Thomas Garrett, a station master on the Underground Railroad in Wilmington, helped 3000 slaves escape to freedom. This was part of a revolutionary movement to end slavery. William "Judy" Johnson was a Negro League baseball player from Delaware who was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Lewis Redding was Delaware's first African American lawyer and was involved in the landmark Brown vs Board of Education Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in schools. Annie Jump Cannon from Dover catalogued over 500,000 stars using spectroscopy in her lifetime.
3. Thomas Garrett, a station master on The Underground Railroad in Wilmington. He helped 3000 slaves on their way to freedom in a revolutionary movement. Revolution a: a sudden, radical, or complete change b: a fundamental change in political organization; especially: the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed c: activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation d: a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something : a change of paradigm <the Copernican revolution> e: a changeover in use or preference especially in technology <the computer revolution> <the foreign car revolution>
4. William “Judy” Johnson, Negro League ball player from Delaware who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975, seen here with the Bowie Kuhn, the commissioner of baseball Reaction the act or process or an instance of reacting b: resistance or opposition to a force, influence, or movement; especially: tendency toward a former and usually outmoded political or social order or policy a response to some treatment, situation, or stimulus <her stunned reaction to the news>; also: such a response expressed verbally <critical reaction to the play>
5. Lewis Redding Delaware’s first African-American Lawyer, involved in Brown v. Board of Education Reform 1 a: to put or change into an improved form or condition b: to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses 2 : to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or introducing a better method or course of action 3 : to induce or cause to abandon evil ways <reform a drunkard>
6. Annie Jump Cannon from Dover, catalogued or named 500,000 stars in her lifetime, working with spectography. In History There is a difference between current events and history. To understand a topic or event, we need a little time to see how It has affected us, our culture or our nation/world. Historians generally Agree that at least one generation must pass for that to happen. A generation is usually 20-25 years. So, stay away from topics that have happened since 1986, OR be sure to trace that topic’s history carefully and in great depth. Example: Rap music- soul music, blues, jazz, etc.
8. Alcohol and history: Temperance becomes Prohibition The Holly Tree Inn a lunch spot without liquor and a report on Prohibition in Delaware
9. A reaction to tuberculosis: Emily Bissell introduces Christmas Seals to America
10. Color guard of the 1st Delaware Regiment with tattered flags after Antietam
11. The Motley family of Seaford leaving for the March on Washington, Aug. 1968
12. Spend a lot of time brainstorming your topic- you’ll want to work on something that really interests you!
13. Jane Addams: Settlement Houses Some topic ideas…. The airplane: a revolution in warfare John Brown’s revolt against slavery The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) The Intolerable Acts and the Boston Tea Party Women Suffragists Henry Ford and the Model T- reforming American industry The Bill of Rights Miranda Rights Will Rogers: An American Commentator The Montgomery Bus Boycott Henry David Thoreau: Walden Title IX Upton Sinclair: The Jungle Compensated Emancipation The list goes on and on…..
14. The more time you spend developing and refining your thesis, the easier the rest of your work will be. Talk to your teachers, your family, and any adults you can find to help you look for connections- outward, inward, backward and forward. Page from A Guide to Historical Research Through the National History Day Program.
15. Pick a topic you like, work hard, have fun, be creative and we’ll see you in April! Good luck!
