THE 2023 NATIONAL HISTORY DAY THEME IS...
Each year more than half a million students just like you participate. You will choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, and then conduct primary and secondary research. You will look through libraries, archives and museums, conduct oral history interviews, and visit historic sites. After you have analyzed and interpreted your sources, and have drawn a conclusion about the significance of your topic, you will then be able to present your work in one of five ways: as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a web site.
In the spring, you will enter your work into local NHD contests where it will be judged by professional educators and historians. If your work is chosen as one of the best, you will move on to your state's NHD contest. As a winner at your state NHD contest, you will be eligible to attend the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park in June. This is where the best National History Day projects from across the United States, American Samoa, Guam, International Schools and Department of Defense Schools in Europe all meet and compete.
Congratulations on embarking on your National History Day journey! It is sure to be a memorable one. You never know what information you might find, or whom you may get to meet. And the skills you will learn along the way will last a lifetime.
ACCESS CONTEST PAGE HERE
SEE STUDENT EXAMPLES HERE
RELATED FILES TO DOWNLOAD
2023 THEME BOOKLET
THEME GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
CONTEST RULE BOOK - NEW FOR 2021
RULE CHANGES SUMMARY FOR 2021
RULES FOR ALL CATEGORIES
HOW WILL MY ENTRY BE JUDGED
PAPER RULES
EXHIBIT RULES
DOCUMENTARY RULES
PERFORMANCE RULES
WEBSITE RULES
LOCAL HISTORY DAY APPLICATION FORM
RESOURCES FOR NHD AT PA STATE LIBRARY
RESOURCES FOR NHD AT PA STATE ARCHIVES
CHRONICLING AMERICA - OLD NEWSPAPERS RESOURCE
RELATED LINKS FOR RESEARCH
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS
CHRONICLING AMERICA
PA STATE LIBRARY
PA STATE LIBRARY - DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS - AMERICAN MEMORY PROJECT
NATIONAL ARCHIVES - ONLINE RESEARCH TOOLS
NATIONAL ARCHIVES - DOCS TEACH
ARMY HERITAGE CENTER FOUNDATION - EDUCATION MATERIALS INDEX