National History Day 2027: Innovation in History—Impact, Influence, Change
About this object In the 1960s, lights were added to the 70-year-old bell system to alert Members of Congress to activity in the House Chamber. New electronic wiring on decoder boards like this one communicated with the master call system in the House Chamber.
The 2027 National History Day theme is “Innovation in History: Impact, Influence, Change.” Interested students are encouraged to design projects centered on new technologies, new ways of thinking, and the way these developments have affected the course of history.
The Office of the Historian has organized this year’s suggested material into three sections. All three collections are designed to explore Congress’s role in innovation and how new technologies and procedures have also influenced the work of Congress.
The first two sections focus on congressional efforts to spearhead or respond to innovative new ideas and technologies:
The third section discusses the impacts these broader changes have had on the way Congress operates.
To help students prepare contest entries involving these subjects, the Office of the Historian has prepared several collections using stories, art, interviews, and primary source documents from across this website. In addition, students can review prepared guides to expand their research on congressional topics. Explore these selected resources from our website as inspiration for a National History Day project.