Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Session 1: Panel 3: Presenter 1 (Paper) -- Fight For Star Wars: The Reagan Doctrine And The Ending Of The Cold War, Roselyn S. Dai

Young Historians Conference

The strenuous conflict between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, which persisted for over four decades, finally came to a close in the early 1990’s, shortly after the presidency of Ronald Reagan. A common assumption is that Reagan’s hardline foreign policies and weapons buildup finally forced the Soviet Union to back down. However, this assumption is only a small portion of the picture. The cause for the ending of the Cold War is a much more nuanced story centered not only around the arms race but also the collapsing Soviet economy and the domestic issues of …

Pacification Gone Awry: The U.S Failure To Underpin Hearts And Minds In South Vietnam, 1966–1968, Simon Mai

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: Throughout the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam from 1964 – 1968, one key strategy focused on pacification – the winning of the allegiance of South Vietnamese civilians to the Saigon-based Government of Vietnam (GVN). This paper will argue that American/GVN implementation of pacification programs at the provincial and village level revealed three fundamental factors that proved fatal and counterproductive. These factors were the political and social entrenchment of the Viet Cong or National Liberation Front (NLF), the provincial cronyism and corruption of GVN, and the indiscriminate application of American firepower in support of General William Westmoreland’s strategy of …

The Revival Of Termination: Fragmenting John Collier’S Bureau Of Indian Affairs, Jacob Taylor

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: The Indian New Deal has been studied through two opposing lenses. Some historians attempt to paint John Collier, Bureau Commissioner under President Roosevelt, as a visionary who attempted to save Native American sovereignty while others denounce his legislation and time in office as ill-fated and corrupt. These two opposing views fail to illustrate the broader context of Collier’s BIA and do not provide an explanation for the ultimate failure of the Indian New Deal. Furthermore, they offer a largely monocausal explanation for the failure of the Indian New Deal. I argue that the BIA had been faltering for a …

Religious Language And The American Presidency, Shinjin Lee

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: The United States is not a theocratic county, yet the importance of, and the emphasis on, religion are a quintessential part of understanding American politics and society. This paper explores the way former presidents of the United States treated and spoke of religion(s) has changed during the history of the nation. In order to discover the role and impact of religion in American history I will analyze a selection of various types of writings of the presidents such as formal letters to Congress or the American people, inauguration remarks, official statements, and other speeches from as early as George …

A ‘Superlicious’ Feast: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Davy Crockett’S Almanacs As An Early Form Of White National Identity, Darren L. Letendre

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: Davy Crockett’s Almanacs, published between 1835 and 1856, have been held as a prime example of nineteenth-century Anglo-American folklore. While authors have commented on their comic qualities and racist content, what has been lacking is a rhetorical analysis, as suggested by Folklorist Stephen Gencarella, which would examine the ways in which “folklore is not something that a folk does, rather… something which constitutes a folk.” This paper analyzes the almanac stories dealing with native peoples in order to understand the political and ideological discourse that was propagated by these publications. Rather than genuine folk-stories faithfully recorded by publishers, these …

The Blood Logs: Factors In The U.S. Decision To Classify The Japanese Biological And Chemical Warfare Program, Linda R. Zhang

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: The Japanese Imperial Army maintained chemical and biological testing facilities during the Asian Pacific War where unwilling civilians and prisoners of war were subjected to human experiments regarding frostbite, germ warfare, syphilis, weapons testing, and human anatomy. As American forces began occupying Japan and restructuring the country, the Allied Powers established an international tribunal to prosecute Japanese leaders deemed responsible for the war. During this time period, American policymakers would classify the Japanese bio warfare program, essentially protecting Japanese participants in the warfare program from facing trial. My research analyzes why American policymakers would classify Japan’s Biochemical Warfare Program …

The No-Color Of Women: Women And Commemoration In The Treasure Valley Of Idaho, Shaina Lynch

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: In this paper, I research the public commemoration of women in the Treasure Valley and Southwest Idaho. Public memorials were sought out, visited, and photographed. A map was created of the locations and added to a website I made as part of this project, www.idahowomeninhistory.com. In order to make an argument for more statuary and monuments to women in Idaho there needed to be an explanation for the omission. I begin with the glaring absence of women in the public sphere and popular history (written and dominated by men), which explains their lack of celebration in public spaces. They …

Fallout From The Wall Street Bombing, Maxwell Mcpherson

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: On September 16, 1920, a bomb would go off in the middle of Wall Street killing forty people and injuring over a hundred more. To this day the perpetrator remains unknown, and in the absence of resolution one might question how the contemporary public reacted to this terrorist attack in the heart of Manhattan. Through an archival examination of newspapers printed in the period after the attack it can be seen how this unsolved mystery would fuel persecution and public hysteria in the ensuing months targeting “suspect” political dissidents and ethnic minorities. From studying newspapers published following the bombing …

The United States' Relationship With The Insanity Defense Before And After United States V. Hinckley, Natalie R. Peterman

Young Historians Conference

The United States legal system has had a fluctuating relationship with the insanity defense for decades, and the trial of United States v. Hinckley was a critical milestone for this development. Before John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and the jury of his trial found him not guilty, American society generally supported the insanity defense, but both the public and the government were outraged after Hinckley’s verdict. This outrage and the subsequent political backlash against the insanity defense were motivated by progress in the area of mental illness treatment in the United States. In the …

The Evolution Of Slavery-Built Higher Education And Racial Supremacy In American Universities, Olivia A. Ricketts

Young Historians Conference

This paper discusses the connections between American universities and the institution of slavery. It examines four universities connections that were funded in different eras of United States history, including Harvard and Yale in the Colonial Era, University of Chicago in the Antebellum Era, and the University of Oregon in Post-Reconstruction Era, as well as what they are currently doing in the form of reparations. The thesis of the paper is that through the history of the United States, the level of association between slavery and universities decreases, due to the rise of abolitionist ideals.

The Radical Impact Of Madame Delphine Lalaurie On Slavery And The Image Of African Americans, 1831-1840, Sophie A. Rehlaender

Young Historians Conference

The paper covers the history of Madame LaLaurie, and the public reaction of New Orleans in response to her slave abuse. The paper reviews the social climate between New Orleans Americans and the French Creole society, in which LaLaurie was included in. The rivalry between the two groups influenced the widespread hatred for LaLaurie. The paper addresses the extremity of her abuse of her slaves, and the psychological theories that could have allowed for her behavior. The public reaction to the crimes is considered as well, whereas the New Orleanians developed mob mentality in an attack on LaLaurie's house. The …

The Role Of Activism During The Aids Epidemic, Olivia Eaton

Young Historians Conference

The paper examines the role of activism within the AIDS epidemic in the United States and the factors that influenced the various protests. It focuses on the activism that had a major impact on the epidemic and the search for a cure with a concentration on the activist group, ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The thesis is that because the activists mostly came from oppressed backgrounds of being LGBT or people of color, they were not afraid of their reputation with the public and thus went to great lengths to expose the corruption in the system and within …

What Comes After: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Charles S. Borah

Young Historians Conference

This paper looks at the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the response that followed, including the cleanup efforts, litigation against ExxonMobil and the captain of the Exxon Valdez, Joseph Hazelwood. Also evaluated is the governmental response to the spill, both at the state level in Governor Steve Cowper’s reaction to the spill and the laws passed and hearings held in the federal government. The paper’s thesis is that though there was judicial and legislative action taken as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, it was too narrow in scope to prevent future oil spills from happening and only …

Revitalization In Philadelphia, 1940-1970: Rebuilding A City But Straining Race Relations, Abigail E. Millender

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines government and privately sponsored revitalization projects in inner city and Center City Philadelphia from 1940-1970. These projects—including the construction of rail lines connecting Center City to the suburbs, changes to the National Housing Act, and the revitalization of Society Hill—were meant to bring investment back into the city after the economy had declined from de-industrialization. These projects successfully rebuilt the inner city’s economy, however, they ultimately hurt African-American and minority populations and encouraged segregation. The revitalization of Center City over other parts of inner city and the perpetuation of subprime loans displaced many African Americans, lowered home …

The Influence Of The Stonewall Riots, Leah K. Rosenbaum

Young Historians Conference

For decades, the rights of the members of the LGBTQ community were oppressed without major objections from the American public, until June 28, 1969. The Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, New York marked the beginning of a radicalized movement for equal rights within the LGBTQ community. Newspapers nationwide, printed articles about the riots, some condemning the participants, and others praising the men and women for standing up against the police. On the one year anniversary of the riots, the first gay pride march happened in various cities across the country.

Women Of The West: Prostitutes And Madams, Emma R. Marek

Young Historians Conference

During the late 1800s, the institution of prostitution flourished unlike ever before as America fulfilled its “Manifest Destiny.” Amidst predominantly male industries, women found prostitution a unique opportunity to survive in the developing and wild western society. The topic of this paper addresses these women, this under celebrated group, and their contribution to the development of the American West. This paper will argue that during the 19^th century, prostitutes and madams contributed immensely to the economic, social, and legal developments of the Western Frontier. Brothels became integral for the economic discourse of businessmen. Their dually criminal and civil position …

African Americans In Portland, A History Of Displacement And Exclusion, Brock Gjesdal

Young Historians Conference

Throughout the history of Portland, African Americans living within the city have been subject to discrimination and hardship by the hand of whites living among them, but not willing to live beside them. For this reason, whites enforced housing regulations to concentrate most of the African Americans living in Portland into the Northeast reaches of the city, more specifically the Albina District. However, as African American inequality in Portland gathered more and more recognition, the blunt racism embodied by the restrictive housing covenants that had been imposed upon African Americans for decades became less and less acceptable by the 1950s. …

The Rise Of Gay Culture And Why Portland Is Different, Lucas Y. Morimoto

Young Historians Conference

This paper serves as a short history of the gay movement in Portland, as well as the reasons why Portland’s movement was inherently dissimilar to the movements of other major cities. It begins by providing historical context on the movements of some of Americas biggest cities, focusing primarily on the 1969 events of the Stonewall Riots in New York, the election and assassination of Harvey Milk in San Francisco, and Seattle’s movement for the purpose of comparison. A brief history on homosexuality in Portland’s recent past follows, going on then to the influence of “Darcelle’s” for the growing gay movement …

The United States ‘Civil’ War: The Forgotten Nation Of Cherokee People And Their Dynamic Wartime Experience, Lauren E. Monkewicz

Young Historians Conference

This paper explores the Cherokee Nation’s experience in the American Civil War. It delves into the impact of the Civil War on the Cherokee Nation and vice versa. Beginning with Relocation and traditional customs and ending with Reconstruction, the paper investigates cultural, social, and political changes brought on by the war in the Cherokee Nation.

THEMES:

1. The paper beings by exploring the social and racial customs of the Cherokee Nation in order to add context to the narrative of the war. It similarly sets the stage for the damaged relationship between the Federal Government and the Cherokee Nation by investigating …

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An Examination Of American Isolationism Through Public Opinion, 1935-1939, Maggie S. Wu

Young Historians Conference

The 1930’s saw the widespread use of public opinion polling as a way to inform lawmakers and the general public alike of where the masses stood on issues. These polls, paired with newspapers and magazines from the time period, offer a rich glimpse into 1930’s United States. This paper will pull on this extensive pool of primary sources to illustrate the story of the United States’ shift from isolationism to interventionism in the era of Nazi Germany, appeasement, and World War II.

Working-Class Black Women’S Role In Building And Sustaining Black Communities In The Pacific Northwest, Tessara G. Dudley

Student Research Symposium

In response to the scholarly focus on the historical racism of the Pacific Northwest, this research attempts to answer the question of how Black communities have persisted in the face of discrimination. This study is a historical examination of the roles that Black women have played in building and sustaining Black communities within predominantly white regions, with a specific focus on the Portland-Vancouver area during and after World War II. This work focuses on the activities of working class Black women, a significant proportion of Black women migrating to the Pacific Northwest during World War II, examining their community-building activities …

Paving The Pathway For Loving V. Virginia, Maia L. Insinga

Young Historians Conference

Interracial marriage laws have burdened jubilant couples throughout America’s history, making the stories of those that fought against the unjust laws a necessary topic of research. This paper discusses the history of Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court case that repealed all remaining interracial marriage laws on April 10, 1967, when the Court sided with the Loving couple. The credit of this event cannot be given entirely to the Lovings and their lawyers appeals to the Supreme Court, therefore this paper reviews supplementary events, court cases, research and media influences that paved the pathway to the ultimate decision of Loving …

Progressive Era Aftermath-Analysis Of Municipal Housekeeping: Bertha K. Landes And Dorothy Mccullough Lee, Mary Potter

Young Historians Conference

Municipal housekeeping in America arose after the fall of the progressive era. The nation faced political corruption, high crime rates, and civic disarray. Elite clubwomen took it upon themselves to step forward and clean up their communities. In the Pacific Northwest, Bertha Landes and Dorothy McCullough Lee were two of the most influential municipal housekeepers. Bertha Landes was mayor of Seattle in 1926 and Dorothy Lee was mayor of Portland in 1949. Both mayors fought gender bias and prejudice while cleaning up their city’s streets and morals. From 1926 to 1949, the fundamentals behind municipal housekeeping did not change, but …

An Examination Of Franz Edmund Creffield And The Holy Rollers, 1900-1907, Sophie Koh

Young Historians Conference

This paper outlines the story of a religious cult from Corvallis referred to as the “Holy Rollers” and led by Franz Edmund Creffield. I researched the causes for his followers’ behavior from 1900 to 1907, relating the investigation to the press, people, and social roles surrounding the sect. Because his following was dominantly female, hysteria was the popular argument during the early twentieth century. To explore these claims, I researched the possibility of insanity in these women and why they may have agreed to all of Creffield’s ridiculous demands, as well as why the public responded the way they did.

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline Of Columbia River Basin Salmon, Samuel J. Levin

Young Historians Conference

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline of Columbia River Basin Salmon studies the near extinction of what has been historically the world’s largest salmon population. By examining the issue systemically, my paper reveals that the environmental misjudgments that have brought the salmon so near extinction are not isolated, but rather are the product of cultural trends. A study of these misjudgments reveals a culture within the Columbia Basin that has, since the mid-19^th century, sought expansion for expansion’s sake and valued short-term wealth over long-term sustainability. My paper illustrates how his philosophy has guided and continues to guide Columbia Basin …

Edith Wilson And The Treaty Of Versailles, Ceili Janae Charley

Young Historians Conference

Edith boiling Wilson used her position as First Lady to assume presidential powers, including making executive decisions. She was the single most important non-elected presidential advisor of all time. This paper describes Edith’s growing political involvement, the decisions she made after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke in October, 1919, and the impact of her decisions on the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.

Crisis In Education -- The Effect Of The Cold War On The American Education System, Spencer C.J. Gregg

Young Historians Conference

The Cold War era had a dramatic impact on the American educational system. Striving to demonstrate superiority over Soviet counterparts, new curriculum were developed to prepare the American youth intellectually, emotionally, and technologically to position the U.S. as a world power. With the American public polarized whether schools were a venue for the dissemination of national ideologies or institutions for the development of critical thinking; world events including nuclear warfare, space exploration, and military preparedness served as catalysts for the development of future citizens that would effectively contribute to the intellectual and technological growth of the nation.

Print Media In The Cold War, Madeline Chu

Young Historians Conference

This investigation evaluates the degree to which print media propaganda in America reflected its anti-Communist ideologies during the early years of the Cold War. Specifically, the decade following the end of World War II in 1945 is examined. The messages, mediums, and subjects addressed of four images are analyzed in order to determine the degree to which they embody anti-Communist sentiments. These four pieces include a Time magazine cover from 1950, a comic book cover, a page of a Life magazine fashion article, and an advertisement by Radio Free Europe. Through these images, a conclusion was reached that while anti-Communist …

The Effects Of Imperialism On The Us: 1899-1902, Logan Marek

Young Historians Conference

This paper focuses on the Philippine-American conflict that occurred in the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. It investigates the instances in which imperialism were justified by the American people. The Philippine-American war was a conflict that brought the morality of traditional American values into question. Americans were forced to face a backlash of rebel resistance on the islands as well as anti-imperialist movements at home. This war defined not only America as a world power, but as a symbol. It paved the road for the century of Americanism to come.

A Howl Of Free Expression: The 1957 Howl Obscenity Trial And Sexual Liberation, Jamie L. Rehlaender

Young Historians Conference

The 1957 “Howl” obscenity trial, which covered the constitutionality of utilizing obscene words in literature, was largely influential in the development of literary free expression in America. This case centered on Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems, a work which represented the ideals and culture of the literarily experimental and sexually promiscuous Beat Generation. The expansion of free expression can be discerned through the tolerance of these sexual implications in literature, which is documented throughout the history of sexual suppression in past censorship cases. The victory of the “Howl” obscenity trial was essential for liberating the use of sexual …