CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR 2012 SUMMARY STATEMENT FORM

Please TYPE on sheet or use word processing ALL PROJECTS: Attach an annotated bibliography. Please divide primary and secondary sources from each other. Two copies of SSF & Annotated Bibliography are required for competitions. .

Title: Tucker Torpedo: The Successful Failure Student name(s): Brianna FitzHenry, TJ Coolidge

Project Category: Group Individual

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Exhibit Performance Website

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Documentary

Check if applicable (and respond to the 3 question): This project uses the 2012 National History Day theme, Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History

1. THESIS STATEMENT
Present the projects argument or interpretation in two sentences. If you are using the NHD theme, you might want to make it evident in your thesis statement.

Without the revolutionary innovations of Preston Tucker and his car, the 1948 Tucker Torpedo, the automobile of today would not be nearly as safe or advanced.

2. SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Briefly explain your project and its conclusion. Include: How and why did change happen and what was the impact? Why is it historically significant? What historical meaning or importance can we learn from your findings?

Our website about the Tucker Car is meant to recognize an amazing car that really changed some of the safety features in cars today. Preston T. Tucker, the man who created the car, developed it to give the public a car that was safe and affordable. He had several ideas that failed, but many of them did make it into his car. Unfortunately, he was charged with fraud, and only 51 of the cars were ever made, but several of his ideas survived and are being used in cars today

3. Required for projects using the National History Day theme only.
Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History into its argument.

The Revolution that the Tucker automobile brought about was its unique design and its attractiveness to the post-war generation. The Reaction was caused by the SECs opposition to the Preston Tuckers car. The Reform was all of the safety features that were unique to the Tucker that are used and yet to be used in todays cars.

4. PROCESS A. What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your research? We started off believing that Tucker revolutionized the Automobile industry with his cars features, and the reaction to his car was people investing in it. However, towards the end, we completely redid our reaction because we realized that it was the SECs involvement in Tuckers manufacturing.

B. What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters, photographs, government documents, interviews, etc.)? We used photos from museums, old newspaper articles, a letter written by Preston Tucker himself, and numerous books, including a biography, several encyclopedias, and a book written by one of the Tucker 48s designers, Philip S. Egan.

C. Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument. We used the evidence of todays car to demonstrate how the Tucker 48 affected todays design and safety in the auto industry. It added a lot to our argument, because without those features in cars today, there would be nothing to prove. Rather than being a successful failure, the Tucker 48 would have just been a failure because it would have contributed nothing to society.

D. List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your research. We used the Naperville Public Library, the Henry Ford online exhibit collection, and the Chicago Tribune Archives collection. We also corresponded with the Gilmore Car Museum to get information about the Tucker 48.