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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2016
Complex Encounters,
Continuing Exchanges
Exploring Varied Stories of Immigration Using
Primary Sources
O
Rebecca Newland, Library of Congress 2013– Teacher in Residence
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ne view of exploration, encounter, and exchange is fairly linear, describing an order of operations of sorts. A group or
individual designates a location to explore. When the explorers reach their destination, they encounter indigenous
peoples, flora, and fauna. In the best-case scenario, these encounters result in a mutually beneficial exchange of goods
or information.
A close look at the historical record, however, reveals more complex examples of encounters between peoples. During the great
immigration surge of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, for example, the process of exploration, encounter,
and exchange was multisided and ongoing. New arrivals to the United States explored the geography and culture of their new
home, while longtime residents responded to the initial encounter and explored the practices of their new neighbors. As the
years passed and immigrant communities took root, encounters between immigrant and incumbent peoples continued and
deepened, and exchanges took place that had lasting effects on local and national cultures alike.
Primary sources have tremendous power to complicate seemingly straightforward stories, and are an essential part of every
National History Day project. These historical artifacts come in a variety of formats, including newspapers, political cartoons,
charts, broadside