When Abraham Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas in 1858, he was a relatively unknown politician from Illinois. Although Lincoln lost the Senate seat in 1858, these debates paved the way for his presidential run in 1860. One project that fits this topic is a performance of one of the debates. Teachers and students can find transcripts of the seven debates the men participated in to use for primary research. The clothing, setting and public interpretation of the debates all play a role in a performance. Newspapers from the time help paint a picture of the impact of the debates.
The John Kennedy/Richard Nixon debates from 1960 provide an example of how appearance affects a debate. Many who watched the debates on television believed that John Kennedy won the debate. He looked much better than Richard Nixon did. Those who listened to the debates on the radio believed that Nixon did a better job. A documentary or website on this topic would use file footage of the debates as well as transcripts of the debates. Timelines included in either type of project can help put the debates in historical perspective.
Benjamin Franklin served a pivotal role during the American Revolution. He lived in France and worked to create an alliance with France to receive French aid during the revolution. Without French assistance the United States might not have defeated the British. A research paper on this topic includes an explanation of what France did to help the United States, and evaluate whether Britain could have been defeated without French intervention. A further "what if" scenario examines what would have happened in Europe and the United States if Britain had won.
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson assisted in drafting the peace treaty after World War I. He accomplished this by working with the heads of France, Italy and Great Britain. The terms of the treaty included redrawing the borders in Europe. An exhibit on this includes maps of Europe pre- and post-World War I, the outcomes of various alliances after the war, pictures of world leaders and a copy of Woodrow Wilson's "14 Points of Peace." Local historical pieces such as newspaper articles or obituaries of local veterans also add to an exhibit.