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A Study Of Fraud In African-American Civil War Pensions : Augustus Parlett Lloyd, Pension Attorney, 1882-1909, Carrie Kiewitt

Master's Theses

This work examines fraud in the United States Civil War Military Pension system from 1882-1909 by showing how one attorney, Augustus Parlett Lloyd, defrauded the government on numerous occasions without ever being punished. Research for this work was conducted by studying a group of seventy-three African-American veterans who relied on Lloyd to assist in the application process and by using federal pension records, the manuscript census records, vital statistics, records of the federal Pension Bureau, and several secondary works to explore how Lloyd related to his clients, his associates and the Pension Bureau. This study concludes that Lloyd, the most …

A Glorious Feast For The Eyes : The Roles Of Iconography And Sight In Chaucer's The Prioress's Tale And The Second Nun's Tale, Kelly Marie Bruce

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates Chaucer's use of iconography and sight in The Prioress's Tale and The Second Nun's Tale and how these elements symbiotically support and enhance the text so that the tales themselves become iconic. An overview of medieval religious practices and doctrines is followed by a discussion of The Prioress's Tale, in which Chaucer's direct reference to a Virgin icon is explored. Further, the analysis focuses on the way in which visual cues supplement the meaning of the written word. A discussion of The Second Nun's Tale follows, exploring the relationship between sight and faith. The importance of …

"Nothingness/ In Words Enclose" : Supplementarity And The "Veil" Of Language In Samuel Beckett's Murphy And Watt, Justin P. Jakovac

Master's Theses

Samuel Beckett has asserted that language is a "veil" in which he must "bore one hole after another..., until what lurks behind it - be it something or nothing - begins to seep through." This thesis employs Derrida's assertion that language involves the play of differance and the supplementarity of the sign. Since the supplement, in Derrida's words, "fills and marks a determined lack," language calls attention to the gap of nothingness already present in the play of differance. Murphy and Watt present both the desire for "semantic succour" of the veil and the awareness - more fully …

Myth And Myth-Making In James Branch Cabell's Jurgen : A Comedy Of Justice, Christopher Carson Crenshaw

Master's Theses

Criticism extant on myth in Cabell's Jurgen has focused largely either on the presence of specific mythos in the text, or on the universal application of those myths to the modern world via the cultural-anthropological methods first described in Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough. The common thread in such criticism is that myth is always perceived as an authoritative structure for the transmission of the author's themes. This thesis proposes, however, that the satirical tone and self-conscious allegory of Jurgen systematically combine to strip myth of all authority, placing it in a role which conceals, rather than transmits, …

Prohibition In Richmond, Joseph George Era

Master's Theses

The effort to abolish Virginia's liquor trade was a failed experiment in Richmond. The city's liquor industry prospered at the turn of the century, as anti-liquor forces gradually drove saloons from the rural areas of the state. From 1916 until 1933, the political influence of groups like the Anti-Saloon League of Virginia and the Women's Christian Temperance Union led to state-wide prohibition. For seventeen years, various state and federal laws were enacted to stop the flow of ardent spirits. Despite tremendous costs for enforcement, and constant pressure by prohibitionists on the city's courts and juries, many Richmonders flouted the liquor …

"Old Flu's" Artillerymen In War And Peacetime, Matthew Glenn Hall

Master's Theses

Using a unique approach to study the 218 members of Snead's Battery, a Civil War artillery unit from Fluvanna County, Virginia, this thesis draws upon material from a variety of public and private records to describe the lives of its members before, during, and after the Civil War. Included in a narrative for the first time, some of the findings provide new insights into the experiences of the soldiers. Through six chapters, their story is presented by addressing three questions: What was the background of the Artillerymen?, What did they experience during the war?, What happened to the surviving veterans …

"Something For The Girls" : Demeter, Persephone, And Hecate In Eudora Welty's Delta Wedding And The Optimist's Daughter, Amy Davidson Grubb

Master's Theses

Eudora Welty's novels of Southern women and ritual reveal her desire to convey a woman's world and to imbue it with a prelapsarian power of feminine self-knowledge. To create this world, Welty draws upon the mythological signifiers of Demeter, Persephone, and Hecate. Utilizing natural imagery of food and flowers, Welty develops a fecund, spring-like landscape and explores the relationship between character, author, and myth. What begins in Delta Wedding as a search to reaffirm the existence of a world spirit concludes in The Optimist's Daughter as a triumphant rebirth of the feminine spirit. Laurel McKelva Hand, unlike her predecessor Laura …

A Political And Economic History Of Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1840-1860, Christopher Robert Finley

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the political and economic factors in the growth of Fredericksburg, Virginia during the twenty years preceding the Civil War. The town's population growth is examined in relation to occupations, wealth, status, and both the political and economic patterns of living during the period. The impact of the competition with other Virginia towns and the successes and failures of the town as it slowly moved away from being a commercial center toward becoming chiefly concerned with manufacturing is explored. Information on Fredericksburg was obtained primarily from the United States census, public documents, memoirs and newspapers. The data was …

Voicing Manhood : Masculinity And Dialogue In Ernest J. Gaines's "The Sky Is Gray," "Three Men," And A Gathering Of Old Men, William T. Mallon

Master's Theses

Using concepts both from gender studies of literature and from discourse theory, this thesis explores the relationship between race, masculinity, and dialogue in Ernest Gaines's "The Sky is Gray," "Three Men," and A Gathering of Old Men. In these works, Gaines demonstrates that manhood can be achieved by a process of linguistic appropriation. His African-American male characters become men through the utterance, not the violent act. This thesis examines how Gaines's black men appropriate language among distinct groups: themselves, the extended black community, and the white community.

Practicing What He Preached : How Martin Luther Lived Out His "Universal Priesthood Of All Believers", David C. Mayes

Master's Theses

When Martin Luther entered the monastery in 1505 as an Augustinian monk, he left the corrupted, inherently less-spiritual "world" for the religiously-oriented, celibate life in a cloister-the highest, most holy road one could take as a Christian. After a number of years he discovered that he was no more certain about his salvation or God's acceptance of him than the day he had become a monk. The only way to please God came through faith, which a farmer or housewife could have as equally as a monk or a nun. Therefore, he left the monastery to return to the world …

Twixt Ocean And Pines : The Seaside Resort At Virginia Beach, 1880-1930, Jonathan Mark Souther

Master's Theses

America's seashore was virtually untouched prior to the Civil War. The American attitude toward leisure held that any time spent engaging in unproductive activities was time wasted. In antebellum society, industrialization had yet to transform the lifestyles of rank and- file Americans. In a predominantly agrarian society, work and leisure were ill-defined. No widespread notion of"leisure time" existed. To be sure, a few resorts did flourish in the antebellum United States. With the notable exceptions of Newport, Rhode Island, and Cape May, New Jersey, these tended to be health resorts situated in close proximity to inland springs believed to offer …

The Population Of Richmond, Virginia During The Civil War Era, John G. Deal

Master's Theses

This thesis studies the population of Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War era by examining the persistence (those who remained in the city for ten years) of a sample of white, male heads of household from 1860. It focuses on such characteristics as age, nativity, wealth, and occupation. In contrast to other investigations of persistence, individuals who left the city, but remained in the state, also are examined. Further, a sample from Richmond's population in 1850 is traced during that decade to compare persistence rates and characteristics to the 1860 sample. The low persistence rates in both the 1850s and …

Grieving And Reconciliation In Baltimore After The American Civil War, Jennifer Prior

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how residents of Baltimore, Maryland, grieved their losses after the Civil War. Thantalogical studies of the stages of grief were compared with various public events and institutions throughout the city's culture. Special focus was placed upon Baltimore's internal split during the war as portions of its population opted to fight on opposing sides. This study reveals not only how the city progressed through its bereavement, but also how it found selected outlets of expression to manage emotional pain.

"Increasing The Pensions Of These Worthy Heroes" : Virginia's Confederate Pensions, 1888 To 1927, Jeffery R. Morrison

Master's Theses

Virginia's Confederate pensions for veterans and their widows began in 1888. This financial relief for the destitute began as artificial limb provisions immediately after the Civil War. Commutations developed as some veterans could not utilize an artificial limb. These commutations, one-time appropriations approved by the General Assembly, directly precluded pensions. Pensioning of Confederate veterans was sweeping southern states during this period. However, these pensions dimly reflected the massive federal pensions received by Union veterans. Virginia's pension laws expanded the eligibility of pensioners and increased the amounts paid to them. King William County's Confederate veteran and widow pensioners were examined to …

Virginia Celebrates The Yorktown Centennial Of 1881, Julie Anne Sweet-Mcginty

Master's Theses

This study chronicles the planning, execution, and aftermath of the Yorktown Centennial of October 1881 in Yorktown, Richmond, and Norfolk. Beyond its original expectation of memorializing the one hundredth anniversary of the last major battle for independence, as the first nationally prominent celebration to occur on Southern soil after the Civil War, it made reconciliation among the states a significant aspect of the occasion. Also, it marked the first national gathering after the assassination of President James A. Garfield as well as the occasion for the first public speech given by the new President, Chester A. Arthur. The presence of …

The Integration Of Emory & Henry College, Scott David Arnold

Master's Theses

While Emory & Henry College's catalogue today states that the institution does not "discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin," this was not the case just a little more than thirty years ago. Throughout much of the South, African Americans were legally barred from attending various traditionally white colleges and universities. This thesis looks at the integration process at Emory & Henry College, a small private, Methodist-affiliated institution in southwest Virginia.

As early as the 1940's the subject of integration was informally discussed by the faculty and students at Emory & Henry. It became a major topic for …

Disaproving The Military As An Effective Paradigm Of Leadership: A Critical Analysis, Alison M. Sestina

Honors Theses

In the study of leadership, there are many existing paradigms which address the different contexts and abilities of leadership. The example of the military is often used as a leadership paradigm; however, while the organization and internal development included in the military can be respected as an effective machine, in reality, the military cannot be considered an effective leadership paradigm.

Philanthropic Leadership : Comparing Historical And Contemporary Methods Of Philanthropic Giving, Patrick Rucker

Honors Theses

America has a unique tradition of philanthropy. Wealthy benefactors have created some of our most notable institutions for health, education and the arts. The level of philanthropic giving has been consistently high yet the tradition of giving has taken many shapes and assumes several forms today. One of the most interesting and currently debated forms of charitable giving is money directed towards social change or the achievement of a certain social agenda. Money is given today to support or stall legal abortions, racial integration, and a host of other social issues. This paper will examine the tradition of giving in …

The Integration Of Women's Studies Into Leadership Studies, Olivia J. Wilkinson

Honors Theses

The purpose of my project was to study the inclusion of gender in leadership and to offer the Jepson School a critical evaluation that could be used to initiate change. The agreement and support I previously received, has led me to realize that there was room for growth. Still such a large merger of disciplines needs research and assessment before action can be taken. I know my project will provide the building block for Jepson to address this problem.