History Commons^™

Missed Moments: Kodak’S Failure To Define The Consumer Market For Digital Photography, Paul T. Moon Jr

History Theses

The focus of this thesis is to provide an expanded interpretation of the decline of the Eastman Kodak Company. Kodak is a company synonymous with cameras, pictures, and photography. The American photographic giant created a vast empire that was able to dominate the industry for the better part of the Twentieth Century. Yet, it missed the opportunity to develop its digital camera technology. This makes Kodak an interesting study in business decision making in the face of advancing disruptive technology.

In a historical context, there is a lack of work that deeply inspects the fall of the Kodak company in …

Thriving Against All Odds: How The Writing Of Catherine Of Siena Shaped Christianity In Europe In The 14th Century, Emily Harden

History Theses

This paper examines how Catherine of Siena's partnership with Raymond of Capua and her letters allowed her to access spaces that she wouldn't have otherwise been able to access due to her gender. By looking closely at her letters and secondary scholars works, I was able to determine that her determination to focus peoples' attention on God's Will, she was able to enter into big political and religious discussions to which other women were not privy.

"The Cornerstone And Abode Of Our National Progress": New York City's Skyscrapers As An American Story Of Innovation And Teamwork, Meghan Hamel

History Theses

This paper examines the early history of skyscrapers using New York City as its case study. Skyscrapers become possible because of the Industrial Revolution which provided the steel needed for its tall structure and the demand for office space. The early skyscrapers were both praised and criticized by the public. Concerns over the health, economic, and aesthetic consequences led to the passing of the 1916 Zone Ordinance. Following the ordinance, New York City saw a boom of skyscrapers and the creation of a uniquely American architectural style. Before all skyscraper construction completely halted, the Empire State Building was completed. It …

The Committee Continues: Tacoma's Anti-Chinese Committee Of Fifteen, 1885-1895, Dusty Gorman

History Theses

On November 3, 1885, Tacoma forcibly removed their Chinese residents. Most historians have researched the events of that day and what led up to it in the context of anti-Chinese violence on the U. S. West Coast. This paper argues that Tacoma's Chinese expulsion was more than the events of November 3. The anti-Chinese Committee of Fifteen, an unelected group of white men, were appointed to carry out the ethnic cleansing the town's people desired. Days before the expulsion the city made the Committee a permanent sitting body, ensuring the exclusion of the Chinese would continue. Between 1885 and 1895 …

"No Room For Denial"?: Historical Memory And The 1995 Genocide At Srebrenica, Julia Masur

History Theses

The title of this research project comes from a documentary by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) called “Srebrenica Genocide: No Room for Denial”, that commemorated the 20^th anniversary of the genocide of Bosniak Muslims.The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has called the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, “the single worst atrocity committed in the former Yugoslavia during the wars of the 1990s and the worst massacre that occurred in Europe since the months after World War II.”^[1] Based on evidence from exhumations of mass graves, demographics studies, interception of …

Tutmania: An Exploration Of Western Portrayals Of King Tutankhamun And Orientalism In Egypt, William Danton

History Theses

Since his discovery on November 4, 1922, King Tutankhamun has been turned into a symbol of ancient Egyptian culture by the Western world. Through Orientalist representation, the West has ensconced Tutankhamun into their own visualization of ancient Egypt that is removed from most historical realism. He has become a symbol for a distant and exotified past, which further contributes to the romanticization of ancient Egypt by the West. Tutankhamun has had a profound influence on numerous Western cultural outlets including art, fashion, architecture, film, music, and much more. This is because Tutankhamun, or at least his Western portrayal, has captivated …