NHD Process Paper

I chose the topic of Mahatma Gandhi because of many different reasons. The first
being that growing up in the United States, I did not have unlimited resources about learning
about my heritage. Being from India, which is where Gandhi’s work was accomplished, I never
had opportunities to learn about specifics about my motherland. I knew that Gandhi was a perfect
fit for NHD because I would truly be intrigued by what I was learning and I could expand my
knowledge about India. Another reason that I chose this topic is that I knew without a doubt that
Gandhi had broken many barriers to achieve his goals. Even with a little background on
Gandhi, I knew he would fit this year's theme of ‘breaking barriers’.

I conducted my research using various websites that included primary sources,

secondary sources, and audio/visual content. I used many history websites to learn about India
itself and about the different rulers it experienced. After I educated myself on the past rulers of
India, I learned about the issues and concerns of the Indian people when India was being ruled by
the British. Gandhi's early life was also crucial to research for this project. His education and
career paths were also important to his later life. I learned about Gandhi’s inspiration for his civil
rights movements and how he conducted them. All this information helped me conclude on how
Mahatma Gandhi broke barriers.

I chose to create a website for my NHD project on breaking barriers. This is because
I felt like using my words along with pictures would be the most effective way to convey the
information about Gandhi. Rather than a paper, which solely uses words, or an exhibit, which is
more focused on presentation, a website combines words, pictures, and audio/visuals to create
one cohesive project. Using the website ‘Wix.com,’ I presented accurate information about the
early life of Gandhi, his education and career, how he broke barriers, and the impacts on the
world. There are also many primary sources such as pictures and speeches presented on my
website.

Gandhi traveled to South Africa, where he faced his first time being
discriminated against. He was on a train with his first-class ticket when a white man forced him
out of his seat due to his skin color. Gandhi had never encountered discrimination before and
thus began his fight against bigotry. After his work in South Africa, he traveled back to his
motherland and continued on to free India from the rule of Britain. Mahatma Gandhi focused on
the idea of non-violence and only held peaceful protests. He gathered thousands of people to
participate with him in sit-downs, fasts, and protests. Despite being thrown in jail, every time he
was released he went right back to fighting for independence. After India achieved
independence, he kept fighting for other causes. Shortly after, he was assassinated by a Hindu
extremist.