History Commons^™

A Heritage In Stone: The History Of Norfolk's Burial Grounds And Customs Seventeenth To Nineteenth Century, Cheryl Copper

History Theses & Dissertations

The study of death and burial grounds is not one of endings as much as it is a search for perspective in the continuum of life. Burial customs and graveyards offer a rich thread in the tapestry of local history. From poignant epitaphs to newspaper ads for mourning goods, from stone carvings to grave robbing, a colorful story unfolds; a story whose characters are rich, poor, female, male, black, white, young and old. They are doctors, strangers, craftsmen, mothers-thieves. The fabric of Norfolk's history is woven with their lives-and their deaths. This study is intended to root out the many …

The Road To Reorganization: The First Convention Of The Protestant Episcopal Church In Virginia, May 18-25, 1785, William C. Barnhart

History Theses & Dissertations

Following the War of Independence the Anglican church in the United States was all but defunct. In the eyes of many American communicants, political independence from England necessitated a comparable ecclesiastical divorce. The postwar years produced various plans aimed at the reorganization of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The Episcopalians of Maryland and Pennsylvania took the lead in awakening their brethren to the advantages of national unification.

How did Virginia, perhaps the most Anglicanized state of all, respond to this call for religious solidarity? This matter, and others, were addressed at the first convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Virginia, …

J. Robert Oppenheimer And His Role In The Development Of The United States Nuclear Weapons Policy 1945-1953, Craig M. Harris

History Theses & Dissertations

J. Robert Oppenheimer played a highly visible role in the development of nuclear weapons policy for the United States. He was very influential in President Harry S. Truman's Administration after the Second World War. Following the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb blast in August 1949, Oppenheimer became out of step with those who made nuclear weapons policy. He continued to give advice on disarmament issues. In 1953, the first year of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Administration, Oppenheimer questioned the utility of the Superpower's nuclear arms build up, particularly the hydrogen bomb, while leaving the American people ignorant of the impact such …

John Bankhead Magruder And The Defense Of The Virginia Peninsula, 1861-1862, Leonard W. Riedel Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

The viability of the Confederacy depended on its ability to organize a government and military defense force. Two early concerns were the operation of Gosport Naval Shipyard and protection of the Confederate capital at Richmond. Poised between them was Fortress Monroe.

With undisputed Union mastery of the Chesapeake Bay, Fortress Monroe was a constant reminder of the tentative security of these critical points. The man chosen to protect the Peninsula was Virginian, John Bankhead Magruder. Less than one year later, his efforts were denigrated by Commanding General Joseph E. Johnston who wanted to pursue his own strategic plan.

Under constant …

Signal Intelligence And Macarthur's Use Of Military Intelligence (G-2) During The Second World War, James Walter Zobel

History Theses & Dissertations

Though signal intelligence significantly benefited MacArthur 's conduct of military operations during the Second World War, each of his campaigns from July 1942 to August 1945 was marred by his reliance on inaccurate intelligence provided by his G-2 organization. An examination of the production and use of intelligence during MacArthur's campaigns displays these mixed aspects of his use of intelligence. Historical analysis shows MacArthur made effective use of signal intelligence, and despite instances of his reliance on inaccurate estimates the result was never disastrous. A detailed view of MacArthur's use of intelligence can be found in the records of his …

Antisubmarine Warfare In The Fifth Naval District During World War Ii: The Defenses Of The Chesapeake Bay, James R. Powell

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the United States Navy, with assistance from the Army and Coast Guard, utilized the various aspects of antisubmarine warfare to protect, the Chesapeake Bay and the maritime trade within the Fifth Naval District from the menace of Germany's U-boats during World War II. The details of how these efforts began and were carried out are described.

This thesis complements the other histories of antisubmarine warfare during World War II, which have not emphasized the defenses established for the Chesapeake Bay and the Fifth Naval District. The strenuous, and successful efforts by America's armed forces and the …

United States Tactical Doctrine, 1855 To 1861: The Mismeasure Of Technology, Marion Vincent Armstrong Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis illuminates the state of United States Army tactical doctrine at the beginning of the Civil War. In 1855, the weapons available to the United States Army left much to be desired in terms of firepower. Their limited range and lack of accuracy meant that they could not be relied upon to render the final decision in battle. The tactical system of 1855, however, blended this firepower with the shock action effect of bayonets and sabres, permitting the capabilities of the weaponry to be maximized on the battlefield while at the same time minimizing the deficiencies.

This harmony between …