History Commons^™

The Dynamics Of Creating Strong Democracy In Portland, Oregon : 1974 To 2013, Paul Roland Leistner

Dissertations and Theses

Communities across the United States are experiencing a "civic revival" that is reconnecting community members with local decision-making and civic life in their communities. Since the 1980s, academic researchers and local governance reformers have advocated for a shift away from the traditional top-down, expert-driven approach to governance and toward a governance model in which government leaders and staff and community members work as partners to shape the community and make local decisions. Portland, Oregon, since the 1970s, has been known nationally and internationally as a city with a tradition of strong community involvement. Portland's successes and failures offer a valuable …

Who Owns This Body? Enslaved Women's Claim On Themselves, Loucynda Elayne Sandeen

Dissertations and Theses

During the antebellum period of U.S. slavery (1830-1861), many people claimed ownership of the enslaved woman's body, both legally and figuratively. The assumption that they were merely property, however, belies the unstable, shifting truths about bodily ownership. This thesis inquires into the gendered specifics and ambiguities of the law, the body, and women under slavery. By examining the particular bodily regulation and exploitation of enslaved women, especially around their reproductive labor, I suggest that new operations of oppression and also of resistance come into focus.

The legal structure recognized enslaved women in the interest of owners, and this limitation was …

The Consolidation Of The Consociational Democracy In Lebanon: The Challenges To Democracy In Lebanon, Micheline Germanos Ghattas

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation looks at democracy in Lebanon, a country that has a pluralistic society with many societal cleavages. The subject of this study is the consolidation of democracy in Lebanon, described by Arend Lijphart as a "consociational democracy". The research question and sub-question posed are:

1- How consolidated is democracy in Lebanon?

2- What are the challenges facing the consolidation of democracy in Lebanon?

The preamble of the 1926 Lebanese Constitution declares the country to be a parliamentary democratic republic. The political regime is a democracy, but one that is not built on the rule of the majority in numbers, …

An Archaeology Of Capitalism: Exploring Ideology Through Ceramics From The Fort Vancouver And Village Sites, Dana Lynn Holschuh

Dissertations and Theses

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), a mercantile venture that was founded by royal charter in 1670, conceived, constructed and ran Fort Vancouver as its economic center in the Pacific Northwest, a colonial outpost at the edge of the company's holdings in North America. Research into the history of the HBC revealed that the company was motivated by mercantile interests, and that Fort Vancouver operated under feudal land policies while steadily adopting a hierarchical structure.

Following the work of Marxist archaeologist Mark Leone whose work in Annapolis, Maryland explored the effects of capitalist ideology on archaeological assemblages of ceramics, this study …

Self-Presentation And Identity In The Roman Empire, Ca. 30 Bce To 225 Ce, Rhiannon Ysabel-Marie Orizaga

Dissertations and Theses

The presentation of the body in early imperial Rome can be viewed as the manipulation of a semiotic language of dress, in which various hierarchies that both defined and limited human experience were entrenched. The study of Roman self-presentation illuminates the intersections of categories of identity, as well as the individual's desire and ability to resist essentializing views of Romanness (Romanitas), and to transform destiny through transforming identity. These categories of identity include gender; sexuality or sexual behavior; social status; economic status; ethnicity or place of origin; religion; and age. Applying the model of a matrix of identity deepens our …

The Life And Thought Of Mormon Apostle Parley Parker Pratt, Andrew James Morse

Dissertations and Theses

In 1855 Parley P. Pratt, a Mormon missionary and member of the Quorum of the Twelve, published Key to the Science of Theology. It was the culmination of over twenty years of intellectual engagement with the young religious movement of Mormonism. The book was also the first attempt by any Mormon at writing a comprehensive summary of the religion's theological ideas. Pratt covered topics ranging from the origins of theology in ancient Judaism, the apostasy of early Christianity, the restoration of correct theology with nineteenth century Mormonism, dreams, polygamy, and communication with beings on other planets. For nearly fifty years …

Truth And Memory In Two Works By Marguerite Duras, Rachel Deborah Hunter

Dissertations and Theses

Published in 1985, Marguerite Duras' La Douleur is a collection of six autobiographical and semi-autobiographical short stories written during and just after the German Occupation. Echoing the French national sentiment of the 1970s and 1980s, these stories examine Duras' own capacity for good and evil, for forgetting, repressing, and remembering. The first of these narratives, the eponymous "La douleur," is the only story in the collection to take the form of a diary, and it is this narrative, along with a posthumously published earlier draft of the same text, that will be the focus of this thesis. In both versions, …

No Place For Middlemen: Civic Culture, Downtown Environment, And The Carroll Public Market During The Modernization Of Portland, Oregon, James Richard Louderman

Dissertations and Theses

Following the Civil War, the American government greatly expanded the opportunities available for private businessmen and investors in an effort to rapidly colonize the West. This expansion of private commerce led to the second industrial revolution in which railroads and the corporation became the symbols and tools of a rapidly modernizing nation. It was also during this period that the responsibility of food distribution was released from municipal accountability and institutions like public markets began to fade from the American urbanscape. While the proliferation of private grocers greatly aided many metropolises' rapid growth, they did little to secure a sustainable …

Baldwin I Of Jerusalem: Defender Of The Latin Kingdom Of Jerusalem, John Francis Lowe

Dissertations and Theses

The reign of King Baldwin I (1100-1118) has thus far received little noteworthy attention by historians as the important pivotal period following the First Crusade conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. The two decades of his rule marked the extension of Latin conquests in the east, most notably by the conquest of the important coastal cities of Arsulf, Acre, Caesarea, Beirut and Sidon. These vital ports for the early Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem provided outlets to the sea for commerce, as well as safe harbors for incoming assistance from the west. Further, Baldwin led in the establishment of strong secular control …

Rural Revolution: Documenting The Lesbian Land Communities Of Southern Oregon, Heather Jo Burmeister

Dissertations and Theses

Out of the politically charged atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s emerged a migration to "the land" and communes, which popularly became known as the back-to-the-land movement. This migration occurred throughout the United States, as well as many other countries, and included clusters of land based communities in southern Oregon. Within these clusters, lesbian feminist women created lesbian separatist lands and communes. These women were well educated, and politically active in movements such as the New Left, Civil Rights, Women's Liberation, and Gay Liberation. These lands or communes functioned together as a community network that developed and commodified lesbian art, …

Praying For Bullets: The Moral Necessity Of International Intervention In Cases Of Genocide, Layla Raine Grice

Young Historians Conference

Perhaps the most heinous crime imaginable, genocide has pockmarked the landscape of the twentieth century. Genocidal conflicts erupt over issues of culture and race, touching the heart of how we as humans define ourselves. Despite repeated attempts to prevent genocide the UN’s policies remain unclear and insufficient. This paper attempts to define the moral obligation of the UN towards nations experiencing genocide, including a specific examination the Bosnian and Sudanese genocides of 1995 and 2004. Based on Rawl’s “veil of ignorance” and theories of moral objectivism, the UN is morally obligated to intervene with whatever tools necessary to halt genocide.

A Western Empire, Grace Garrett

Young Historians Conference

Over a hundred year period spanning the 17th and 18th centuries, Russia underwent sweeping social and political reforms. Peter the Great and Catherine the Great stand as bookends to this great transformation, with the latter embracing and expanding on the former's initial vision. This essay focuses on the role art played in Russia's efforts to become "a Western Empire".

“The Woman I Love”: The Underlying Motives For King Edward Viii’S Abdication, Sarah Gimble

Young Historians Conference

The human tendency to over-romanticize stories heard about politicians reflects our simple desire to cling to a ray of hope in a world where news is not always satisfying. This was the case with the supposed love story surrounding King Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson, and the King's subsequent abdication. A closer inspection reveals that the King's "love" for a married woman and his willingness to abdicate were no more than an escape from the life he never wanted. This paper will explore King Edward VIII's political and personal motives for quitting the job he was destined to perform.

Biomimetic Robots At War: The Ethical Ramifications Of American Military-Industrial Complex, Nina Kostur

Young Historians Conference

This paper discusses the correlation between the American military-industrial complex and the application of robotics over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. The military-industrial complex has encouraged scientists to spend time developing weaponry and reconnaissance devices designed to hurt other human beings rather than investing in machines that have to potential to provide humanitarian aid. This has caused the application of robotics to become unethical.

Women Of The Scientific Revolution: The Forgotten Scholars, Sema Hasan

Young Historians Conference

Many people today are familiar with the achievements of famous scientists such as Galileo or Newton, but little is known about the scientific contributions that were made by women. Throughout history the world of academia was dominated by men, but it was during the Scientific Revolution that opportunity arose for women to participate in the sciences. In a time when women faced prejudice and skepticism, some managed to break away from the set expectations and enter into a career of their own. This paper offers a look into the lives of women scientists who have been dis-remembered by history.

A Beacon Of Hope In The Darkness: The Danish Resistance, Lydia Bales

Young Historians Conference

Following the German invasion of Denmark in 1940, the Danish people presented a unified political and social resistance movement in order to defend those persecuted by the Nazi regime. Although occupied by Germany, Denmark became exempt from many of the extreme policies practiced in most other Nazi-controlled countries. A closer examination of these circumstances reveals how this exemption status, as well as support from the Danish Church, and king allowed for the accomplishment of something seemingly impossible; leading ninety five percent of the Danish Jewish population to safety.

The Palestinian Diaspora 1947 Onwards: Social And Political Reasons, Margaret Sheppard

Young Historians Conference

The Palestinian diaspora in 1948 was the result of many social and political factors, including the impact of Jewish immigration, conflicts between the Arab world and the new Jewish state, and the Zionist desire for a Jewish homeland. The diaspora did not stem from anyone single incident or motivation, instead it was the result of numerous events and growing tensions. It was the end product of social upheaval and pro Israeli political policies during the formation of the state of Israel. In this paper, the diaspora is explained in terms of its social and political causes.

Friend Of The People, Enemy To The Cause: Jean Paul Marat, Charlotte Corday, And The Consolidation Of Jacobin Power In Revolutionary France, Claire Martin

Young Historians Conference

During the volatile period, 1789 to 1795, many of the concepts that made up the backbone of the French Identity were challenged. While thousands of ew-aged French subjects protested, groups of impassioned revolutionaries met the call for change. Although these groups shared the common goal ofliberty for the French people, they differed greatly in their visions for the hazy future of France. By the end of 1792, two competing schools of thought would emerge as the primary political parties of the new state: a sect of zealous radicals, known as the Jacobins, and a sect of moderate radicals, known as …

Corinth As A Catalyst Before And During The Peloponnesian War, Kevin Rhine

Young Historians Conference

This paper discusses Corinth's role in both directly persuading and indirectly maneuvering Sparta to declare war on Athens. Fashioning such a plan required Corinth to convert Sparta from an outright isolationist to a reluctant ally. Yet, as one of the lone third-party states in Greece, Corinth needed to single-handedly persuade a much larger and more important city-state. Although most scholarship tends to focus on the two major city-states, this paper suggests that third-party states like Corinth may have had a much greater role than previously thought in shaping the course of the Peloponnesian War. As the key player in forcing …

John Law’S Flawed But Well Intended Système, Katy Baker

Young Historians Conference

Of the world's many economic meltdowns spurred by desperation, overconfident leaders with too much power, and a lack of experience or transparency, the Mississippi Bubble was one of the first that wiped out an entire economy. This paper explores how the decisions of John Law, a Scottish financier, economist, and compulsive gambler, led to the so-called Mississippi Bubble. A phenomenon which contributed to the drastic rise and fall of individuals' finances, hyperinflation, the devaluation of France's currency during the regency of Philippe d'Orleans.

Situation Twenty-One, Annamarie White

Young Historians Conference

When Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games on April 6, 1896, he not only established a tradition of athletic competition, but put forth an enduring goal of international unity and global peace. Rooted in the values of sportsmanship and respect, the Olympics have matured into a global showcase. The Games are no longer simply an athletic competition, but a universal stage where nations from across the globe display their progress and forward-thinking. Under a worldwide watchful eye, the hosting country faces a particularly difficult challenge -- the manner in which they handle the inevitable obstacles is under strict scrutiny …

Senator Dodd Versus The National Rifle Association: Passing The Gun Control Act Of 1968, Bennett D. Sorensen

Young Historians Conference

After the assassination of President Kennedy, Senator Dodd sought to pass gun control legislation. The National Rifle Association took the forefront on the debate against Dodd and became more politically active as an organization. After long debate, news coverage, and blame on both sides, the assassinations of two political figures MLK and Robert Kennedy spurred Dodd's Bill into passing, but only after amendments lessening its original effect The Gun Control Act of 1968 formed the basis of the modern, polarizing gun control debate and reflects the process of passing gun control legislation today.

How Did Wwii Pull The United States Out Of Economic Stagnation?, Chris Constans

Young Historians Conference

This investigation will evaluate how U.S. involvement in WWII stimulated the economy allowing America to climb out of economic stagnation and decline. To assess the extent to which the war stimulated the U.S. economy, this investigation will focus on parts of the economy specifically effected by the war, and the U.S. economy as a whole from 1939‐1945. To understand the drastic change in economic growth, Depression era statistic will be referenced for comparison. The investigation will cover macroeconomic topics specifically government spending and the multiplier effect and their effects on GDP. This investigation does not extend to Roosevelt’s New Deal …

Hardcore Punk For A Hardcore President: The Action And Response To Ronald Reagan, Julian Heninger

Young Historians Conference

President Ronald Reagan has been both highly revered and despised by different groups of Americans. In order to find an accurate view of what life was really like under the Reagan presidency, this study views Reagan through the exciting and gritty lens of the Punk movement, specifically in Southern California. Through research of lyrics, a personal interview, and writers of the Punk era, the voice and feelings, personality and purpose of a great amount of people reveal the true opposition to the effects the Reagan Administration had on the Nation.

The Mask Behind The Man, Alex Whitehead

Young Historians Conference

Since the time of the Ancient Greeks, western theatre has always found a use for masks in its performances, yet it was not just their functionality that made them a cornerstone of early drama. The real importance did not come from what masks could physically show, but from what they could represent for the cultures that used them. This paper looks back as far as the playwright Thespis and explores how Greek beliefs on identity, glory, and hubris shaped the meaning of masks, and look the implications of these ancient thoughts on the world of theatre today.

How Did The Use Of Propaganda Affect The Development Of Nazi Germany As A Single-Party State?, Lindsey Schiager

Young Historians Conference

This Internal Assessment investigates how propaganda in the media influenced Nazi Germany's development as a single party state. It reviews Adolf Hitler's background and role in the development of a propaganda ministry as well as Joseg Goebbels, the man who created the propaganda itself. Single party states use propaganda to increase and spread the popularity of the party. There is also a focus on propaganda techniques, such as bright colors to draw a viewer in, and the different propaganda outlets a citizen would have been exposed to. In this investigation, propaganda was found to have positively affected Germany's rise as …

Fear And Loathing In Indochina: An Analysis Of The American Refusal To Sign The Geneva Accords, 1954, Evangeline L. Heath

Young Historians Conference

At the 1954 Geneva Conference, five standing world powers attempted to come to a resolution on the ongoing violence in Indochina—a military conflict in small, economically-insignificant nations including Vietnam which ultimately became a microcosm for the political and military divide between communism and capitalism around the world. In this paper, I argue that the refusal of the United States' delegation to sign the conference's accords signals a fundamental shift towards radicalism in American policy and ultimately foreshadows their defeat during the Vietnam War.

The Rise And Fall Of Yugoslavia, Olivia Hinerfeld

Young Historians Conference

In the last century, one nation achieved an incredible rise to power and devastating collapse in the span of mere decades. Yugoslavia-a now nonexistent country-flourished under the influential leadership of Josip Broz Tito. Elected President in 1953, Tito went on to rule over Yugoslavia until his death in 1980. How was Tito able to unite a region consisting of six national republics and two autonomous regions into one communist entity? The answer lies in Tito's policy of "polycentrism"; however, upon his death, the policy collapsed due to the ineffective leadership of the collective presidency, economic troubles, and ethno-religious unrest, resulting …

Labor Issues During The Construction Of The Panama Canal, Paul C. Diebold

Young Historians Conference

The Panama Canal represented America’s first great achievement on the international stage. But in its triumph, the United States showed itself willing to pursue success on the backs of the laborers—most of them black—without whom the canal could not have become a reality. This paper focuses on these men—men who braved dangerous conditions and the institutionalized segregation of the Canal Zone despite America’s reluctance to confront the issue of racism over a group of non-citizen, non-white laborers hundreds of miles removed from any American city or shore.

The Armenian Problem: What Was The United States’ Response To The Armenian Genocide?, Alexandra Fleming

Young Historians Conference

The Armenian Genocide was an appalling tragedy that has proven to have longstanding effects upon many individuals. Would the effects have been so widespread if the Armenian people received more help? This paper will explore the United States' involvement in the Armenian Genocide as shown through primary sources by individuals in the U.S. and Armenia.