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Full-Text Articles in History

A City Of Global Ambition: Duke Cosimo I De’ Medici’S Florence And The Americas, Jillian Hauer Jan 2024

A City Of Global Ambition: Duke Cosimo I De’ Medici’S Florence And The Americas, Jillian Hauer

Capstone Showcase

The Age of Conquest marked a turning point in global history, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between the Eastern and Western hemispheres and paving the way for colonial expansion. Despite Italy's lack of direct involvement in the exploration of the Americas, various city-states eagerly sought to acquire objects and knowledge from the recently exploited lands. This essay focuses on Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and his efforts to portray Florence as a global center through the collecting, commissioning, and cultivating of objects from and related to the Americas. I investigate mirabilia (objects that evoked wonder or astonishment) associated with the Medici collection, …


Understanding American Nationalism And White Supremacy Through The Legacy Of Christopher Columbus, Júlia Da Silva Jan 2023

Understanding American Nationalism And White Supremacy Through The Legacy Of Christopher Columbus, Júlia Da Silva

Capstone Showcase

Christopher Columbus’ landfall in 1492 was a pivotal historical event which set in motion several political, economic and social processes. Despite the horrors and atrocities instigated by his actions, Columbus continues to be celebrated across the world, particularly in the United States. Although there has been a recent rise in critical scholarship on Columbus, his legacy remains an intrinsic part of the construction of American nationalism. I argue that American national identity and the representations of Christopher Columbus are intertwined, as they have sustained each other across time and collectively reinforce colonial tools.


Navigating Femininity: Queen Elizabeth I And The Armada Portrait, Julia Maurer Jan 2023

Navigating Femininity: Queen Elizabeth I And The Armada Portrait, Julia Maurer

Capstone Showcase

By analyzing the iconographic program of the Armada Portrait, this essay demonstrates the various visual strategies that Queen Elizabeth I employed in order to navigate certain gendered, cultural barriers present in Early Modern England. I argue throughout this essay that Elizabeth was meticulous in her delicate dance of bolstering her individual authority, while not radically undermining the patriarchal dispensation in which she lived and ruled. In particular, I demonstrate that Queen Elizabeth I effectively utilized the visual arts to control the public perception of her reign in ways unique to female regnants, as she both confirmed and denied her femininity. …