History Commons^™

Class And Class Consciousness According To E. P. Thompson, Daniel Cunningham

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In this article, I extract a theory of class from E. P. Thompson’s historical works of the 1960s and 1970s, focusing especially on his 1963 magnum opus The Making of the English Working Class, the articles later collected in the 1991 volume Customs in Common: Studies in Traditional Popular Culture, and the essays “The Peculiarities of the English” and “Eighteenth-Century English Society: Class Struggle without Class?” In the first section, I argue, following Ellen Meiksins Wood, that Thompson developed a genuinely historical materialist theory of class formation as a “structured process” that moves from class struggle to class …

The Place Of Nuclear Weapons In Russian Identity: An Ontological Security Analysis, Peter Ernest Yeager

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

On May 9, 2008, Russia’s Victory Day, four 14-wheeled MAZ-7917s drove through Red Square carrying Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles. This was the first time nuclear weapons had been paraded through Moscow since before the end of the Cold War. The previous August, Russia had resumed nuclear-capable bomber patrols, and in January, 2007, President Putin acknowledged Russia had begun to build new nuclear weapons. These remarkable events were met with little acknowledgement in the West, as if they were completely normal. Instead, they represented a major evolution in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia. Sixteen years of fitful …

Reflections About The Academy And Its Centennial, Marco Aldi, Woodward S. Bousquet

Virginia Journal of Science

Brief reflective essays from members of the Virginia Academy of Science were solicited as part of the Academy's centennial commemoration in 2023. The essays received demonstrate the many and varied ways in which the Academy has fostered collegiality, encouraged research, supported science education, and shaped the course of science in Virginia during the organization's 100-year history.

[Review Of The Book Sailing To Freedom: Maritime Dimensions Of The Underground Railroad, By T. D. Walker (Ed.)], Ingo Heidbrink

History Faculty Publications

"Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad" edited by Timothy D. Walker explores the often overlooked maritime aspects of the Underground Railroad. The book consists of ten chapters written by historians specializing in African American history and the land-based Underground Railroad. While the book offers valuable insights into African American history and escaping slavery, it is less focused on maritime history. The chapters discuss various ports along the Eastern Seaboard, detailing the preparation, boarding, and arrival of enslaved individuals seeking freedom. The book provides a nuanced analysis of individual escape stories, although some chapters may be repetitive. It …

Prince Basketball's Ambassadors: Virginia Union's "Dream Team" And The Origins Of Integrated College Basketball, 1938-42, Marvin T. Chiles

History Faculty Publications

This article explores the history of integrated college basketball in the United States, with a focus on the Virginia Union Panthers. The Panthers, known as the "Dream Team," broke the color barrier in college basketball in the 1930s and 1940s. The article also discusses the 1992 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Team, known as the "Dream Team," and its impact on race relations. It argues that the original Dream Team was actually the Virginia Union Panthers, who symbolized the defeat of white supremacy through athletic achievement. The article highlights the challenges faced by historically black college sports, such as lack of …

The Challenges Of Writing The History Of Localities That Were Under Colonial Rule In The Early Phase Of European Expansion: An Investigation Into Writing The History Of Negombo (Sri Lanka) In The Sixteenth And Early Seventeenth Centuries, Chandra R. De Silva

History Faculty Publications

Local history has been conventionally defined as a chronicle of a limited geographical area. The study of local history can have positive outcomes including reconstructing our ancestor’s everyday lives and providing opportunities for students to develop investigative research skills, develop linkages with locals and to also motivate students to improve their basic skills of reading, writing and critical thinking. Unlike in the West, however, where local historians use old records of their locality, local historians of lands colonized by Westerners have problems finding source material. For example, in Sri Lanka, the Portuguese occupying the southwest lowlands destroyed Buddhist and Hindu …

[Review Of The Book Reading Underwater Wreckage: An Encrusting Ocean, By K. Quigley], Ingo Heidbrink

History Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Anyone with expectations that a book titled Reading Underwater Wreckage is a methodological handbook for maritime archaeologists or anyone with interest in analyzing artifacts sunken into the deep of the oceans as material for historical research will be deeply disappointed by Killian Quigley's new book. But for readers who are interested in new approaches to look at submerged artifacts or wrecks, who are willing to give up the disciplinary confines of academia, who are interested in nonhuman actors' involvement in artistic processes, or in other words, who are willing to look below the surface through a different lens, Quigley's …

National Integration And Institution Building, Haiwen Zhou

Economics Faculty Publications

The mutual dependence between national integration and institution building is established in a formal model. It is shown that a decrease in transportation costs, but not necessarily an increase in population size, reduces the equilibrium number of states and the adoption of rule-based institutions. With endogenous transportation costs or endogenous population size, the unification process can feed on itself. The model is illustrated by the state of Qin's unification of China in 221 BC. During this process of national integration, transformations from relation-based governance to rule-based governance happened.

From Donatello To Michelangelo: A Franciscan Angel, Kayla M. Bruce

Institute for the Humanities Theses

During the Italian Renaissance, images of angels and of the Virgin Mary were incredibly commonplace and were often used to denote the Virgin in her role as prophetess. The Virgin was often shown surrounded by angels in the background or flanking her on either side. However, in the fifteenth century, a motif appeared where an angel head was depicted on either the Virgin’s diadem or on her chest as a decorative brooch. This specific motif only appeared in images of the Virgin and the Christ Child. It was also only employed by Florentine artists and began with the Florentine sculptor, …

The Civil War Conflict Between Anglophones/Francophones In The Northwest And Southwest Regions Of Cameroon, Myriam Jeter

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Civil War conflict between Anglophones and Francophones, also known as the Ambazonia war, is a long-standing issue that continues to plague the people living in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. This paper explores the colonial history of the nation, the cause of the ongoing conflict, the reasons for its escalation, and how it gave rise to the Ambazonian separatists who want to have a separate nation called the Ambazonia Republic.

This study contributes to conflict understanding in two ways. First, it sheds light on the cultural and economic impacts of internally generated crises in a country. Second, …

Dreaming Of Empire: Visions Of Rome And Imperialist Ideology In Twenty-First Century Cinema, Nathan Keckley

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The blockbuster film Gladiator kickstarted a new wave of ancient historical epics. Some of these, following Gladiator’s lead, drew explicit parallels between ancient Rome and contemporary America – notably Centurion (2010) and The Eagle (2011). The Rome-America analogy allowed Gladiator and its progeny to critique American society, and these critiques have received substantial scholarly attention. Given that these films were produced while America was waging controversial wars, it is unsurprising that one of the critiques they chiefly employ – and one of those scholars have most readily seized upon – is that of American imperialism. Gladiator, Centurion, and The Eagle …

Tunisia: The Colonized Road To A Democratic Identity, Kara Broene

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

The death of one Tunisian man by self-immolation in 2010 created uprisings in 18 other Arab countries in what is known as the 2011 Arab Spring. As a result, Tunisia managed to overthrow its long-standing autocratic government and establish a democracy; it is the only nation who has managed to maintain those changes since 2011. As the first point of protest and the only success story, what makes Tunisia different from the other 18 nations? While there has been research on why Tunisia has succeeded, there is little on how Tunisia’s colonial history under France for 75 years might have …

The End Of Amnesia? Transnational Collective Memory And Memory Practices And European Colonialism, Kate Cross

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

Normative approaches to both the atrocities of World War II and Stalinist communism have been established transnationally in European memory, yet decisive measures to normalize responses to the atrocities colonialism remain elusive. It is unquestionable that the process lags far behind, yet incremental steps have and are being taken. To evaluate attempts at establishing norms regarding colonialism transnationally in Europe, the particularly complex case study of France and Algeria is considered. Analysis of postings from both the French embassy in the Algiers and the Algerian embassy in Paris are utilized assess the potential for transnational colonial memory practices to emerge …

The Colonial Origins Of Institutions In Mauritanina, Mahfoudha Sidelemine

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper examines and evaluates the state of development in Mauritania, a former French colony in West Africa. The drivers of (under)development that the paper focuses on are institutions. By focusing on institutions as the main factors that determine the development process of the country, I also focus on the colonial origins of institutions. Hence, in this paper, I draw on Acemoglu and colleagues’ argument on the origin of colonial origins of institutions as they identify two types of colonial institutions—Inclusive and Exclusive (Acemoglu et.al.2001). However, in this research, I argue that there is a third type of institution the …

The Role Of Black Women In The American Civil Rights Movement, Ashley Levins

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

This essay examines the role of Black women in the American Civil Rights Movement. This is achieved through a review of literature, followed by an analysis of the First Wave of Feminism, prominent Black female leaders, and the issue of erasure of Black women. Ultimately, the essay argues that Black women were the spine of the American Civil Rights Movement, despite their historical erasure.

Making The Case For The Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area: A Scoping Review, Madelyn Newton, Chandler J. Berry, Bethany Arrington, Nick Wilson, Colin Mccormack, Michael Wilcox, Alexis Barmoh, Chris A. B. Zajchowski

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are nationally distinct landscapes that represent unique cultural, historical, and/or natural attributes significant to the legacy of the United States of America (U.S.). The Great Dismal Swamp, located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, is a prime candidate for NHA designation with diverse qualifications, among which was its antebellum role as a refuge for formerly enslaved people. The goal of our research, conducted in 2022 during the period of the U.S. Congressional debate on designation, was to investigate and expound upon the rationale for NHA designation of the Swamp. To do so, we used a …

Past Challenges And The Future Of Discrete Event Simulation, Andrew J. Collins, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour, Craig A. Jordan

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The American scientist Carl Sagan once said: “You have to know the past to understand the present.” We argue that having a meaningful dialogue on the future of simulation requires a baseline understanding of previous discussions on its future. For this paper, we conduct a review of the discrete event simulation (DES) literature that focuses on its future to understand better the path that DES has been following, both in terms of who is using simulation and what directions they think DES should take. Our review involves a qualitative literature review of DES and a quantitative bibliometric analysis of the …

[Review Of The Book Living The Dream: The Contested History Of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, By D. T. Fleming]., Marvin T. Chiles

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

[Review Of The Book Sugarland: The Transformation Of The Countryside In Communist Albania, By A. R. Hoxha], Austin Jersild

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Thither The Russian Navy? Putin’S Navalization In A Historical Context, William Emerson Bunn

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Syrian operation of 2012 was the first successful employment by Russia of expeditionary warfare, narrowly defined as naval support to Russian (or Soviet) ground forces in a war away from their periphery (i.e., in a country that does not border them), from the sea. This was brought about in part by the development of two types of cruise missiles: advanced anti-ship missiles (which protects their expeditionary force from NATO naval units, enabling local sea control) and new land attack cruise missiles (similar in design and capability to the U.S. Tomahawk). In the past geographical, technological and political constraints …

Securing Russia: Seeking Ontological Security In The Arctic, Brian W. Cole

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia experienced an abrupt discontinuity in its sense of identity. This break in identity, and a more profound lost sense of self, creates a strong need to reestablish continuity. The need to regain that sense of self is strong and can supersede other concerns. Ontological security theory proposes that the need to maintain identity can outweigh physical security considerations. This study uses game theory methodology and the Arctic as a contextual example to demonstrate that ontological security-seeking actors are willing to sacrifice physical security. Today, the current conditions in the Arctic reflect a …

Author Interview With Novelist Esther Laforce, Esther Laforce

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Novelist's Corner:

Author Interview with novelist Esther Laforce, author of: In the Early Days of the Anthropocene (Aux premiers temps de l’Anthropocène). Ottawa, CA: Leméac Editeur, 2018

Taiwan And The Pacific Islands: Exploring The Green/Blue Possibilities, Fabrizio Bozzato

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

[First paragraph] The Pacific Island nations face unique developmental challenges and vulnerability issues that, in some cases, threaten their very existence. The Islands’ political and civil society leaders have recently embraced a vision of inclusive and sustainable development for remodeling their countries’ ‘brown economies’ into people-centered green/blue economies fostering poverty eradication. However, moving to a new socio-economic paradigm is a goal that the Pacific Island countries cannot achieve alone. They need reliable partners with green-tech capability and innovative aid policies. Taiwan is potentially the ideal partner for building a new framework for Pacific islanders and enabling them to reach for …

Southerners On New Ground: The Battle For Civil War Memory Since 1993, Andrew William Hoffman

History Theses & Dissertations

Between the years 2015 and 2020, over 300 Confederate symbols, including over 140 monuments, were removed from public land across the United States. This unprecedented movement to discard Confederate symbols reflected a shift in how Americans chose to remember the Civil War. By 2015, the wide-spread attack on the legacy of the Confederacy was much-anticipated. In fact, its foundation was laid during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. This thesis fills a gap within the historiography of Civil War memory by exploring controversial events that reflect Americans’ contrasting interpretation of the American Civil War from the years 1993 to …

Greenbox To Barbershops, Willie Wilson

English Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a collection of poetry that reflects the heartbeat of the inner-city. The poems in this collection highlight the struggles and explore the tensions within but they also celebrate the tempered strength of those who traverse its streets. The meeting place is the metaphorical center of my thesis. For me, two of those places were the greenbox ( juvenile) and the barbershop setting (adulthood).

Fa'amatagi: From Whence The Wind Blows, Annette Roberts

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Fa’amatagi: From Whence the Wind Blows is a love letter to the people and culture of my parents. This is a documentary poetics project that draws upon research of the Mau Movement, archives from the New Zealand government, and personal ethnographies with my own parents who are both of Samoan descent. I curated several pieces of art from book collector Alexander Turnbull and photographer Alfred J. Tattersall. This project delves into the effects of colonialism on a previously isolated people. It explores the act of civil disobedience and what comes of it versus the long-lasting damage of compliance towards a …

Wear & Tear, Wymberley Davis

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Wear & Tear is a documentary poetics project acknowledging and addressing the systematic policing, silencing, violence, and stripping of self-expression that women have suffered at the hands of cultural, societal, religious, and sexist norms. Wear & Tear is a hybrid research project which draws together mass culture archives and uses heterogenous sources like advertisements and juxtapose these with excerpts from sacred texts which seek to proscribe and circumscribe women’s clothing choices. It models itself on archival works such as Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee which works with image, language, and voice. My project presents a distinctly material cultural history …

Reenvisioning Richmond's Past: Race, Reconciliation, And Public History In The Modern South, 1990-Present, Marvin T. Chiles

History Faculty Publications

The article explores the history of race relations and slavery in Richmond, Virginia with regard to the 2020 removal of Confederate monuments in the region. Topics discussed include the order issued by Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney to remove Confederate statues in the city, the efforts of neighborhood groups and grassroots organizations to acknowledge the African American history in Richmond's public history narratives, and the racial violence in the Oregon Hill neighborhood of Richmond.

‘It All Comes From Me’: Bahu Begam And The Making Of The Awadh Nawabi, Circa 1765–1815, Nicholas J. Abbott

History Faculty Publications

This article examines the durable, yet largely overlooked, claims of Bahu Begam (1727–1815) to dynastic wealth and authority in the Awadh nawabi (1722–1856), a North Indian Mughal ‘successor state’ and an important client of the East India Company. Chief consort (khass mahal) to Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula (r. 1754–75) and mother to his successor Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula (r. 1775–97), Bahu Begam played a well-documented role in the regime’s tumultuous politics, particularly during Warren Hastings’s tenure as the Company’s governor-general (1773–85) and his later parliamentary impeachment. But despite her prominent political influence, little attention has been paid to the substance of her …

Armageddon Revisited: The 1973 Gubernatorial Election In Virginia, James R. Sweeney

History Faculty Publications

Threatening a lawsuit, Howell prepared a memorandum to NBC citing evidence of voters changing their votes to Godwin, because as one put it, "A national network can't be wrong."⁷⁸ Howell's memorandum also mentioned an indirect tie of McGee to Godwin. Godwin constantly demanded that Howell disclose how he would replace the revenue under his tax plan.⁴³ Throughout the campaign, Godwin stressed inconsistencies between positions Howell took on various issues in 1973 and what he had said in the past. Godwin also cited Howell's endorsement of his candidacy for governor in 1965 and his comment in April that Godwin …