the
oceans
1961
Yuri Gagarin
Russian cosmonaut
who was the first
man to go into outer
space
Encountered a rigorous
cosmonaut selection
process
Became a national hero
and worldwide celebrity
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1793
Invention of
the Cotton Gin
Searched for a new
way to process raw
cotton
Encountered the slow
and inefficient process of
removing seeds from
cotton fiber and started a
vibrant textile industry
in the northern states
Disaster for the
abolition of slavery –
new markets provided
more demand for
southern cotton
1807
Invention of
the Steamboat
Search for a new way
to move boats
upstream
Beginning of regular and
reliable boat service on
the Ohio & Mississippi
Rivers
Faster transportation of
cotton & textiles;
enhance mail service
uniting distant people
1876
Invention of
the Telephone
– Alexander
Graham Bell
Search for a more
efficient way to
communicate over
long distances
Competition between
inventors; lawsuits;
scientific discoveries
Cooperation between
inventors; impact of the
telephone on users
Inventions:
Time
Period
Time
Period
1879
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
Invention of
the Electric
Light bulb –
Thomas
Edison and
Lewis Latimer
Find a way to make
an electric light bulb
that was less
expensive than using
gas lighting
Competition with other
light bulb inventors
Developed a way to
mass produce light
bulbs and make them
available to people and
businesses
Race and Culture:
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
18501860
Underground
Railroad
Effort to help
enslaved people in
the South escape to
freedom in the North
Enslaved people
encountered dangers
during their escape and
“conductors”
encountered dangers in
assisting them
Exchange of
communications
between enslaved
people and
underground railroad
“conductors”
18301850
Indian
Removal Act
and the Trail
of Tears
Native Americans
driven from their
lands by the US
government
Encountered broken
treaties and armed
conflict
President Andrew
Jackson ignored the
direction of the
Supreme Court with
respect to treatment
Native Americans
18791885
Helen Hunt
Jackson:
Native
American
Rights Activist
American writer and
poet who advocated
for improved
treatment of Native
Americans by the U.S.
government
Encountered resistance
from government
officials
People were influenced
by her writing
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1947
Brooklyn
Dodgers Blaze
a New Trail
Toward Civil
Rights
Branch Rickey broke
with MLB’s “whites
only” policy and
signed Jackie
Robinson to the
Brooklyn Dodgers
Robinson had to endure
taunts, jeers, and death
threats
Robinson’s skills won
over teammates and
Dodger fans
1954
Roger
Bannister and
the Miracle
Mile
First person to run a
mile in under 4
minutes
Sports:
Time
Period
Shattered a
psychological barrier –
many people believed
the myth that a 4
minute mile wasn’t
possible
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
18881953
Jim Thorpe:
Sports
Champion and
Advocate for
Native
American
Rights
Played multiple
professional sports
up until the Great
Depression;
considered Greatest
Athlete of the 20th
Century
Encountered racism as a
Native American
Spoke up for the rights
of Native Americans in
spite of personal
financial struggles
1943-
Billie Jean
King: Gender
Equity in
Tennis
Dominated
international tennis
but challenged the
unequal treatment of
women in the sport
Encountered gender
discrimination
Demanded equality;
established the
Women’s Sports
Foundation
Exploring Other Countries:
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
19041914
Construction
of the Panama
Canal
Attempt to link
Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans across the
Isthmus of Panama
Thousands of workers
encountered accidents
and diseases over 10
years of construction
Exchanged overland
trade routes for sea
routes which
encouraged greater
trade relations
1972
President
Nixon Visits
China
The visit gave
Americans their first
glance of China in 25
years
This was the first time a
US president visited
China even though the
two countries had been
bitter enemies
The two governments
negotiated what was
called the Shanghai
Communique
19071916
Sir Ernest
Shackleton:
Exploring
Antarctica
Led 3 British
expeditions to
Antarctica
Encountered harsh polar
environment and
scientific challenges
Exchanged scientific
information; leadership
skills
1953
Edmund
Hillary:
Conquering
Mt. Everest
First to reach the
peak of Mt. Everest
with Tenzing Norgay
Encountered geographic
and weather challenges
Exchanged interactions
with Sherpa people
1909
Matthew
Henson:
Discovery of
the North Pole
First AfricanAmerican Arctic
explorer; codiscovered the North
Pole with Robert
Peary
Encountered harsh polar
environment and racial
discrimination upon
return
Exchanged his own
fame for his friend
Robert Peary and only
received proper
recognition after his
death
18311836
Charles
Darwin and
the Galapagos
Islands
5-year expedition on
the HMS Beagle to
research his theory
on natural selection
and look for evidence
to support it
Encountered so much
new information in his
studies that led him to
develop his Theory of
Natural Selection
Darwin cataloged and
organized his findings
which became the basis
for his master work (On
the Origin of the Species)
Time
Period
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1944
Reinhold
Messner
First man to
complete a solo climb
of Mt. Everest
without oxygen
tanks. Also first man
to climb all 14
mountain peaks at
least 8,000 meters
high (26,247 feet)
Encountered harsh
mountain weather
conditions; loss of
fingertips and toes to
frostbite; overcame the
doubts of others
Wrote more than 50
books; runs an
organization dedicated
to protecting mountain
peaks around the world;
invented new mountain
climbing techniques
1920s1930s
Louise Arner
Boyd
Led 5 expeditions to
the arctic areas
around Greenland
Her intense curiosity and
independent wealth led
her to undertake her
study of unexplored
arctic territory
Studied the fjords and
glaciers of Greenland
that led to the discovery
of a chain of sea
mountains in the Arctic
Ocean; provided
valuable information to
the US war effort during
WWII
Topic
Exploration
Encounter
Exchange
1920
The Discovery
of Insulin
Dr. Frederick Banting
investigated ways to
make a pancreatic
extract to help
people with diabetes
Encountered spectacular
results when insulin was
injected in diabetic
children
Exchanged short life
spans of people with
diabetes before insulin
for normal life spans
1928
Penicillin
Dr. Alexander
Fleming explored the
characteristics of
some unexpected
mold growing in his
lab
Encountered the mold
called Penicillium
notatum. Encountered
professional conflicts
with other scientists who
dedicated themselves to
mass producing
penicillin for large scale
use
Exchanged life
threatening infections
for an effective way of
killing germs and
fighting infections
1967
Dr. Christiaan
Barnard
Experimented with
heart transplantation
and became the first
person to perform a
human heart
transplant
Encountered obstacles
related to the dangerous
technique of human-tohuman organ transplants
and the negative
response of the public
since transplant requires
the death of the donor
Exchanged use of
artificial organs in
transplants for human
organs.
Medical Discoveries:
Time
Period