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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

National History Day is a fun event that encourages students to become historians by developing research, analysis, presentation and social skills. Working individually or in groups, junior (grades 6-8) and senior (9-12) division students select a topic related to an annual theme. They conduct extensive historical research using primary sources, articles, and books, then distill their research and analysis into a dramatic performance, multimedia documentary, museum exhibit, website, or research paper.

National History Day's theme for 2025 was Rights and Responsibilities in History. The Local History/Special Collections Branch of the Alexandria Library has several types of materials that relate to these topics. Please explore the finding aids, resource guides, and books on this page to get started.

 

LIBRARY RESOURCES

  • 1939 Library Sit-In Research Guide
    An overview of materials available for further research into the 1939 sit-in protest at Alexandria Library and the history of library integration in the region.

  • AtoZ Maps Online
    A collection of 60,000 royalty-free maps that can be downloaded and printed. Map types include world, country, state, political, physical, outline, environmental, scientific, and antique maps.

  • African American Resources Guide
    An overview of materials available for the study of African American history in the Alexandria Library Local History/Special Collections division.

  • Biography in Context
    Biographical essays on the world's most influential people.

  • Communications and Mass Media
    Nearly 3 million articles on all aspects of the communications field, including advertising, public relations, linguistics, and literature.

  • Military and Intelligence
    Covers all aspects of the past and current state of military affairs.

  • MS098 Alexandria Library Records finding aid

  • MS164 Armistead Boothe Papers finding aid

  • Pop Culture
    Useful information for researchers in social science, history, art or liberal arts courses with resources that both analyze and contribute to popular culture.

  • U.S. History Collection
    Useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers, the database offers balanced coverage of events in U.S. history and scholarly work being established in the field.

  • War and Terrorism
    The database offers balanced coverage of both historic and contemporary topics in the fields of war and terrorism.

  • Washington Post Historical Newspapers
    Digitized Wasington Post articles from 1877-1997.

  • World History
    Offers balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field.

 

 

 

OTHER RESOURCES

  • Diplomacy 101
    Dive into some of the most frequently asked questions about diplomacy.

  • The National Museum of American Diplomacy
    Tells the story of the history, practice, and challenges of American diplomacy. Through exhibitions and programs, we inspire the American public to discover diplomacy and how it impacts their lives every day.

  • Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
    National Archives resources on diplomacy and foreign policy.

  • Diplomacy and the White House
    Resources from the White House Historical Association.

  • George C. Marshall Foundation
    Exists to promote the values of selfless service, dedicated effort and strength of character exemplified by Marshall’s life and leadership in war and peace and to inspire new generations to follow his example as they face the challenges of the future.

 

 

1867 Memorial of Electors to Congress
1867 Memorial of Electors to Congress-"After the Civil War, many Southern cities and states passed measures to deny rights to African Americans. Some individuals took matters into their own hands to deny the right to vote, as this document from 1867 shows".
 
MS240 Vertical File Collection. Box 5.
1866 Roll of Honor of Alexandria National Cemetery Burials

1866 Roll of Honor of Alexandria National Cemetery Burials-"During the Civil War in Alexandria a National Cemetery was established to honor Union war dead. Late in the war, African American soldiers successfully petitioned to have deceased African American soldiers buried alongside their white comrades. This represents African American soldiers' assertion of their right to be treated as equals. These soldiers took responsibility into their own hands by fighting for their rights". 


MS240 Vertical File Collection. Box 8. 
Last Updated: March 2026