Loudoun History Project Suggested Topics 2017

Suggested Topics:

Note: These are simply suggestions. You are free to explore your particular interests as they relate to Loudoun County, but if you use a topic that is not on this list, you must get that approved by a teacher before beginning your research. We want to make sure you will be able to find enough suitable information in your research.

  • The African-American experience in LoCo
  • Women’s experiences in LoCo history
  • Good times, bad times: economic cycles in Loudoun, their causes, and the effects they had on the lives of people in Loudoun county
  • The Civil War in Leesburg (or another town in Loudoun)
  • Dog Money: The Strangle Tale of Leesburg’s Short Lived Currency
  • Mosby’s Rangers
  • The Colonial Period and/or the American Revolution in Leesburg and LoCo
  • The effect of World Wars I and II on LoCo
  • The role of technology in Loudoun’s history (effects on people’s lives and the local economy)
  • Slavery, Segregation and/or the Civil Rights Movement in LoCo
  • The Underground Railroad in LoCo
  • Segregated schooling in LoCo
  • Horses, planes, trains, canals, and airplanes: A History of Transportation in LoCo
  • Equestrian sports in Loudoun
  • The role of journalism and media in Loudoun history (especially the Loudoun Times-Mirror, which dates back to 1798)
  • A History of Sports in Loudoun county
  • Home Sweet Home: changes in the engineering and architecture of Loudoun homes
  • How Agriculture Has Changed in Loudoun over the Years
  • The history of public libraries in Loudoun and their roles in social movements (Note: much of the research has already been done by staff from the public libraries, but they are looking for students to create the documentaries)
  • Religion in Loudoun
  • The history of Quakers in Loudoun
  • The history of specific churches in Loudoun
  • Schooling and education in Loudoun
  • The history of specific buildings or locations over time (e.g. Waterford Mill, the W&OD trail, the Loudoun courthouse in Leesburg)
  • The history of specific Loudoun families over time
  • Native Americans in the Loudoun area
  • The history of specific western Loudoun towns (e.g. Round Hill, Lovettsville, Lincoln, Waterford)
  • The history of wine making in Loudoun

Notes on Groups and Final Products:

  • You can work in groups of 2-4.
  • You can work with people outside of your own class, as long as they are either in an English class or a History class during the same period.
  • Your groups and topics must be approved by a teacher by May 19.
  • While you can share resources about your topic, all assignments and performances are graded independently.
  • Once your group selects a topic and begins to gather information about it, you should quickly divide up the topic in equal parts (for example, if you are doing the history of a town, one person might look at 1750-1850, another does 1850-1930, and the third does 1931-present).
  • There is a finite amount of content to be found for each subject, so the more people in your group, the deeper you will have to dig to find enough information to meet the requirements for your assignments.
  • At the end of this process, you are creating and submitting one short documentary film/video about topic that your group has put together, but you are each getting graded separately on your own parts.
  • Your video must be shown in at least one person’s class.
  • We will have an on-line sign up procedure to select a time and place for your presentation.
  • Videos that get an A will be posted on the websites of western Loudoun towns and local historical societies, as well as LCPS’s new LoudounCreates site.