While searching for topics to exhibit for the National History Day project,

specifically, for the theme of Taking a Stand, I had considered a favored, broad,
and controversial topic that is known quite well for how many took a stand for
their voice. This was the French Revolution, when monarchy had been toppled by
the power of its own people,who followed the most powerful leaders to seek a new
type of order. Despite the breadth of this subject, as well as the controversy
associated with it and its leaders, it appeared to be the perfect example of
advocating for a groups beliefs. As I read and took note of the unfolding of its
events, my interest in this uprisings intentions grew. Knowing that it had impacted
much of the order of the world after the end of the 18th century, I confirmed that it
would be an interesting and sufficient topic.

During the early phases of research, I sought information that would display the
French Revolution as the great opportunity for mankind to lead forward, which had
gone awry, but still left a powerful impact on all society. It became a goal to sift
through all of the different aspects of the Revolution, and see which one displayed
this concept the most vividly and chronologically. The multitudinous leaders of
this upheaval all contained a different objective of the revolution, and the greatest
ones of them lasted in power long enough to witness the devolution of powerful
ideas into radicalism which would scar France thereafter. Maximilien Robespierre,
the greatest of the great minds, fell into the category of someone whose career
would explain the event as a whole, so the influence that he exerted onto the minds
of the French, and on the enlightenment in general, was enough to tell the story.

I concluded on the note of Maximilien Robespierre, and decided to utilize a

website to convey this prominent message of the past. This was primarily because
of the versatile nature of a website to educate in a visually appealing and diverse
manner. The story of the French Revolution was something that had to be proved
through more than just a simple historical reading, and needed to house primary
sources, words uttered by the figures of this event, images of these authoritative
people in action, slideshows, and videos, in order to exist as a potent source of
information.
After all, the French Revolution in the context of Maximilien Robespierres role in
its unfolding was an extract from history that included some of the greatest pieces
of humankinds enlightenment, and its ability to see beyond what has been placed
in front of them, more specifically, feudalism, authoritarianism, and monarchy.
While the terrors of this time period were also initiated by this man, Robespierres
play in the act influenced a great majority of this revamping of thought that would
bolster the motives of future societies to create what the people believed was truly
ideal.