Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Presbyterian Enlightenment: The Confluence Of Evangelical And Enlightenment Thought In British America, Brandon S. Durbin

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Eighteenth-Century British American Presbyterian ministers incorporated covenantal theology, ideas from the Scottish Enlightenment, and resistance theory in their sermons. The sermons of Presbyterian ministers strongly indicate the intermixing of enlightenment and evangelical ideas. Congregants heard and read these sermons, spreading these ideas to the average colonist. This combination helps explain why American Presbyterians were so apt to resist British rule during the American Revolution. Protestant covenantal theology, derived from Protestant reformers like John Calvin and John Knox, emphasized virtue and duty. This covenant affected both the people and their rulers. When rulers failed to uphold their covenant with God, the …

Form Over Function: How The Confederate Oligarchy's Pretense Of Conventional Military Legitimacy Abandoned The Legitimate American Military Spirit, Jacob D. Harris

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In the Summer of 1864, Confederate General Robert E. Lee tasked Major General Jubal Early to protect the Army of Northern Virginia’s rear by defending the strategically vital Shenandoah Valley from Union conquest. By the Fall, Early was losing decisively, hopelessly outnumbered, and making no strategic refinements. He never seriously attempted to synchronize his Valley operations with Colonel John S. Mosby’s nearby 43^rd Ranger Battalion, despite ominous reversals and Mosby’s attempts to cooperate.

Mosby was a gifted tactician who patterned his actions after his revolutionary hero, Brigadier General Francis Marion. He achieved his dream of being a “partisan” like …

Demon Rum In The City Of Churches: A Spirited Fight For Alcohol Reform In Danville, Virginia, 1883-1933, Evelyn Dawn Riley

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Utilizing previous research of American alcohol reform movements, and specifically studies of alcohol in Virginia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this thesis explores the multi-faceted story of Danville, Virginia and its alcohol reform from 1883-1933. Contained within these dates are critical events and stories chronicling the complex history of conflict, and occasional cooperation, regarding alcohol in a southern town. The goal of the thesis, comprised of two parts--a context paper and an accompanying digital exhibit--was to explore how Danville’s community structure and public discourse affected the way alcohol reform was experienced and discussed in the city. Findings indicated that …

"By Reason Of Birth", Cheyenne Kody Crawford

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This written monograph is intended to parallel my MFA thesis show, “by reason of birth”. These written accounts from my childhood are specific occurrences in my life that influenced the creation of this work. Through the combination of written and made work, I recall an ambiguous past that allows the viewer to infer his or her own personal histories alongside mine.

An Insult To Authority: The Jewish Means To A Nazi End, Samuel Joseph Preston Anno Di Stefano

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The thesis attempts to place smuggling on the Warsaw Ghetto until the Great Deportation into the larger context of economic warfare as a Nazi policy. This largely overlooked aspect of Jewish response provides valuable insights to the larger debate because of the experimental nature of administration in the Government General and its potential impact on determining the course of the Final Solution. The paper alleges that Jewish smuggling was less a form of resistance than an aid in alleviating German responsibility for their captives’ welfare and an effective method of management. Research tools included an abundance of primary documents for …