Breaking Barriers in History

The theme for this year's National History Day Competition is Breaking Barriers in History

There are many types of barriers. Some have positive consequences and some have negative consequences

Types of barriers:

• Physical
  • Something made by humans to block a way forward.
• Natural
  • Something in nature that prevents or hinders movement or action (mountains, rivers, deserts, etc.)
• Ideological
  • Something you cannot see that disrupts or separates.

• Some barriers have positive consequences, such as discovering a medication (barrier) against disease, or people figuring out how to break the sound barrier.
• Some barriers have negative consequences, such as laws that prevented women and people of color from voting or owning property.
• Attitudes can be barriers. In the past, attitudes regarding religion were barriers to science.

When you think of barriers, think about how they affected people, in both good and bad ways.