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National History Day in Massachusetts

2025 Theme: Rights & Responsibilities in History

Each year, National History Day selects an annual theme. The broad themes encourage students to research a wide variety of topics. Students should use the theme to frame their analysis and show why a topic is significant in history. On this page, you will find an overview of the annual theme and topic prompts and resources from the Massachusetts Historical Society to get you started!

Looking for a topic idea? Check out our Rights and Responsibilities: Topic Ideas Chart! Filter by local, national or international history; historical time periods;  topics and themes; and more. You'll find inspiration on all types of topic ideas related to this year's theme, no matter your interests.

NHD’s 2025 theme is Rights & Responsibilities in History. Projects can be about local Massachusetts history, U.S. history, or world history - but all projects must relate to the theme.

 

Theme Definitions

What are rights and responsibilities in history?