family. You might consider the leadership of those who built
to step down after two terms as president of the United
of the whole, greater event. Many people have heard of Martin
Sometimes people are active agents, but other times
schools or founded universities—everyone from John Harvard
to Booker T. Washington to Leland Stanford. You also could
examine leadership in a small event within the larger context
Luther King, Jr. and Alice Paul, but what about Bayard Rustin
or Mary Church Terrell? World War II brought leadership
opportunities for Bernard Montgomery and Dwight D.
Eisenhower, but what about the war experiences of Charity
Adams, King George VI, or Anna Mae Hayes?
Sometimes a leader emerges because he or she happens to be
in the right place at the right time. Local circumstances and
background context offer important clues when we examine
why a leader chose to act when and how he or she did. Who
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and what were his or her influences, and in turn, who and what
did he or she influence? What experiences led abolitionists
like Sarah and Angelina Grimké to oppose slavery? In what
ways did the European leader Charlemagne influence art and
architecture in Europe? Why did George Washington choose
States? What was he attempting to model about leadership in
a democracy?
individuals are thrust into situations where they are obligated
to make choices and act. Reactions to a social event, a natural
disaster, an oppressive government, or other situations often
show leadership. In wartime, many people find themselves
forced by circumstances to do things they could never have
imagined. Consider British, French, German, and American
soldiers on the front lines of World War I. There are many
examples where leaders have emerged unexpectedly. During
the Normandy campaign in World War II, General Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr. (the son of the president) landed with his
infantry battalion on Utah Beach, more than a mile away from
his intended location. He is famously quoted as saying, “We’ll
start the war from right here!” How did his leadership make
a difference?
eaders often arise because they have new ideas about how something should be done or redone, built or rebuilt. They see
a situation and want to change it, convinced that their vision will improve an element of life or change their community
for the better. Consider the great American entrepreneurs that historian H.W. Brands labeled “masters of enterprise”—
leaders such as Roy Kroc, Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash, Cornelius Vanderbilt, or John Rockefeller. Leaders dare to ask difficult
questions and are passionate about resolving issues.
Of course, not all first ideas are good ones. A leader and his
Sometimes legacies cannot be understood until long after a
Mandela, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf were forced to make
world. What change or objective did they set in motion? How
or her supporters may revise and change ideas in the process
of moving toward a goal. This is particularly evident when
they run into obstacles. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson
adjustments on their path to leadership. As leaders, they
pushed through challenging situations and found solutions
to overcome hurdles. Can other leaders, or even followers,
become obstacles?
Looking carefully at the impact on society and change over
time, you will also need to think about the leader’s legacy.
Legacy is what is handed down to us from our ancestors or
predecessors. More broadly, legacy is what is left behind for
future generations—such as ideas and accomplishments.
leader has passed away. Often reformers were considered
radicals in their time. Abolitionists, socialists, anarchists, and
civil rights activists around the world have seen changes in the
did they set out to change the world? Did they succeed? What
are the legacies of John Brown, Guy Fawkes, or Karl Marx?
Sometimes a legacy depends on perspective. Not all legacies
are positive ones. What happens when leadership goes awry?
Legacies also can be controversial. Events can lead one
group of people to feel that a leader was a great and moral
influence who facilitated a positive outcome, while a different
group of people believe exactly the opposite. Consider the
history of Martin Luther, Sir Thomas More, Francisco Franco,
the Irish Republican Army, or the Palestine Liberation
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2015
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