Digital Commons Network^™

Black Power In A "Lily-White" School: The Black Campus Movement At Concordia College In Moorhead, Minnesota, Daniel D. Cooley

Theses and Dissertations

Between the mid-1950s and through the 1970s, higher educational institutions throughout the United States underwent reforms in the name of what they termed “integration.” For the colleges and universities in the upper Midwest, these reforms included minority student recruitment and the creation of programs oriented towards diversity. Over time, a number of minority students began to act and react to the actions and attitudes of the various administrations, the campuses, and the community, resulting in a demonstration directly connected to the national phenomenon of “The Black Campus Movement,” (BCM) itself a submovement of the larger United States’ Black Power Movement …

A Dash Of Sufferage Spice: Rural And Urban Ethnicity Construction In The Transnational Women's Suffrage Movement, Anna M. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The women's suffrage movement in Europe and the United States led to female enfranchisement in much of the West in the early twentieth century. Suffrage historiography, however, places too much emphasis on a middle-class history of urban white women's struggle to win the vote. This traditional scholarship not only lacks a thorough class-based analysis but also fails to examine ethnicity's role in the American women's suffrage movement as well as larger transnational connections.

Research on the construction of Norwegian ethnicity and its corresponding influence on Norwegian-American support of women's suffrage contributes to filling this historiographical gap. In addition, the influence …

Civil War Camps Of Instruction In Illinois: Exploring The Transition From Civilian To Soldier, Daniel C. Sauerwein

Theses and Dissertations

The study of Civil War soldiers is an emerging field in the scholarly study of the Civil War, especially since the 1980s. The historical works focus on a variety of subject areas, but all share the common thread of neglecting the soldier before he engaged in his first battle. It was in the camp of instruction that the soldier was born, transitioning from civilian to soldier.

Illinois established camps of instruction to train the men who fought for the Union. Based upon letters, diaries, and memoirs written by soldiers, as well as local newspapers of the era, a picture emerges …

Ambitious Beginnings: The Early Life And Political Career Of William Langer, Eric Rogness

Theses and Dissertations

This essay examines William Langer' s early life and political career until his abortive attempt to become governor of North Dakota in 1920. It argues that William Langer was a man driven by a need for status. It was this quest for status that drove him to politics and explains his rapid rise through the ranks. It also explains the large degree of publicity and controversy that permeated his early career. He was a man who wanted to stand out, he wanted recognition by his peers, and he wanted public office. Publicity and controversy served those ends. Moreover, I feel …

Keep The Flyin' Eight Balls Rollin': Military Leadership In The 3360th Quartermaster Truck Company, Grant T. Weller

Theses and Dissertations

The 3360th Quartermaster Truck Company, originally Company D of the 2639th Quartermaster Truck Battalion, was created in 1942 by drawing troops and officers from anti-aircraft units stationed in North Africa, to meet an emergency need for highway transportation to support the Allied advance East across North Africa. The reassigned troops and officers received no training in their new duties, but were instead immediately dispatched to the front with vital supplies. The company continued operations through North Africa, and on into Sicily and Italy. While in Italy, Elmer H. Puchta, previously assigned to the company as a platoon commander, took command. …

Political Priming: A Study Of The North Dakota Nonpartisan League, William Langer, And Newspapers Effect On The Vote Return, Sarah Ann Link

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Political Culture On The Northern Plains : North Dakota And The Nonpartisan Experience, Thomas P. Shilts

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the history of North Dakota during the era of the Nonpartisan League (roughly 1915 through 1921). A significant body of research on the League exists, but no study has yet specifically addressed itself to exploring the political culture of the League and of its opponents in such a way that the full nature of the Nonpartisan "revolt" is made clear. The League was indeed the result of farmers’ perception of economic exploitation at the hands of big business, yet it was more basically a proactive struggle for inclusion. While employing elements of agrarian ideology, the League was …

Porter James Mccumber : Evolution Of A Senator, Amy Kathleen Rieger

Theses and Dissertations

Virtually nothing has been written about the early life and career of Porter James McCumber, who served North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1899-1922. Contributing to the lack of written material about the man is the fact that there are very few sources available concerning his social and political life. He left no official papers, and therefore no clear record of his life. The purpose of this thesis, then, is to illuminate the life and times of McCumber, with a special emphasis on his career in North Dakota through his election to the Senate in 1899. I will …

African Americans In North Dakota 1800-1940, Stephanie Abbot Roper

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans were present throughout the duration of white settlement and have been involved in every stage of North Dakota's history from 1800 to 1940. However, historians generally have neglected the existence of black people in North Dakota's past. This study examined the participation by African Americans in North Dakota's social and economic history from 1800 to 1940. Further, the author explored the motivations for African Americans entering and settling in the state and the reasons why only slightly over two hundred black residents remained in 1940.

Chapter II centered on the movement of former slaves out of the "Black …

Prairie Paupers: North Dakota Poor Farms, 1879-1973, Steven R. Hoffbeck

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the history of county poor farms in North Dakota and places them within the wider perspective of poor relief in the United States.

North Dakota inherited its system of poor relief from the Elizabethan and American colonial poor laws. Poorhouses were a part of poor relief practices that also included local responsibility, outdoor relief, indenture of paupers, the poor list, expulsion of non-resident paupers, pauper burial, discouragement of vagrancy, and family responsibility for the poor.

Chapter One outlines Elizabethan poor laws and poor relief in the American colonies. The increase in numbers of poor farms in the …

The Norwegian Short-Term Parochial School (Religionsskole) In North Dakota Lutheran Congregations, 1880s-1930s, Erik Luther Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Within the Norwegian-American community of the United States and North Dakota there is a memory of "Norwegian Schools" held mainly in summers. These schools taught the essence of Lutheranism with hymn singing, and Norwegian grammar and literature. These schools seemed pervasive in North Dakota, but there is little material on them.. General church histories neglected them; Sunday School seemed dominant .. People who had attended or taught the Norwegian Schools in the early twentieth century were becoming fewer. It was appropriate to research the schools before recollection faded and significance waned.

Research began with anniversary pamphlets of Lutheran churches which …

Wild Bill Goes To Washington : A Reassessment Of The Senate Career Of North Dakota's William Langer, Eric P. Bergeson

Theses and Dissertations

William Langer is firmly established as a legend in North Dakota history. The legend began during his controversial terms as attorney general (1916-1920) and governor (1932-1934 and 1936-1938). A maverick in the United States Senate after his election to the upper chamber in 1940, admirers saw him as a civil libertarian and a defender of the "common man." The loyalty and devotion of his constituents increased over the years because of his willingness to do favors for them and because of his considerable campaign skills. However, a study of his papers, the Congressional Record, and newspaper and magazine articles reveals …

Race Of The Century : Guy Vs. Young, 1974 North Dakota U.S. Senate Election, Allan C. Young

Theses and Dissertations

As the 1972-1974 election cycle began, Republican incumbent Milton Young, who had served in the U.S. Senate for twenty-seven years, decided to run for another term with realistic confidence in his ability to repeat prior election victories. His initial optimism began to erode as national Republican leaders questioned his ability to defeat his apparent opponent, former North Dakota Governor William L. Guy. Results of public opinion surveys added credibility to the perception of Young's weakness. Guy saw an opportunity to achieve his long-held goal of becoming a U.S. Senator and cautiously laid the groundwork for his campaign. As the two …

Colonial American Freemasonry And Its Development To 1770, Arthur F. Hebbeler Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the influence of Freemasonry as a social and cultural organization in the development of colonial America and the men who were active in the organization from its introduction to the colonies up to 1770. Since Freemasonry was the first fraternal organization established in the colonies, I wanted to see how, and if, it affected the attitudes and actions of its members during the pre-Revolutionary War years.

In preparing this thesis, I worked closely with lodges and Grand Lodges throughout the country. My research included physical inspection of a variety of Masonic documents …

The Espionage And Sedition Acts 1917-1918: A North Dakota Analysis, Eric Furuseth

Theses and Dissertations

The period of World War I is also the time of Nonpartisan League control in North Dakota. The period is of extreme interest to historians of the state as North Dakota's:experiment with the radical government was unique in the nation at the . time and a marked departure from the state's own political traditions. On both sides of the political fence, Nonpartisan and conservative, a kind of extremism existed which was unusual within the state.

The United States government passed the Espionage and Sedition acts of 1917 and 1918 as a means of legally ensuring the patriotism of its citizens; …

The Constituency Of Coya Knutson, 1954, Gretchen Urnes Beito

Theses and Dissertations

Women rarely seek political office and even more rarely achieve the office they seek. Only one woman has been elected to Congress from Minnesota or its adjacent states--Coya Knutson from the rural Ninth District in 1954 and 1956. While legal barriers to women's participation in politics have been abolished, personal and institutional barriers remain. How Coya Knutson overcame these obstacles--and the penalties she paid for doing so--is the subject of this paper.

Coya Gjesdal Knutson grew to maturity on a successful North Dakota farm, where she learned the value of hard work and perseverance. After completing four years at Concordia …

The Nonpartisan League Leadership And The Disloyalty Issue, Jack C. Carmichael

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ranching In Western North Dakota, 1887-1920, Scott R. Neevel

Theses and Dissertations

Several historians have dealt with the topic of ranching in the American West, but generally they have presented a broad overview of what took place over the entire western United States. Those who have dealt with ranching in western North Dakota generally have covered the early 1880s, but they have used the calamitous winter of 1886-1887 as a stopping point.

The period from 1887 on through the first two decades of the twentieth century was an era marked by recovery of the stock industry, the change from open to closed range, and the change from the old open range methods …

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation: A Land Use Study To 1971, Paul Felter

Theses and Dissertations

Can the land resources of a contemporary Indian reservation provide the basis for a self~sufficient community? To help answer that question, this study traces the agricultural development as well as other land use programs and problems of the Three Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

The procedure involved a detailed study of the impact of Bureau of Indian Affairs-inspired agricultural projects, treaties and land cession agreements, land allotment programs, land fractionalization, and the building of the Garrison Dam. The results obtained show that the semi-agricultural Three Tribes passed from self-sufficiency before their reservation was established into …

Populist Thought In North And South Dakota, 1890-1900, Brian J. Weed

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the number of general and specific studies of Populism, there is no unanimity of opinion on the progressive or retrogressive nature of Populist thought, nor on its specific characteristics. By examining the specific attributes of Populism through newspapers, manuscripts, and public documents, this case study focuses on the progressive or retrogressive nature of North and South Dakota Populist thought.

On the whole, North Dakota Populism fails to reveal a progressive nature. First, the North Dakota Populists lacked a viable movement. Secondly, their thought and political endeavors suggest opportunism rather than progressivism. Thirdly, the common ground of their thought discloses …

History Of Fort Pembina 1870-1895, William D. Thomson

Theses and Dissertations

The unsettled status of the Red River Valley during the 1860's made inevitable the establishment of a military post near the 49^th Parallel. The Minnesota Uprising in 1862 caused a band of Sioux Indians, responsible for the massacre, to flee to Canada to escape punishment by the military. In 1863, a hastily organized battalion established a temporary fort at Pembina to capture the renegades. After accomplishing its mission, the battalion abandoned the post in 1864.

With the end of the Civil War, people looked to the frontier for fertile lands to settle; but the Indian threat kept them out …

The Nonpartisan League : A Quest Of Community, Leonard Wentz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is the examination and appraisal of the rise and decline of the Nonpartisan League as a mass movement in North Dakota. Previous interpretations have been mostly economic in nature. This study interprets the League members I situation from the socio-psychological view. This thesis will attempt to show the editorial directions of leading newspapers with regard to the agrarian situation from 1916 to 1920.

The procedure involved a study of the sociological conditions of the North Dakota farmers before they accepted the Nonpartisan League ideology. The Nonpartisan Leader's editorial policy was viewed to show its interpretation …

The 1966 Republican Campaign In North Dakota, Joseph Charles Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

The 1966 Republican Campaign in North Dakota discusses the efforts of the Party from May, 1965 through November, 1966. The pre-convention period illustrates the effort of the North Dakota Republicans to rebuild their organization after the 1964 defeat. Analysis of this effort is made with regard to finances, organization, and research.

The study then discusses the 1966 state convention, the rise of youth in the Party organization, background and insight into all the races, and a complete tabulation of all ballots. Special emphasis is placed on the problem of the John Birch Society and on how that problem was resolved …

A Chemist In The Senate: Edwin Fremont Ladd, 1921-1925, Alfred C. Melby

Theses and Dissertations

Edwin Fremont Ladd, a native of :Maine, migrated to North Dakota in 1890 to join the chemistry faculty of the Agricultural College. In the following three decades, his work in the pure-food crusade and in the fight for fair grain grading and reasonable rail rates earned him a reputation for personal courage and devotion to agriculture. His reputation led the Nonpartisan League to endorse him for the United States Senate in 1920. Following his victory over Senator Asle J. Gronna in the Republican primary, Ladd defeated his Democratic opponent in the general election.

From his entry into the Senate in …

The 1944 Senatorial Election: The Defeat Of Gerald P. Nye, Daniel F. Rylance

Theses and Dissertations

The problem involved in this thesis is to investigate the causes for Senator Nye's defeat in the 1944 Senatorial election. The particular problem involved here is that isolationism has been commonly interpreted as the decisive reason for his defeat. This, however, is a singular interpretation of history largely stemming from the national scene while ignoring developments on the local level.

The procedure then was to investigate the opinion of Senator Nye from the state level. This included research in personalities and public episodes concurrent with Nye's year in the Senate. It also included a careful analysis of the North Dakota …

The History Of The North Dakota Oil Industry, Dominic Schaff

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The History Of Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park, Dale J. Strand

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Saint Peter, Minnesota, The History Of A Frontier Community 1851-1905, Richard John Jobes

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Public Career Of J.F.T. O'Connor, Alice Jane Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Socialist Party Of North Dakota, 1902-1918, Jackson K. Putnam

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.