NHD Article: Triumph and Tragedy in American's National Parks (2019)

This article first appeared in the National History Day 2019 Themebook. See their website for more information or visit this page to find more NHD articles about National Park Service resources.

By Katie Orr, Education Coordinator, Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, National Park Service Linda Rosenblum, Education Program Manager, Office of Interpretation, Education and Volunteers, National Park Service

Historic drawing of the Camp Sumter military prison in August, 1864 by a former prisoner

NPS

American history is told in extremes: the triumphs and also the tragedies experienced by activists, immigrants, freedom seekers, and innovators. Textbooks are full of remarkable tales about these exceptional Americans that capture students’ imaginations. These stories can teach us lessons about the past, about ourselves—and even hint at our future. In view of our nation’s remarkable story, no wonder the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) preserves places that are evidence of American history’s great highs and lows.

You do not need to travel to a park to take advantage of everything the NPS offers, thanks to online educational resources and distance learning programs. These are good starting points to inspire National History Day research projects and to provide curriculum support throughout the academic year. All the materials described here support content and skill standards, and they are just a few examples of the hundreds of distance learning resources available at the NPS Teacher Portal. Use these free modules to introduce budding historians to the breadth and depth of the NPS, information that can serve NHD students from the early stages of their research to the end of their project’s journey.

There are more than 400 National Park Service units that preserve America’s natural and cultural treasures. Many are very well known, like the Statue of Liberty and Lincoln Memorial, but smaller parks can serve as hidden gems for young historians looking for unanswered questions. Students may discover opportunities through these parks to fill real gaps in historical knowledge. A few to consider using in pre-NHD curricula follow. Any of these sites might spark curiosity and inspire students to pursue a project for the Triumph & Tragedy in History theme.

Andersonville National Historic Site (Georgia)

Andersonville Prison in Georgia was one of the deadliest places to be during the Civil War. Over 10,000 Union POWs died in the Confederate prison camp during 1864 and 1865. It was a dark corner in American history, but one worth studying to fully understand the triumph of the Union victory and tragic cost of war.

Andersonville: Prisoner of War Camp
Examine conditions of the Civil War’s most notorious prison and learn how inmates were able to cope in this Teaching with Historic Places lesson. Maps, informative passages to read, photographs, and prompts offer students tools to analyze this dark chapter in American history.

Conditions at Andersonville
In this DBQ essay activity, students use a series of primary source documents to answer the historical question, What issues led to Andersonville’s horrific conditions and death rate? Students will defend their theory with maps, data visualizations, and first-person accounts included in the lesson packet.

The Trial of Henry Wirz
When the northern public learned about the tragedy of Andersonville, there was an uproar, because POWs were not supposed to be abused. Captain Henry Wirz, commander of Andersonville Prison, was arrested in May 1865 and charged with violating the laws of war. In the fall of 1865 a military tribunal met in Washington, D.C., to hear his case. Students participate in a simulated trial to gain perspective on civil and military responsibilities during wartime.

Canaveral National Seashore (Florida)

Lessons about the space race teach some of the most extreme highs and lows in recent human history. The triumph of the moon landing contrasts sharply with the tragic loss of life on Challenger and Apollo 1. Students can study the Space Race, Shuttle Program, and other NASA missions through learning about historic places like Canaveral National Seashore.

America’s Space Program: Exploring a New Frontier
In a lesson plan featuring Canaveral National Seashore in Florida and other historic sites, discover how NASA, private industry, and research institutions across the country cooperated to develop and implement the complex technology that enabled man to land on the moon.

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (Ohio)

Charles Young overcame countless obstacles. An African American who lived during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Young faced stifling racism as he rose through the military ranks to become one of the most respected leaders of his time. He did not always triumph, but his example has inspired generations of Americans.

Discover Colonel Young’s Protest Ride for Equality and Country
When the United States entered World War I, Colonel Young rode horseback from his home in Ohio to the War Department in Washington, D.C. His mission? Respect. In this lesson, students grapple with a historical question, Why do marginalized people volunteer to fight for a nation that does not always have their back?

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (Ohio) & Wright Brothers National Memorial (North Carolina)

Few Americans inspire the fascination and admiration that brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright garner from kids and adults alike. The Wright brothers, credited with achieving the first powered flight in 1903, began their careers as printers and bicycle shop owners in a middleclass neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio. Their mechanical engineering skills and interest in aviation ultimately propelled them to win the race to become the first successful pilots of mechanically powered human flight.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park: Where the Wright Brothers Conquered the Air
Discover the early influences that inspired the Wright brothers as inventors and the importance of the Wright Cycle Company Complex in Dayton, Ohio. It was at this location, now a National Historical Park, that they developed the key mechanical skills that had a profound impact on their invention of the airplane. Students use maps to locate the sites of the Wright brothers’ family home and businesses, “read” historic photographs for context and information, and engage in lesson extension activities related to invention, aviation, building businesses, and the impact that individuals have on local and larger communities.

Wright Brothers National Memorial: Site of the First Controlled Powered Flight Discover why the Wright Brothers chose the Outer Banks of North Carolina to conduct their flight experiments, how they achieved controlled powered flight in 1903, and how their accomplishments have been commemorated. This lesson uses the site at Wright Brothers National Memorial on the Atlantic Coast to explore a history of tragedy and triumph

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Maryland)

And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, O’er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave! As the poet Francis Scott Key wrote, the British assaulted U.S. Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor in 1814, but the Americans triumphed over the British attack and won the second war to secure independence from England. Like all the resources promoted here, these lessons teach content while also providing opportunities for students to analyze primary sources and practice critical thinking skills.

“The Rockets’ Red Glare”: Francis Scott Key and the Bombardment of Fort McHenry
Students will learn how the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore led to the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and how Key’s song became a powerful symbol for Americans. A teacher’s guide to this lesson is available at the Teaching with Historic Places homepage, under Professional Development: Teachers Talk TwHP.

A Question of Loyalties: Mount Welby During the War of 1812 (Political Systems)
In this lesson featuring historic Oxon Cove Park in Maryland, students will identify and explain the principles of the United States government expressed in stories, symbols, poems, songs, and landmarks. They will use primary and secondary sources to interpret fiction and nonfiction passages about people, places, and events related to the American political system.

Golden Spike National Historic Site (Utah)

Teach immigration, Manifest Destiny, westward expansion, and technology with resources featuring the Golden Spike National Historic Site. On May 10, 1869, the Union and Central Pacific railroads joined rails in Utah Territory. Golden Spike National Historic Site commemorates the hardships and challenges endured by the railroad builders that culminated in the first Transcontinental Railroad. The celebration at Promontory Point, Utah, where representatives from both the Union and Central Pacific railroads drove a ceremonial golden spike into their conjoined rails, portended the triumph of open migration and trade to the American west.

How the Early Railroads Changed New Mexico
In this lesson, students investigate histories of the Transcontinental Railroad, New Mexico’s first railroad, and Albuquerque’s “new town” to study how the railroad changed the daily lives of people in the region. The materials offer evidence of how diverse groups, including Hispanics, Anglos, Mexicans, and Native Americans, contributed to the triumph and tragedy of westward expansion. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (Washington and Alaska) The headlines screamed “Gold!” The dream of a better life catapulted thousands of people to Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Merchants prospered, but most prospectors experienced tragedy, not triumph, often losing investments and even their lives. Teaching with Historic Places offers two narratives at these historical parks: one of the hardships faced by miners high in the Klondike, and one of prosperity enjoyed by merchants in the boomtowns below.

Skagway: Gateway to the Klondike
Join the stampede for gold when over 100,000 prospectors set out for the Klondike. Students study historic photographs, use maps to locate the routes and mountain passes traveled by the prospectors, and develop projects that answer questions related to how and why areas like western boom towns were created.

Gold Fever! Seattle Outfits the Klondike Gold Rush
Examine how the discovery of gold in Canada’s remote Klondike region touched off the last great gold rush and created an economic boom that changed the city of Seattle forever.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park (New York)

Men and women gathered at Seneca Falls, New York, in the summer of 1848 to rally and organize for women’s rights. During the Seneca Falls Convention, they wrote and signed a list of demands for equal rights for women.Some of these demands were realized in their lifetimes, but many were not. Is the convention a story of triumph or tragedy? Students may choose to tackle that question for their project or explore others that the park site poses for young historians.

The M’Clintock House: A Home to the Women’s Rights Movement
How did a home in upstate New York become the site for the creation of one of the most important human rights documents in American history? Why? Students use historic maps, images, cartoons and readings to try to answer these questions and explore the lives of the women and men who attended the convention.

Catharine Blaine: Seneca Falls and the Women’s Rights Movement in Washington State
When this signer of the Declaration of Sentiments at Seneca Falls migrated west to the Washington Territory, she carried ideas of women’s rights with her. In this lesson about the movements of people and ideas through the United States, students examine primary sources and make connections to their own experiences.

To access more theme resources, go to nhd.org/themebook.