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Negotiations Of Empire: Rooting Out The American Citizenry In The Borderlands Of Upper Canada, 1805-1820, Emma C. Grant

Major Papers

This research examines the negotiations that transpired between the people, the British imperial government, and the land within the Detroit River borderlands between 1805 to 1820. This work marries borderlands and imperial interpretations and forms a cohesive foundation for analysis, which interprets empire as a framework through which the people of this region maneuvered. Reciprocally, within this negotiated process the people themselves become a mechanism of empire. Therefore, this work amends a historiographical gap within the Detroit-Essex borderlands that often divides imperial and cultural methods. Focusing primarily on the years surrounding the War of 1812, this work draws nuanced connections …

A Historiography Of International Harvester: How A Company Helped Spread American Culture And Products Across The World, Carl Sinnott

Major Papers

The history of International Harvester is inseparable with American imperialism, culture, and the spread of the United States throughout the world. International Harvester had manufacturing plants in both North America and Europe, and was able to sell its products on six continents. These products included everything from cookie cutters to construction equipment, and almost everything in between. This work focuses on the historiography of International Harvester and how it relates to the American Empire. Additionally, it will focus on how America’s empire, both formal and informal, benefited as International Harvester was able to bring American ideals throughout the world as …

“For The Benefit And Enjoyment Of The People”?: The Imperial Nature Of The United States National Park System, Mitchell Macdonald

Major Papers

As the founders of national parks, the National Parks and National Park Service of the United States are monoliths on the global stage, inspiring all other national parks worldwide. Ever since the first park was created in 1872 at Yellowstone, Wyoming, people have been captivated by the idea of going into a land that is supposedly unspoiled by man. In a world where fossil fuels and industry are having extremely adverse effects on the global environment, the existence of land that has been set aside and protected is essential for global health. Yet, viewing national parks as institutions that are …

Making The American Man: How Eugene Sandow, Charles Atlas, And Bob Hoffman Defined The Interwar Man In America, Dayne William Lesperance

Major Papers

This paper will examine how interwar American men turned to their bodies to display their masculinity during a period where said masculinity was under “attack.” Their traditional means of masculinity through the role of being a breadwinner was no longer fully attainable as women entered the workforce in increasing numbers and the Great Depression set in. American men in desperation turned to physical culture proponents like Eugene Sandow, Charles Atlas, and Bob Hoffman to show them how to navigate a new world. Sandow, Atlas, and Hoffman used new forms of media and an emerging consumer culture to find success, but …

Cuban Embargo: An Insufficient Measure To Encourage Us Foreign Policy Interests, Esme Jm Prowse

Major Papers

This major paper examines the Cuban embargo as an ineffective hard power policy and explores the potential of soft, hard, and smart power as alternative approaches to resolve the failures of the 60-year-old blockade. The paper analyzes the historical context and rationale behind the embargo and assesses its impact on Cuban-American relations, regional stability, and U.S. national interests. The study argues that the embargo has failed to achieve its intended goals and has instead perpetuated a cycle of hostility, isolation, and human rights abuses. By drawing on the theoretical frameworks of soft, hard, and smart power, the paper presents policy …

“Living Under Different Skies”: Misrepresenting Egyptian Education During The British Occupation In The North American Press, Shaymaa Zantout

Major Papers

During the British occupation from 1882 to 1922, Egypt saw the rise of colonial educational reforms, American missionary projects, and foreign-subsidized schools. Consequently, newspapers in North America reported extensively on these colonial educational excursions. In the view of correspondents, the so-called “enlightenment” of Egyptians was dependent on their adoption of Western moral ideals and instructional models. The main criticisms levelled at Egyptian education centred on what was viewed as the “incompetence” of native instructors and schools, namely Muslim ones, as well as the need for the modern education of young women. Moreover, Christian or Western schooling was posited as the …

"So Long As We Still Live: Polish Efforts In Establishing A Military Recruitment Center In North America During The Second World War.", Peter Sawicki

Major Papers

Following their retreat to Great Britain in 1940, the Polish government and its military sought out fresh reserves to reinforce their depleted armed forces. With mainland Europe being overrun by the enemy, the Poles turned to the prospect of recruiting from the Polish émigré community on the American continent (Polonia). A generation earlier, over 20,000 Polish-Americans had enlisted to fight for the liberation of their homeland in the Blue Army. Seeking to recreate this success, the Poles established a recruitment center in Windsor, Ontario and a training camp in Owen Sound, Ontario. Despite their efforts, by 1942, the Poles only …

“What Sort Of Man Reads Playboy?”: Gender, Heterosexuality, And Reader Letters In Playboy Magazine, 1953-1963, Kess Carpenter

Major Papers

Existing Playboy scholarship overlooks the significance of magazine’s audience outside of the bachelor subculture it fathered in the 1950s. In fact, consumers fitting Playboy’s desired readership of white, financially affluent, single men formed only a small percentage of its actual subscribers. This study makes evident that students, soldiers, sailors, military servicemen, middle- and working- class men, both single and married, as well as women, made up most of its readership. To date, no historical study has been conducted of reader letters to Playboy, which reveal the magazine’s significance to this audience.

This paper argues that postwar men used Playboy as …

Facing Detroit: Assumption College As A Cross-Border Institution 1870-1948, Matthew R. Charbonneau Mr.

Major Papers

“Facing Detroit: Assumption College as a Cross-Border Institution 1870-1948” argues that Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario was more connected with Detroit and the US Midwest than it was with southern Ontario until the 1930s. It does this by considering Assumption College’s student population, alumni activities, and contemporary perceptions of the school. Emphasis is placed on exploring how the primary sources created by those who lived at Assumption College reveal that it was more connected with Detroit and the US Midwest than it was with Windsor or southern Ontario. The work of Michael Power and George McMahon, the two greatest contributors …

Beyond The Black And White: Using Memoirs For Insight Into Detroit’S Leftist Movement,1930s-1950s, Genevieve Chevalier

Major Papers

The 1930s-1950s saw a significant growth and change in Detroit’s leftist labour movement. Memoirs provide invaluable insight into social movements as they provide personal accounts and insight that institutional and document source materials lack. While they must be approached with caution, they balance objectivity with personal narratives that add the human element to historical studies, ultimately creating a more balanced interpretation. The unpublished memoirs of Maurice Sugar, and Avrahm Mezerick offer insight into Detroit’s leftist movement through their reflections on their childhood experiences. Sugar and Mezerick discuss their childhoods through very different lenses to highlight their inspirations and motivations for …

Built Ford Tough: Masculinity, Gerald Ford's Presidential Museum, And The Macho Presidential Style, Dustin Jones

Major Papers

In Cold War America, spanning roughly from 1945-1991, masculinity was in crisis. The rise of Communism and the Soviet Union had led to a fear of spies, infiltrators, and defectors known most commonly as the Red Scare. Americans were encouraged to be hyper vigilant in sussing out deviant behaviour. Alongside this scare came the Lavender Scare. It was suggested that homosexuals were deviant peoples and were therefore more susceptible to being turned Communist than their heterosexual counterparts. This led to a crisis of masculinity where even the smallest suggestion of femininity could lead to accusations of potential compromise, an effect …

Ghosts Of Quebec: Violence And Trauma At The Siege And Battle For Quebec, 1759., Nick R. Girard

Major Papers

Ghosts of Quebec spotlights the violence and killing in the Seven Years’ War and how it exemplifies a cycle of violence perpetuated by common soldiers. In doing this, the main analysis of this essay includes modern research on violence and killing as well as psychological combat trauma at the Siege of Quebec, 1759. The present literature on the Seven Years’ War often assumes a top down approach and emphasizes the roles of leaders and politicians without engaging the combat experience of common soldiers. Research on the siege and battle for Quebec follows a comparable methodology that leaves out the story …