Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The People Of The Cumberland Plateau: Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

Symposium of Student Scholars

The area of East Tennessee that lies between the Appalachian and Cumberland Mountains is called the Cumberland Plateau. This area reaches from Chattanooga to Bristol. Many people not from this region label it as redneck, back-woods, or hillbilly. Many don’t consider it to be a place that holds modern values, such as conservation and education. Through archival research, I will study this area during the Great Depression to explore how this place’s reality is different.

During one generation, the Plateau changed from a place defined by isolation and limited education to a hub of scientific research and a major provider …

Has American Exceptionalism Made The United States An Outlier On The Global Academic Stage?, Michèle V. Cloonan

Charleston Library Conference

This paper considers whether American exceptionalism has reduced the standing of the United States in the world—and whether it has impacted our ability to remain innovative. The paper is based on my presentation on a panel on this theme at the Charleston Conference 2018. The panel considered key international social issues in which Americans have become outliers, such as climate change, health care, and gun control. It also focused on research in the cultural heritage sector. Here I expand on my remarks about the origins of exceptionalism and its possible impact on libraries, archives, and museums. This issue is not …

Memories Of The Great War: An Analysis Of Jackson Purchase Veterans’ Oral Histories Of Wwi, David Wallace, David Pizzo

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The First World War affected the lives of millions, creating collective memories of hardships, uncertainty, political tension, and animosity toward foreign enemies. In the United States, World War I was a turning point in the nation’s growth and development, but on a smaller scale it was a critical historical moment in the individual lives of the veterans who served. This research project will showcase the experiences of the Jackson Purchase’s WWI veterans with an emphasis on their perceptions during the war, their reasons for enlisting, the countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences they had along the way, the hardships they faced, and the …

Russian Language Use In The United States: Demographics And Implications, Julie Brock, Sadia Zoubir-Shaw

Posters-at-the-Capitol

As a large nation covering 1/9 of the Earth’s surface, Russia and its language necessarily draw linguistic attention. Between the time of the Russian Revolution (1917) until now, Russian speakers (both from Russia itself and former Soviet territories) immigrated to the United States in four or five waves. Russian is currently identified as one of the world’s Critical Languages, according to the U.S. State Department. U.S. Census data indicate that Russian language spoken in respondents’ homes increased by 393% between 1980-2010, with just under a million people speaking Russian in their homes in 2011. English language use among this population …

Call For Papers: Maine In The Statehood Era (Ca. 1780s-1820s) And Its Commemoration And Legacy, University Of Maine

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

Details for submitting to the upcoming volume Maine in the Statehood Era (ca. 1780s-1820s) and its Commemoration and Legacy.

Downloadable Conference Program, Maine Bicentennial Conference

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A printable Maine Bicentennial Conference schedule with general event information.

An Empirical Examination Of Contemporary American Spiritualism And Mediumship At Lily Dale, New York, Diana Ali

Western Research Forum

American Spiritualism is an American religion that was born in 1848 in Hydesville, New York. Its central principles state that there is life after death and that mediums have the capability to communicate with discarnate beings. Mediums are persons who claim they can communicate with the dead. Today, Lily Dale, New York is the largest surviving community of American Spiritualism, with a population of mediums that host an annual festival that draws large crowds from around the world upwards of 20,000-30,000 visitors. The author of the present interdisciplinary study outlined a historical overview of American Spiritualism and conducted empirical research …

Move: Philadelphia's Forgotten Bombing, Charles Abraham

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

On May 13^th, 1985, the city of Philadelphia erupted into flames. Under the orders of Mayor Wilson Goode, the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb onto the rowhouse containing MOVE, a cult-like organization, on Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia causing a fire which killed eleven people, including five children, and burning down sixty-one other houses. But instead of the bombing ending his political career, Mayor Goode was reelected, and the bombing slipped into obscurity outside of Philadelphia. This major event in the history of Philadelphia was forgotten because of the lack of connection between the city and the …

Beware The Cat In The Hat: How Children's Literature Is The Modern Form Of Segregation, Lucy Kebler

Celebration of Learning

Every person grows up exposed to children’s literature. Unfortunately, much of the children’s literature that is published is racially discriminatory, historically inaccurate, blatantly offensive, or pure propaganda. The research for this presentation began in Augustana College’s library and has transitioned to a much broader space: The Saint Louis Country Library. Through this research, it has become obvious that diverse literature is hard to find and is often marketed as only readable for those in the minority race depicted. Many libraries mark literature that contains African Americans, as to help “guide” readers in their selections. Books labeled in this way make …

Bangor Band Concert, Curvin Farnham, Conductor

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

The printed program that accompanied a performance by the Bangor Band fo rthe Maine Statehood & Bicentennial Conference.

Panel #7: Public Ownership Vs. Private Rights: The Case Of Maine's Disputed Public Lots, Lee Schepps, Richard Barringer, Martin Wilk, Thomas Urquhart

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

When Maine separated from Massachusetts, the Articles of Separation (part of the new state's Constitution) required that as it sold off its public domain (about 8 million acres) Maine continue to reserve four lots of 320 acres per town. Panelists trace the legal analysis and history of the implications of Public Lot policy through the 1980s, finally asking the question, "How did this remarkable change in the history of Maine and to the very map of Maine come about?"

Panel #6: Pine Tree Songscape: Historic Music Of The Folk Of Maine, Laura Artesani, Kristopher Paprocki, Stephen N. Sanfilippo, James Moreira

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

Three panelists combine their musicianship and historical research to perform and present historic songs from Maine's past.

Panel #5: The Maine Centennial In 1920: Commemoration And Remembrance Through Photography, Kevin Johnson, Micah Pawling, Earle G. Shetteworth Jr., Anne Collins Goodyear

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A session that included the following presentations:

A Genuine Look at Maine and Its Centennial: The Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company, Kevin Johnson

The Wabanaki Encampment at the Maine Centennial in 1920: Homeland, Memory, and Ethnohistory, Micah Pawling

Documents of Truth and Beauty: Maine at One Hundred Years Through the Real Photo Post Cards of Charles A. Townsend, Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.

Maine History Festival And Reception, Various Student And Community Groups

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

Nearly 50 student and community groups shared their work at the Maine History Festival. These informal poster-session exchanges were held in UMaine's Collins Center for the Arts in the afternoon before the keynote. The Festival was co-hosted by the Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine and the Maine Folklife Center at UMaine.

Panel #4: The Madawaska Territory And The Aftermath Of Statehood, Beatrice Craig, Elizabeth Mancke, Lise Pelletier, Lisa Lavoie

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

Presentations in this session include:

Free Trade Before Free Trade: John Emmerson, Petit Sault Merchant, His Suppliers and Customers in the Mid-Nineteenth Century, Béatrice Craig

Madawaska and the Convergence of Empire, Nation, and State, Elizabeth Mancke

The Effect of 9/11 on a Borderlands Community: Fort Kent, Maine and Clair, New Brunswick, Lisa Lavoie

Panel #3: Circulating Images: The Production, Distribution & Reception Of Visual Culture During The Statehood Era, Bernard Fishman, Martha Mcnamara, Kevin Murphy, Justin Wolff, Frank Goodyear

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A panel featuring four presentations:

Visualizing Historic Maine: 19th Century Maine Life in Stereophotography (presented in actual 3D), Bernard Fishman

Tovookan's Narrative: Depicting Freedom in Maine During the Statehood Era, Martha J. McNamara

Popular Print and Visual Culture in Statehood Period Maine, Kevin D. Murphy

Rufus Porter in Maine: Art, Spatial Thinking, and the Curious Mind, Justin Wolff

Panel #2: The Maine-Missouri Crisis And The Politics Of Slavery, Mary T. Freeman, Matthew Mason, Diane Mutti Burke, Patrick Rael

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A panel that included three presentations:

African Americans and the Political Consequences of Maine Statehood, Mary T. Freeman

Doughface Pioneer: John Holmes of Maine, 1773-1843, Matthew Mason

Fire Bell in the Night: The Establishment of a Slave Society in Jefferson's Purchase, Diane Mutti Burke

Maine History Festival Flyer, Maine Bicentennial And Statehood Conference

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A flyer that provides details for the Maine History Festival, a part of the Bicentennial Conference featuring concurrent poster-style presentations by students, scholars, and community groups. The festival will be held in the lobby and gallery space of the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine prior to the Keynote Event.

Crosscurrents: The Daponte String Quartet Explores The Mixed Musics Of Early Maine, Daponte String Quartet

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

A performance by musical artists Ferdinand "Dino" Liva (violin), Lydia Forbes (violin), Kirsten Monke (viola), and Myles Jordan (cello).

Program notes by Kirsten Monke provide the following background: When we learned about the notated songs of Membertou (c. early 1500s- 1611), a major shaman-chief of the Mi’kmaq nation, the idea for this program began to percolate. What diversity of music might there have been as so many different peoples explored, fished, and colonized Maine’s rocky coast and European influences began to permeate the land? Fragments of elegant china, unearthed at archaeological sites such as Fort Pemaquid, illustrate how some European …

Maine Statehood And Bicentennial Conference Poster, Maine Bicentennial Conference

Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference

An 11 x 17 poster for the Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference held in Orono Thursday, May 30 - Saturday, June 1, 2019.

“A Life Stripped Of Humanity”: Using The Buffalo Department Store Strike Of 1913 As A Case Study Of Abused Pre-World War I Female Department Store Workers, Kyle Thaine

CURCE Annual Undergraduate Conference

When one considers the movement of women into the labor force, images of Rosie the Riveter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, or New England textile mills are often conjured. But many women entered the workforce through retail employment, seemingly a much better work environment. Considering awful workplace conditions, these retail women workers are often overlooked. This paper argues that pre-World War I era female department store workers were an abused class that suffered as much as many of their female contemporaries. The paper begins with a general discussion of women’s labor history up until 1913, with a focus on women in …

The Transformation For Chinese Americans From Political Apathy To Activism: A Case Study On Manhattan Chinatown Tenants In 1970, Shouyue Zhang

CURCE Annual Undergraduate Conference

This presentation will introduce the political participation of Chinese tenants in Manhattan Chinatown in the era of post-Civil Rights Movement. To strive for the self-determination of their communities, the “Model Minority” unprecedentedly participated in social movements named as “Asian American Movement” across the United States in the 1970s. This case study will describe the background, mobilization, and process of a demonstration against the telephone company‘s requisition of land located in Manhattan Chinatown from 1969 to 1970. Consequently, the telephone company was no longer mighty as real estate developers in the early stage of urban renewal, even making a concession to …

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 …

Disillusioning The Illusion Of Choice: A Rogerian Approach On Electoral College Reform, Mei Lin

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The Electoral College is used by the United States of America to elect the president every four years. It has been amended and updated several times; however, it remains an extremely convoluted and outdated system. Four presidencies were the product of incongruent elections –– the candidate won the electoral college but lost the popular vote –– and each of these presidencies resulted in immense consequences. Reforming the current electoral college will be difficult, but it is extremely vital and necessary. The American election system must be restructured so that it may fairly and adequately represent the voices of its citizens.

A Tale Of Two Bonnies: Comparing “Lost Cause” Narratives And Post-War Memory From The American Civil War And The 1745 Jacobite Rebellion Through Art, William Robert Tharp

Student Scholar Showcase

In the cultures of Scotland after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and the American South after the Civil War, defeatist memories and art featured prominently in mythmaking and served as a focal point for many who wished to make political statements or critiques of current realities. In Scotland, romanticism revolving around “Bonnie Prince Charlie” and the Jacobites in 1745 lessened the burden of defeat for many. Contextualizing their loss within a broader historical framework, which stressed different features depending on the group’s purpose, some Scots utilized Jacobite memory as a potent political critique of Scotland’s place within Great Britain. Others, like …