Hey Guys, Next year im competing in my school's national history day competition, the prize is a trip to DC which would be great.
Well, the theme for next years competition is turning points in history. My idea is to show how the longbow changed warfare, but im open to suggestions, i just really want to find a topic related to trad archery

What about the discovery of Ishi?

In US history, Will?

Your idea about warfare is sound but I think that is more of a European/ Asian significance.  I'll kick this around a bit .

I like the ishi idea, it can be world history
The whole idea is the nation celebrating world history, the documentary i made this year was set in france

Read E.Don's book "How Sportsmen Saved the World".  What it describes is certainly a turning point in the way we percieved wildlife and wild places.  Without those turns of events, we would not have national or state lands available both to the critters and to us. The entire world changed becauese of it.  And,  I will bet nobody else in the class will report on this series of events.
ChuckC

I like that, but i think that the way it influenced warfare, and stuff like that may be more keen to what the judges look like, and it may be a little more historic, but i love the idea

Well, You could look into the fact that Native Americans on the East Coast were less willing to trade for guns due to the Thick forest and the advantage they had shooting flat bows, as opposed to the plains indians who traded more because in the open the long range capabilities of the rifles helped, but that is American History.  As far as World History goes, the ELB was accountated for alot of war kills and helped change that face of battle on numerious accounts.  
  Even when faced with other archers, the distance at which the Brits trained and poundages they used surpassed alot of the invading/invaded countries Bowmen.
  Very good topic choice I believe. And Please do keep us posted on your findings and documentry.
Good Luck to you and God Bless

Thank you for the suggestions

if you have Netflix, there is a documentary called "Ishi, the Last Yahi". you can watch it on instant streaming.