Arts and Humanities Commons^™

"In The Name Of Progress": Postwar Urban Renewal And The Razing Of Black Spaces In Windsor, Ontario, 1957-1980, Willow Key

Major Papers

In the mid-1950s, Windsor, Ontario embarked on a comprehensive fifteen-year urban renewal initiative aimed at redeveloping the city’s downtown core into a modern, municipal hub and locale for both private and commercial interests and cross-border tourism. The initial focus of this strategy was a neighbourhood situated just east of the commercial district, which had been home to much of the Windsor’s Black population for more than a century. Rooted in a complex interplay of social and economic factors, Windsor’s renewal efforts, guided by a misguided, paternalistic understanding of physical transformation as a catalyst for positive social change, resulted in the …

“Unnatural, Filthy, Unclean And Positively Dangerous To Health And Life.”: Smallpox Vaccine Refusal And Sectional Violence In Montréal 1885, Mary M. Horman

Major Papers

Montreal was stricken by an epidemic of smallpox in the year 1885 which resulted in over 3,000 deaths and which lasted 15 months. The disease was brought into the city by a pullman conductor arriving on a train from Chicago. The city of Montréal Health Department was confident that they would be able to manage the initial outbreak easily because by 1885 smallpox was considered to be a vaccine preventable disease. Unfortunately, many errors were made by the Health Department in the initial outbreak that allowed the disease to escape into the city of Montreal, where it was greatly aided …

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 …

Mcdougall Street Corridor, Willow Key, Irene Moore Davis

SWODA: Windsor & Region Publications

Recovering the stories: a brief pictorial history.

This commemorative booklet is part of a larger project: We Were Here: Bringing the Stories of Windsor's McDougall Street Corridor to Life.

Race, Gender, Sexuality, And The Pursuit Of Modernity: British Biopower And Female Sexuality In Domestic And Colonial Practice, Alana Tomas

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper explores how female sexuality became a primary site for the exercise of British biopolitical regulation as illustrated both in colonial Hong Kong and Singapore and in domestic practice. The application of biopolitical regulation on the subject of female sexuality was based on a discursive production making indissociable the success of the imperial project and the survival of the imperial race and the control of the female body. This discursive production mobilized intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality through the Victorian cult of domesticity, resulting in a racialization of female sexuality with implications transcending the permeable frontier between …

A Tale Of Two Motherlands: Bridging The Gap Between The American And Korean Identities Of Korean War Adoptees, Lily Zitko

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

In 1955, the Harry and Bertha Holt successfully petitioned for the passing of Private Law 475 (Holt Bill) allowing for the adoption of eight orphans from South Korea. This was the beginning of a global revolution in transnational and transracial adoption. Prior to this, the idea of adoption outside of the United States was seldom possible; however, the work of the Holt family rationalized with the pubic and garnered much attention from the government and media. Even more so complicated was the idea of mixed-race Korean children, fathered by American G.I.s stationed in the Korea during the Korean War. Their …

Recipes For Life: Black Women, Cooking, And Memory, Elspeth Mckay

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper examines cookbooks written by Black women from the mid eighteenth to late twentieth centuries. As cookbooks, these texts are practical and instructional, while also offering insights into the transnational development of food as an expression of cultural history through the Indigenous, African, and European influences evident within the cuisine. African Americans, and more specifically Black women, have contributed to the food history of the Southern United States by developing a distinct African American cuisine. As the author, I reflect on what it means for me – as a white Canadian woman in a border city – to be …

Internalized Oppression: Exploring The Nuanced Experiences Of Gender And Sexuality In Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Kathryn Kendal Ryan

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

In the American South at the turn of the century, quality education was scarce and legislative laws were put in place to ensure that African American individuals remained far away from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). As a result, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) became a catalyst for change in a “separate but equal” driven society. This article will explore the significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in elevating Black Americans throughout the twentieth century while assessing the conservative nature of the institutions and their inflexibility towards the various nuances of African American communities. While not particular to HCBUs, …

The Depiction Of Native Hawaiians In American Media, Lauren Lopez

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

Since the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States in 1898, American cartoonists, advertisers, authors, filmmakers, and others have promoted racist, sexist, and hyper-sexualized versions of Native Hawaiians to the American public because of their deeply ingrained colonial attitudes. Although Native Studies is a growing area of interest in many fields of study, research on Native Hawaiian media representation and the impact of stereotypes on both Native Hawaiian identity and public views of Native Hawaiians is scarce. This essay uses primary source documents to bring to light the most prominent stereotypes of Native Hawaiians and explore how the …

Race, Place, And Religion: African American Missionaries In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Kevin D. Hicks

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper attempts to provide a more complete analysis of the various conceptions of race and identity held by African American missionaries working in Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While there has been some attention paid to African American missionaries working in Africa at this time, very little has been written about how their different theological beliefs impacted their conceptions of race and identity as it is related to the native African population they are interacting with. Through thorough analysis, it can be determined that there were distinct links between the different theological beliefs held by …

Letter From The Editors, Gregg French, Emma Grant

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

No abstract provided.

Amex: Discord And Unity In The Canadian Vietnam-Era Anti-Draft Movement, 1969-1971, Doris R. Lanzkron-Tamarazo

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

During the American Vietnam War of the 1960s and early 1970s, a movement dedicated to opposing the draft and assisting draft dodgers and deserters emerged within Canada, where many of these war resisters immigrated. Exile groups were organizations in the anti-draft movement consisting entirely of American war resisters. One prominent exile newsletter was Amex: The American Expatriate in Canada. Amex’s reactions to events in the Canadian anti-draft movement during its second volume (1969-1971) demonstrate how despite frequently criticizing other organizations and individuals within the movement, it ultimately advocated for unity. Amex’s views on discord and unity within the anti-draft movement …

How The Women Of The Soe Were Made To Wage War: A Brief Account Of Noor Inayat Khan’S Experience As A Biracial Female Soe Agent, Leah B. Veerasammy

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This article explores the experiences of women of colour in the British Army during the Second World War, and the influences of race and gender on their work, focusing specifically on the experiences of British-Indian SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan. Inayat Khan’s experiences in training and fieldwork are analyzed based on her relationship with superiors and colleagues, taking into account their racial and gender-based biases, as well as Inayat Khan’s relationship to her own identity as a woman of colour in a largely white male environment. Ultimately, women within the British Army experienced a number of disadvantages due to prevalent …

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 …

Rebels, Murderesses & Harlots: 'Fallen Women', Changes To Gender Relations In Post-Famine Ireland, Lisa Huntingford

Major Papers

A woman is nothing without her reputation. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, a conflict of values emerged for ordinary women in Ireland. It is this conflict that has been under-addressed in the historiography, particularly in the context of the roles institutions played in putting forth a prescribed ideal of womanhood for working class women. Ordinary women risked ostracization and condemnation when stepping out of the prescribed roles of daughter, domestic servant, and mother. In doing so, this increased the likelihood working class women would come into contact with moral reformists, the court system or religious organizations which …

‘Death Of A Union Man’: Reconstructing Conflict At Windsor Chrysler During The Long Seventies, Heat Harvie

Major Papers

The shooting of UAW Local 444 President Charles “Charlie” Brooks in January 1977 by former Chrysler worker Clarence Talbot, allegedly over a grievance, brought the city of Windsor, Ontario to a standstill. Recently fired from his position as a relief worker at the Chrysler plant, Talbot was in a very vulnerable position where his ability to survive hinged on a successful grievance. Brooks was a beloved labour leader noted for his radical and colourful ways who had a long history of working hard for union and community members through his advocacy. The Ontario Supreme Court ultimately declared Talbot not criminally …

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 …

Mikołaj Kopernik 1473-1543 Astronom - Matematyk, Który Wstrzymał Słońce, Ruszył Ziemię, Polskie Go Wydało Plemię, Polish-Canadian Business Professionals Association Of Windsor, Leddy Library, University Of Windsor

Windsor Polonia

Exhibit on 550th anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus' birth, in Polish

Making And Unmaking Collective Memory Through Food: A Case Study Of Windsor, Ontario’S Yugoslav Diaspora, Amanda Skocic

Major Papers

The preparation and consumption of food is not merely a physical act, but a deeply social one, conveying cultural meaning that functions to tie us to our identity and profoundly influence our memory. Drawing upon interviews done with members of Windsor’s Yugoslav diaspora community, this research seeks to explore the ways in which this group has negotiated its collective memory within the host society through the use of food. I identify four central aspects of food’s relation to collective memory within the diaspora. First, the use of food as a means of connection to the homeland, and therefore, to collective …

Dependency Politics In A South African Bantustan: The National Party, Inkatha, And The Zulu People, 1975-1990, Joshua Shepley

Major Papers

By the late 1980s, the apartheid structures of the racially segregated Republic of South Africa were fracturing. The ruling National Party’s Bantustan system, whereby the living spaces of the majority African population were restricted to discrete zones according to their ethnic subgroup, had been failing for decades. In order to understand the outbreak of violence that took place in South Africa’s townships in the midst of this breakdown of apartheid society, the relationships that developed within these Bantustans must first be addressed. The most consequential of these relationships developed within KwaZulu, the “homeland” of Zulu Africans, beginning in the early …

“Caughnawaga Indians Were Taking Part In One Of The Most Dramatic Episodes Of History…”: Manufacturing Mohawk Nationalism On The Nile Expedition Of 1884 – 1885, Megan Chau

Major Papers

In 1884 to 1885, a British military endeavour was launched to relieve General Charles Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan, who was besieged by Islamic insurgents. The Nile Expedition, as it came to be known, included approximately four hundred Canadian civilians employed to transport troops and supplies down the Nile River. Through the participation of eighty Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) men, the Nile Expedition became a site where Indigenousness was performed and negotiated, and would influence relations between the Mohawks and white settler society. This was done through the development of Mohawk nationalism, which strived for a distinct Mohawk identity, culture and political autonomy. …

Letter From The Editors, Rachael Lauzon

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

No abstract provided.

A Marxist Approach To Bostonian Missionaries In Hawaii, Tea Sekaric

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

For centuries, the United States (U.S.) has euphemised their imperial endeavours across North America as they have continued to rely on ‘providence’ to justify American expansionism and colonialism. This connection between an ordained destiny and imperialism is observed within the realm of Hawaii with Bostonian missionaries. Sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), Bostonian evangelists embarked the ship Thaddeus, entering Hawaii in 1819 with the intent to civilize what they perceived as an uncivilized nation. Notably, concepts of ‘civil’ and ‘uncivilized’ are culturally determined and are intricately tied to America’s belief in their own exceptionalism. At …

Intersectionality In The Lives And Works Of Mary Ann Shadd And Henry Bibb, Karleigh R. Kochaniec

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

Throughout the mid to late nineteenth century, Henry Bibb and Mary Ann Shadd were known to be highly accomplished and recognized abolitionists. Both Shadd and Bibb worked in the Detroit-Windsor region and resided in Windsor-Essex for a number of years. As a part of their efforts, Shadd and Bibb were editors of their own newspapers targeted towards educating fugitive slaves, Bibb’s being The Voice of the Fugitive and Shadd’s being The Provincial Freeman. The abolitionists often worked together but also had a fair share of differences. There has been research that discusses the works of Shadd and Bibb, and the …

Controlling Death: Exploring The Discourse Of Suicide In Antebellum America, Austin Tyrrell

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

Suicide amongst slaves in antebellum America occurred frequently enough that systems of control were put in place by slave owners to limit their occurrence. Meanwhile, abolitionists used instances of slave suicide to evoke sympathy and advance their cause. This article explores how and why conceptualizations of white and black suicide differed. In doing so, it argues that contemporary discourse about slave suicide was intentionally used to shape racist perceptions as a means of maintaining control over slaves and the institution of slavery alike.

The “Authenticity” Of Cannibalism: Persisting Nineteenth-Century Colonial Perceptions In The Present-Day Tourism Dynamic Of Lake Toba, Kai Siallagan

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper discusses perceptions of the Batak of North Sumatra popular among nineteenth-century European audiences and their continuity in the tourism industry and tourist descriptions. In particular, tourist dynamics in the Batak region of Lake Toba are contextualised and interpreted by identifying how local culture has reacted to tourist demand and tourist depictions of the locals and their culture. The paper undertakes a historiographical survey of nineteenth-century European writings that ascribe a “violent,” “primitive,” and “cannibalistic” character to the Batak to illustrate prevailing perceptions of the time. These findings are interpreted through a conceptual analysis that integrates Foucauldian discourse theory, …

Black Bottom And Paradise Valley: The Intersection Of Race, Class, And Memory In Twentieth Century Detroit, Emma C. Grant

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This research follows the evolution of intra-class relations between the Black elite, middle, and working classes within Detroit society from the Reconstruction period to 1936. By analyzing transformations of power and the inherited morals which accompanied these transfers, this essay will demonstrate how class relations within the African American community created distinctions within a designated urban space. This essay argues that Detroit's prominent Paradise Valley grew out of the Black Bottom community, which inextricably links the two separate entities into one. Ultimately, this research refutes historiographical debates which attempt to concretely bind these communities. Moreover, by blending academic debate to …

Dalit Studies: The Impacts Of British Colonization In India, Dalit Identity & The Internationalization Of Caste Discrimination At The United Nations, Yashpreet Birdi

Major Papers

The centuries-old caste system dividing individuals in society in a hierarchical order has long been responsible for the continuous oppression of the Dalit (also referred to as Untouchables) population in India. Experiences associated with British colonization period in the country have greatly influenced the fundamental social values, structures, and institutional frameworks of modern and democratic India, along with the identity of Dalits. Scholars in the newly emerged academic field of Dalit studies have examined contemporary issues of the Dalit population, whereas academics of post-colonial studies have analyzed the various social, economic, and cultural losses of British colonization in India. Although …

“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 …