Tips for Selecting Your Individual to Study

Selecting a Topic for the Individual in History: Actions and Legacies

When looking for a person to study, you should not pick someone who is just making news today. The topic is not just “the individual in history” – the topic asks you to look at the individual’s “actions and legacies.” A legacy is something left behind to later generations. For example, a woman who worked in a factory during World War II helped to show that women can perform factory work well. These factory workers helped open up new work opportunities for women. An individual who worked for voting rights in America helped to create a society where all citizens can vote, regardless of their race or gender. Legacies are not all positive. Hitler left a legacy of hate and terror.

If the person you select is someone from today’s headlines, like Al Gore, it can be difficult to really know the full legacy. Gore has done a great deal to bring a lot of attention to environmental issues, but we don’t yet know the full legacy of his actions. You would be able to find primary sources about Al Gore, but it would be harder to find secondary sources about him where historians have really looked at his work and drawn conclusions about his lasting impact on society. You want to study a person who made a difference in society, and you want this person to have done their action(s) in the past so that historians have had a chance to study and write about the person’s legacy. Do consider local and lesser-known individuals, as these people can lead to exciting and unique topics.