History Research Project- Desperate Help!

Minigocko

Hey, I'm a 6th year and this is my first thread as I am in desperate need of help. I chose to do my research project based on Ted Bundy, it was accepted by my history teacher in April and I didn't bother doing any work on it during the summer (my own fault) He told me this week to cancel it and to do something which would be easier and with more sources available, if I was to stick with Ted Bundy, what would my angle for the essay be? Where could I go with the essay? I've got 3 other topics on standby but I don't know what angle to write about, what do you guys think?
-Live Aid concert
-Munich Air Disaster
-KKK

yoho139

If I were you, I'd listen to the teacher who actually knows you over the people online.

MightyMandarin

I wouldn't advise serial killers, people tend to dislike them for some whacky reason I guess... Local History is always wanted, think of some old places or stories in your area, they don't have to be famous or anything, examiners just love local history projects. An angle for the KKK could be the 'Birth of a Nation' film, my friend's doing it for her project. Pretty much anything can be done as long as it isn't Michael Collins or pretty much anything WW2 related unless it's something way off of the usual stuff.

Jijsaw

Was just wondering if Amelia Earhart's final flight would be alright for a history project? I've mine sorted but my brother wants to do a project on Earhart. We've got the 3 sources (a documentary, a book and a document off the internet).

maedhbh_mac

OP, don't do Ted Bundy because it would be purely narrative - there isn't really an angle to take there. If I were you (which I'm not and this is only personal advice and shouldn't be taken as gospel, obviously) I'd discuss the factors that led to three different emergences of the KKK (1860s post US Civil War, early 20th century (especially 1910s and 1920s, when urbanisation and immigration were heightening social tensions) and then again in the later 20th century in response to the Civil Rights Movement - be careful with that one because you don't want to overlap too much into the US history topic) and compare them to see what common, recurrent themes in US history that have led to their various revivals and resurgences.

Jijsaw, what would be your brother's focus on Earhart's last flight?

Jijsaw

maedhbh_mac wrote: »

OP, don't do Ted Bundy because it would be purely narrative - there isn't really an angle to take there. If I were you (which I'm not and this is only personal advice and shouldn't be taken as gospel, obviously) I'd discuss the factors that led to three different emergences of the KKK (1860s post US Civil War, early 20th century (especially 1910s and 1920s, when urbanisation and immigration were heightening social tensions) and then again in the later 20th century in response to the Civil Rights Movement - be careful with that one because you don't want to overlap too much into the US history topic) and compare them to see what common, recurrent themes in US history that have led to their various revivals and resurgences.

Jijsaw, what would be your brother's focus on Earhart's last flight?

He isn't sure about it yet, any ideas?

131spanner

I did mine on Child Labor and Housing Conditions during the Industrial Revolution in Britain. I found it pretty interesting and easy to get sources.

maedhbh_mac

Jijsaw, maybe he could do something about the whole international aspect of Earhart's disappearance. I know that there are some pretty out there conspiracy theories typical of the time - captured by the Japanese, spying on the Japanese etc. - and it might be interesting to consider the story from that angle. He could discuss public reactions and say that it was indicative of the pre-WW2 tensions rampant at the time or he could try and reach some conclusions either debunking or validating one of the theories?

Dhl

Would hitlers rise to power be accepted ?

LostBoy101

Dhl wrote: »

Would hitlers rise to power be accepted ?

I wouldn't do it because it is already in the book.

Dhl

What about the nazis euthanasia programme

maedhbh_mac

Dhl, that was my history research project the year before last - I focused on the disabled and it worked out well. Have you had a look at sources yet?

Dhl

maedhbh_mac wrote: »

Dhl, that was my history research project the year before last - I focused on the disabled and it worked out well. Have you had a look at sources yet?

I found a book but it's very broad.
Aloud you give me a few ideas for sources ?

maedhbh_mac

Suzanne Evans is a specialist on the euthanasia and extermination of the disabled - she has a book called 'Hitler's Forgotten Victims' that gathers a lot of primary and secondary sources together, which was really helpful. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum have published a lot of pamphlets that are available online. Then for primary sources there are Nazi propaganda posters, films and some published memos and things like that - German History Docs is a good website for that stuff. A great source is the Nuremberg Transcripts, again available online.

Dhl

maedhbh_mac wrote: »

Suzanne Evans is a specialist on the euthanasia and extermination of the disabled - she has a book called 'Hitler's Forgotten Victims' that gathers a lot of primary and secondary sources together, which was really helpful. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum have published a lot of pamphlets that are available online. Then for primary sources there are Nazi propaganda posters, films and some published memos and things like that - German History Docs is a good website for that stuff. A great source is the Nuremberg Transcripts, again available online.

Thanks you so much for your help. I'm going to go to my library during the week and look for the books you have mentioned. I want it get the first draft done this week and make this year easier. I really regret not getting it done in 5th year. Anyway cheers.

maedhbh_mac

You've loads of time and it's the kind of thing that you can throw together with one honest weekend of work - good luck!

mendelmania

I'm really interested in doing my project on Book Burnings in Nazi Germany, but I'm having trouble finding sources. Where should I be looking?

maedhbh_mac

Mendelmania, any German history projects will always have some kind of primary source on German History in Documents and Images (http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/). It's a really great resource, all kinds of posters and letters and official papers and things, definitely worth a look. Just as an example, here's a piece by a journalist about Nazi book burnings in 1933: http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=1575

You'll definitely get something there. For secondary sources, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum are good - here's two articles they put up: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005852 and http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007945

I can also personally testify that Rebecca Knuth's book, 'Libricide: The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century' is worth a read if you can get your hands on a copy - maybe your local library?