LibGuides: Primary Sources: National History Day 2026

Finding a Topic: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History

Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History is a wide theme and can be interpreted in many ways. Below are a few sample topics some of which were developed from suggestions Microsoft's AI, Copilot, provided. While using AI to develop a list of topics is acceptable, researching these topics should be done in standard research sources.

Famous Revolutionaries

American Revolution

George Washington
Alexander Hamilton
Marquis de Lafayette

Central & South American Revolutions

Simon Bolivar - Peru
Emiiano Zapata - Mexico
Ernesto "Che" Guevara - Argentina and Cuba

European Revolutions

Vladimir Lenin - Russia
Leon Trotsky - Russia
Maximilien Robespierre - France
Rosa Luxemburg - Poland and Germany

Asian Revolutions

Mahatma Gandhi

United Kingdom Revolutions

James Connolly - Ireland, 1916 Easter Rising leader

African revolutions

Frantz Omar Fanon - Algeria

Islands

Toussaint L'Ouverture (Haiti)

Reactions

To Scientific advancements
- Evolution - Darwin's On the Origin of Species
- Climate Change
- Eugenics
- Quantum Theory
- Nuclear power/weapons
- Big Bang Theory
Economic changes
- Industrial Revolution
- Globalization
- Federal Reserve Monetary Policy in the 1920's-1930's that led to the Great Depression
- Abandonment of the Gold Standard
- The New Deal
Social problems
- Immigration policies
- Pandemics
- Colonialization
- Poverty
- Abortion

Reform

Progressive Era reforms
Civil rights reforms
Constitutional reforms
Prison reform/justice reform
Abolition of slavery
Temperance movement
Education reform
Child labor reform
Protestant Reformation
Public health reforms
- Sewage systems
- Clean water
- Vaccination attitudes and policies
Mental health reforms
Environmental reforms
- Development of national park system
Food safety reforms

Finding a South Dakota Topic

These topics are specific to South Dakota some of which were developed from suggestions Microsoft's AI, Copilot, provided. While using AI to develop a list of topics is acceptable, researching these topics should be done in standard research sources.

Famous Revolutions in South Dakota

Battle of Little Bighorn
- Sitting Bull
- Crazy Horse
- Many other leaders
Wounded Knee Massacre
- Spotted Elk
American Indian Movement (AIM)
American Indian sovereignty
- Russel Mean
Red Cloud - Oglala Lakota

Reactions & events that led to reactions

Statehood
Dust Bowl
Great Depression
Initiative and Referendum laws - SD was the 1st state to allow citizens to directly propose and vote on laws leading to other states reacting and imitating us.
Homestead Act Settlement
Mount Rushmore construction
Creation of Badlands National Park
Black Hills Gold Rush

Reform

American Indian Eduction
Lakota/Nakota/Dakota language preservation
Lakota/Nakota/Dakota social traditions preservation and/or restoration
Farming methods
Fair banking practices
Railroad regulations in the late 1800s (against railroad monopolies controlling grain shipping prices)
Cooperative farming and marketing
Rural electrification

Finding Primary Sources

Most of the databases listed in the Databases tab on this page are available to anyone. Some of them may be limited to use by South Dakota State University students/faculty/staff or in the library building.

Below are some databases that have South Dakota related documents:

South Dakota Archives Collection Indexes
This page contains indexes and guides to collections available in the South Dakota State Archives Research Room. Many of the actual collections are only available in the South Dakota State Archives in Pierre.

ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.

This database is provided by the South Dakota State Library and the Institute of Museum Library Services.
Archives Unbound
Archives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars, researchers, and students at the college and university level. A multi-disciplinary resource, collections cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history. Particular strengths include U.S. foreign policy; U.S. civil rights; global affairs and colonial studies; and modern history.

This database is provided by the South Dakota State Library and the Institute of Museum Library Services.
American Historical Periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society
American Historical Periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society provides a history of the American people and a testament to the growth of the nation from the colonial period through to the twentieth century. The periodicals focused on American concerns and were predominantly published in the United States or Canada, though some were published overseas by Americans living abroad.
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America
This collection provides historical and personal stories about early contact with European settlers and the political, social, and cultural effects of contact on American Indian life. Materials include treaties, speeches, diaries, artwork, rare printed books, newspaper articles, and photographs.
Indigenous Newspapers in North America
Indigenous Newspapers in North America presents the publications of a range of communities, with an extensive list of periodicals produced in the United States and Canada, including Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Nevada and Oklahoma, from 1828 to 2016.

Included in the collection are national periodicals as well as local community news and student publications. The range of subjects from an Indigenous perspective, include the civil rights era and American Indian Movement (AIM), education, environmentalism, land rights and cultural representation.
Indigenous Peoples: North America
Indigenous Peoples: North America provides users with a robust, informative source that will enhance research and increase understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
The Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers collection provides access to select digitized newspaper pages produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). Chronicling America contains millions of newspaper pages from nearly every state and territory in the United States published through 1969.

Finding Secondary Sources

These databases will help you find articles on your topic. They are available from the South Dakota State Library and are available for any South Dakota Resident to use.

State Library Database List

Academic Search Premier
Black Freedom Struggle
Digital Library of South Dakota
HathiTrust
Indigenous Peoples of North America
Introduction to U.S. History (all 3 databases)
Masterfile Complete
Overland Journeys: Travels in the West 1800-1880
Primary Search
South Dakota Historical Newspapers

Primary Sources: National History Day 2026

Theme

Finding a Topic: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History

Famous Revolutionaries

American Revolution

Central & South American Revolutions

European Revolutions

Asian Revolutions

United Kingdom Revolutions

African revolutions

Islands

Reactions

Reform

Finding a South Dakota Topic

Famous Revolutions in South Dakota

Reactions & events that led to reactions

Reform

Finding Primary Sources

Finding Secondary Sources