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From “Cowardice” To “Shellshock”: The Definition And Treatment Of Mental Health In The United States Marine Corps During The Age Of The Great War, Itzel Marquez

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of my master’s thesis is to study how the United States’ Marine Corps recognized, defined, and treated mental health issues during the Great War and how this translated into the treatment of Marines by their peers and commanding officers. Similar to other countries that fought in the Great War, also referred to as World War I, the United States witnessed intense discussions about the psychological effects of war. The question of whether and how modern warfare affected troops’ mental health was addressed by all branches of the United States’ military. Yet, the issue of mental health in the …

The Persistence Of Racist Violence In The Rio Grande Valley, 1921-1927, Vincent A. Larralde

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the conditions that led to the violence orchestrated by Texas Rangers during La Matanza, and how after the Porvenir Massacre of 1918, state reform initiatives resulted in an investigation of the Texas Rangers in 1919. As a result, they were reduced in force and capability, and modern-day scholars imply violence associated with La Matanza ceased in the Valley after that.

However, this thesis argues that racist violence did not disappear but continued in the 1920s. Posses continued the administration of racist violence and lynching against ethnic Mexicans. Therefore, this thesis examines one case in Cameron County in …

Bullet-Proof Boll Weevil: The History Of Boll Weevil Eradication, Evan A. Berg

Theses and Dissertations

Farmers and entomologists have all experimented with various methods to find the best way to defeat the United States' boll weevil. The techniques themselves, while expansive, can be examined within the scope of the years that they were used. This provides an exciting insight into how cotton pest management became more complex as the decades moved on and revealed how the science of cotton pest management evolved to deal with the boll weevil and other future cotton threats.

Ad Infinitum: The Bourgeois Construction Of An American Lady, Miriam M. Cepeda

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the emergence of the Bourgeois culture in Antebellum America during the transition of nineteenth century America into what we refer to as “modern-day America.” This period is crucial in American history as ideological concepts developed as the nation industrialized, thus creating the nation’s identity. In doing so, gender roles were voraciously prescribed with a focus on women’s sexuality as a focal point for Victorian discourse. Unlike prior to the Revolution, which gender roles were previously assumed, by the mid-nineteenth century, modes of surveillance are apparent in sermons, medical treatises, Victorian periodicals and literature, in which ideological productions …

Agency Of Mexican/Tejano Union Recruits During The United States Civil War: An Archival Case Study Of Private Pedro Garcia, Andy Najera

Theses and Dissertations

During the United States Civil War, a Mexican national, Pedro Garcia, and hundreds of others like him came to Brownsville, Texas, looking for ways to strengthen their positions by joining the Union army. Eventually, the Mexican/Tejano recruits deserted in droves while the Union forces executed Pedro Garcia. The purpose of this research is to provide insight into the cultural clash of worldviews between the United States Union army and Rio Grande Borderlanders. This research will also provide awareness of the various methods the Mexican/Tejano used to create agency. This study uses a mixed methodology, such as Border theory as described …

Mexican Politicians And British Investors: A Symbiotic Relationship, Daliarlene Saenz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to ascertain whether Mexico was a part of Great Britain’s informal empire, which hinges primarily on economic dependence. After independence, Mexico’s image as a resource-rich land attracted British investment, but political instability and its long-held London Debt, repelled British investors. The Porfirian administration prioritized mending its reputation abroad and promoting modernity domestically. Weary of American domination, the Porfirian administration sought British collaboration instead, most significantly of Weetman Pearson. However, post-Revolution governments did not value British business collaboration as its predecessors. Hence, they had no qualms on protecting its domestic priorities over pleasing Whitehall. Through …

Gulf Trade Networks And Family Ties: French Migration Via New Orleans To The Lower Rio Grande Valley, 1848-1881, Kristen D. Kline

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis considers economic and social aspects of French immigration to the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas during the mid-nineteenth century, with special emphasis on a small group of merchants who left France during the 1850s. It synthesizes the work of several scholars who have focused on French presence in the LRGV with others who have analyzed various economic facets of the LRGV during different periods between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. This study attempts to situate five families into the context of nineteenth-century European migration to the Americas, as well as into the Gulf maritime economy on …

South Texas Media Representations Of Rio Grande Valley Mexican Deportation Drives & Repatriation, 1928–1930, Evren John Turan

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines South Texas media coverage of Mexican deportation and repatriation at its genesis in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas. Summer, 1928, the RGV became the epicenter for federally ordered mass deportation raids of Mexican agricultural workers. The U.S. Border Patrol first implemented its methods of mass deportation raids and intimidation on the South Texas Mexican national population prior to Los Angeles, Post-Depression. Primary source analysis of Spanish language newspaper, La Prensa, is utilized extensively through translation. Translation of La Prensa articles was conducted by Mrs. Abby Lopez-Turan. Mrs. Lopez-Turan has a B.A. in Spanish from …

Lunatics And Idiots: Treatment Of The Mentally Ill And Mentally Disabled Population In The Rio Grande Valley, 1860-1962, Emily Gray

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the conditions the mentally ill and mentally disabled population in the Rio Grande Valley faced during the era of the asylum in the United States, from 1860 until 1962. The treatment options for the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley are compared with the treatment of the mentally ill in the nation as a whole, as well as in the state of Texas. The Rio Grande Valley has been geographically distant from large population centers, and the state of Texas neglected to place any state-funded health care centers in the region until the 1960's. The Rio Grande …

Samuel Adams And John Hancock: The Relationship That Determined The Formation Of America, Bruce D. Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

This paper argues that the relationship between Samuel Adams and John Hancock and their cooperation played critical/pivotal roles, especially in garnering New England support for the beginning of the American Revolution as well as the ratification of the Constitution.

Aristotle, Redemption, And The Conquest Of The Americas, Luis Angel Buentello

Theses and Dissertations

The central question addressed in my thesis is the claim that the even though the conquest of the Americas by the Spaniards was a brutal and murderous process, the Spanish imperial project in the Americas, based on Aristotelian ideology, resulted in the most beneficial and least harmful form of conquest conceivable in comparison to the next great empire of the age, the British Empire.

The founding pillars of Spain’s overseas empire in the Americas, based on an Aristotelian framework, produced a synthesis of political thinking that brought about greater benefits to the native populations, and slave populations, subsumed under the …

Building A History: A Case Study Of Manufactured History In Texas, Gregg L. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Building a History is a case study that seeks to examine Texas mytho-history, and the subsequent historical memory it engenders, from the perspective of Nationalism. Specifically, this paper addresses two periods in Texas’ historical past—beginning with the period of Anglo colonialization of Texas and the subsequent rebellion against Mexican authority, (1820–1836), and transitioning to the progressive era, (1890–1936).

This thesis demonstrates that during progressive era, Anglo-Texans began manufacturing an alternative historical narrative that blended Judeo-Christian and Puritan mytho-symbolism with Euro-centric notions of socio-political and ethnic superiority. This process of manufacturing and legitimizing historical myth in Texas reveals a characteristic similarity …

The Origins And Development Of John F. Kennedy And Lyndon B. Johnson's Perceptions Of American Foreign Policy Toward East Asia, Juan C. Razo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson focused extensively on foreign affairs in East Asia related to China, Laos, and Vietnam. Examining the development of their respective perceptions proved instrumental in comprehending their approaches to the geopolitics of the region. The overall structure of this thesis includes an analysis of their tenure in Congress, a breakdown of the first-half of Kennedy’s presidency, an emphasis on the transition period between Kennedy and Johnson, an examination of Johnson’s presidency, and concluding with a detailed comparison of their foreign policy toward East Asia. Their differing perceptions to the regional geopolitics …

Hablando De Negocios: Three Rio Grande Valley Businesses During The Great Depression, 1929-1939, Karla A. Lira

Theses and Dissertations

The Rio Grande Valley is in the South most tip of Texas and borders Northern Mexico, it includes Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr Counties. Scholars have focused on gender, agriculture, and labor of the area. However, historians have failed to research the region through a business perspective during the Great Depression. This thesis then seeks to analyze ways in which the Great Depression affected the Rio Grande Valley through the research of two stores and one business in the area: The Manuel Guerra Store, Edelstein’s furniture store, and John Shary’s land selling business. Its objective will fill an existing gap …

Through Northern Eyes: Robert E. Lee And The Northern Press, Steven D. Sheller

Theses and Dissertations

Most historians would agree that it is an anomaly in history how Robert E. Lee became an American icon. General Lee was the commander of a rebel army that was trying to split the country he had once loyally served into two. Even after being defeated at the Battle of Appomattox, instead of Lee suffering the normal fate of all failed revolutionaries, he was pardoned and allowed to continue to live in his native Virginia. Over a short amount of time after General Lee’s death he was elevated from rebel to hero. The origins of this can be traced back …

Discriminacion A Un Martir: The Ballad Of Felix Longoria, Cristobal A. Carrizales

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks at how the Felix Longoria Affair propelled Hector P. Garcia, Lyndon B. Johnson and the American G.I. Forum into the national limelight, while also leaving the Longorias, Three Rivers and Texas in a state of disrepair. The affair in general helped expose injustices that were occurring to Mexicans American in Texas at the time, but left the family, Three Rivers and Texas in a battle over the legacy of how each would be seen in the annals of history.

The Subjugation Of The Texas Indians From The 17th–19th Centuries, Erhard M. Vandeventer

Theses and Dissertations

The Americas have long been a center of conflict as European powers competed for control of the resources of these untapped lands. Spain, France, and England contributed to the turbulent era of colonization. Each left their mark on the Western Hemisphere. Spain couldn’t know that an Independent Mexico would emerge from the actions of the first Spanish conquistadors. The Republic of Texas was actually a stepchild of Spain created through its Mexican land grants and missions. The lands they colonized were not empty. Spain, Mexico and the Texas Republic, found their new holdings populated by Native Americans who were not …

Archaeological Potential Of The Rio Grande Valley: A Look At Brazos Island With A Historical Focus On The Civil War, Robin L. Galloso

Theses and Dissertations

The history of the Rio Grande Valley and the role it played in the Civil War is a developing field for both history and archaeology. This work helps to fill the existing gap that is present in academia and shows the archaeological and historical potential of this unique coastal area. The Brazos Island was heavily used during the Civil War by both the Confederacy and the Union. This thesis shows the rich history of Brazos Island and its archaeological potential through a multi-interdisciplinary lens, although rooted in the field of history. It covers a brief overview of the road to …

Liberty, Equality, Indebtedness: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams And The Problem Of Debt In A Revolutionary Age, Martha Salazar Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I examine how the issue of debt contributed to the political tensions between the New England region and the Chesapeake region during the Revolutionary Age. The merging of the two regions’ economies into one federal union caused political divisions, which remained beyond the period of the Early Republic. Examining the cultural attitudes of each region towards debt provides a better understanding of the political problems between these two regions. The integration of the consignment culture of the Southern states with the Puritan ethic of the New England states caused economic difficulties for the young Republic. The research …

Tabacaleros Al Grito De Guerra: The Mexican Tobacco Industry And The U.S.-Mexico War, Jorge A. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the role of the Mexican tobacco industry during the chaotic years from 1845 to 1847. In nineteenth-century Mexico the tobacco industry was an important financial contributor to Mexican government’s efforts to sustain the war against the United States. Without any significant success, the Mexican government tried to confront and solve the problems limiting the amount of revenues that was expected from the tobacco industry. Regional interests, political factionalism, administrative negligence, and tobacco contraband limited the amount of money the tobacco industry contributed. In spite of all the problems the tobacco industry experienced between 1845 and 1847, the …

Racial Intolerance During The California Gold Rush, Raul David Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and lasted to the mid-1850s. Though short in duration, the impact the Gold Rush had in the United States, along with populations from many areas in the rest of the world, proved detrimental to many different ethnic groups that arrived to the mines and came into contact with various cultures, principally the white Anglo-American culture. This thesis focuses on themes such as race, gender roles, free labor versus unfree labor, extra-legal violence, and informal laws passed in the mines to exclude foreigners. It addresses why certain nationalities were taxed and targeted as foes, …

Landslide: The 1984 Presidential Election, Colin J. Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Newton, Colin J., Landslide: The 1984 Presidential Campaign. Master of Arts, (MA), December, 2015, 127 pp., 8 figures, references, 57 titles. The thesis provides an in depth historical observation of the events that transpired during the 1984 presidential campaign, which is significant because of its outcome, the largest electoral victory by any presidential candidate. The scope of the research is January 1984 to November 1984. The thesis provides insight into the Democratic primaries and the general election, focusing on the strategies of both campaigns. It identifies the many factors that led to Reagan’s landslide victory.

The overall purpose of the …