National History Day 2023: Frontiers in History
About this object This historic landscape created by Albert Beirstadt in 1876 represents exploration of the Pacific coast. A grazing herd of domestic animals in the foreground symbolizes the natural bounty to be found in the West.
This year’s National History Day theme is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. As the contest theme book explains, a frontier represents "uncharted territory." A frontier could be an unexplored geographical location or a brand-new idea. An individual can break through a barrier and blaze a new trail for a previously unrepresented population. Since its creation, the U.S. House of Representatives has contended with a myriad of uncharted territories, both geographical and ideological.
Consider these topics and selected resources as inspiration for your project. This page collects historical summaries and primary sources about the expansion of the country, space exploration, voting rights, labor rights, and civil rights. All, at one point in time, were uncharted territories.
Additional House Research Resources
- House Records: Records Search
- Researching the House: Bibliographies
- Office of the Historian Publications
- Digital Copies of Congressional Publications: Government Publications Office
- House Records: Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration