History Commons^™

A Phenomenological Approach To Classic Maya Kingship, Griffin Dever

Honors College

The aim of this Honors Thesis project is to describe the experience of the Maya kingship of the Classic period and its role in Maya culture. The thesis takes a phenomenological approach and draws primarily on the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Martin Heidegger, John Russon, and Walter Benjamin. The archaeological record of the Maya world, especially the city of Palenque, is the primary resource upon which this analysis is based, including monumental art and public architecture, ritual, courtly art and stonework, and stelae. However, some focus is also given to existing background literature to provide the reader with some historical …

Playing History: How Video Games Can Change The Way We Understand The Past, Chapman Hall

Honors College

Video games are a wildly popular and growing form of art and entertainment. Yet they are often overlooked within academic fields like history. This thesis examines the unique qualities of video games that make them powerful tools to understand history in a different manner. The interpretative frameworks of simulation and agency are central to this analysis, and they are applied to the history-based video game Europa Universalis IV as a case study of how video games facilitate rich and rewarding historical sensibilities that deepen the connection between past and present, a long-standing goal of professional and popular historians. The study …

Carlisle Indian Boarding School's Role In The Unconstitutional Relationship Between Organized Christianity And The U.S. Federal Government, Kayleigh Hogg

Honors College

The Carlisle Indian Boarding School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania was the first large Indian boarding school to open in the United States. Carlisle was founded by Richard Henry Pratt and opened in 1879. Carlisle was the first of hundreds of Indian boarding schools that operated throughout the United States and served as the model for many of the schools that followed it. The school was military-run and federally funded until its closure in 1918. The purpose of Carlisle and the rest of the boarding schools was to culturally assimilate American Indians and do so by forcibly removing them from their families. …

Hunting In Maine, Elizabeth Tibbetts

Honors College

Hunting remains a common practice for many people in the state of Maine. While the stories and traditions held by hunters differ from person to person and family to family. There are commonalities that aid in building the sense of community between hunters in the state of Maine. This hunting community is strengthened through the sharing of stories and the common traditions shared by many. These communities remain strong even as the Maine landscape and hunting legislation changes over time. Here a number of questions regarding hunting are explored through the lens of one family spanning multiple generations through oral …

The Ghost Of Amritsar, Joe Horne

Honors College

The Ghost of Amritsar is a historical-fiction novel set in the British Raj during the first half of the 20th century. Through the lens of a Punjabi revolutionary, this thesis explores some of the roles played by the diverse identities of the Indian subcontinent during the Indian independence movement and the violence that followed the Partition of 1947. By observing the history of India and the British Raj, The Ghost of Amritsar attempts to analyze the period’s violence with a human, empathetic, approach.

What It Was & What I Know: Attempts At Family History, Katherine Reardon

Honors College

Family stories and family histories are contingent on how they are remembered. As these stories are passed down, the ways that they are remembered can change, with the truthful aspects of these stories disappearing over time. As a result, many family stories are not necessarily truthful, but this does not discount their value. The aim of this project is to explore these ideas while also answering the following question: to what extent are family stories bound by the ‘truth’? In order to answer this question, I have explored my own family stories that I know may not be true and …

Local Involvement, Memory, And Denial: The Complexities Of The Holocaust In Lithuania, Hailey Cedor

Honors College

The Holocaust was one of the most pivotal and destructive events in the 20th century. While decades of research have been done in order to attempt to understand the events of the Holocaust, its preconditions, its survivors, and its lasting impacts, there is still much to be studied. This thesis explores the complex and understudied relationship of Lithuanians with the Holocaust. Local collaboration with Nazi perpetrators was widespread, yet acknowledgement of and reconciliation with this collaboration is largely absent from Lithuania’s current public memory. While this work does not excuse the actions of perpetrators or condemn those who helped Jewish …

Honors College_Honors 112 Class "Screw This Virus"_Essay, Patrick Fleming

Honors College

Essay by University of Maine student Patrick Fleming for HON 112, featuring COVID-19.

Female Political Campaigns: Just The Right Amount Of Femininity, Harley Rogers

Honors College

This paper seeks to understand how female politicians develop their public identities to meet and reject the gender stereotypes society holds of women. The case study looks at Margaret Chase Smith’s political career, with a special focus on her 1964 presidential campaign. The research analyzed Smith’s career through the newspaper coverage of her in order to understand Smith’s choices surrounding her public identity and the media’s response. The analysis identified four distinct points of interest that contributed to Smith’s public persona: physical appearance, examples of housewifery, dialogue on women’s issues, and legislative accomplishments. These factors demonstrate how Smith presented her …

Projecting Imperial Power: The Synods Of Aachen (816-819), Cliff Greco

Honors College

An important stage in Christian monastic reforms occurred in Aachen during the synods from 816-819 A.D. These meetings were brought about to bring uniformity and centralization to monastic practices within the Frankish realm of Charlemagne’s son, Louis the Pious (d. 840). The reforms were initiated by the emperor of the Carolingian Empire and guided by the reformist monk Benedict of Aniane (d. 821). Monastic dogma that was agreed upon included a drastic reinterpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict. Benedict of Aniane’s influence was evident within the synods. His monastic reforms were directed towards establishing stringent asceticism and Christian zeal. …

Honors College_Honors 112 Class "Screw This Virus"_Alternate Final Exam Prompt, Sharon S. Tisher, Melissa Landenheim

Honors College

Email thread featuring messages from Melissa Ladenheim, Associate Dean, Honors College, University of Maine to the Provost Office and from Dr. Ladenheim to Sharon S. Tisher, Lecturer, School of Economics and Honors College, University of Maine regarding one optional prompt for Tisher's take home exam in the two Honors 112 classes that incorporated COVID-19.

Honors College_Honors 112 Class "Screw This Virus"_Examination & Essay Responses, Katie Quirk, Melissa Ladenheim

Honors College

Honors 112 Final Essay Exam questions and excerpts from student's responses for a class taught by Katie Quirk, Lecturer, Honors College and College of Education, University of Maine.

Also, includes email thread featuring messages from Melissa Ladenheim, Associate Dean, Honors College, University of Maine to the Provost Office and from Dr. Ladenheim to Professor Quirk regarding the course material.

Hispanics In Education: A Look Into Underrepresentation, Sarah Joanne Dillinger

Honors College

By 2045 the Hispanic population in the United States is projected to be at 25%. In Texas, that number is currently higher and continuing to rise. Despite large numbers of Hispanic students, they are underrepresented in schools among teachers and administrators. Could the lack of a cultural mirror play a role in this number since Hispanic students do not see as many Hispanic teachers and administrators in education? Through this paper, I will examine the cultural mirror theory briefly, but spend a majority of the paper analyzing the history behind desegregation in public schools. I will also review the literature …

The Tower Of London Becoming A Tourist Attraction In The 19th Century, Catherine Mcdonald

Honors College

Underfunded and decaying, the Tower of London’s outlook at the beginning at the 19^th century was bleak. Then used as a military garrison, its former glory as a palace and prison was mostly forgotten. The Tower of London was transformed into a tourist attraction in the Victorian Age because of the rise of the middle class and the changing values that they had. The middle class valued education and wanted to use their leisure time to further their knowledge. History in particular interested them. Popular culture reflected this change in attitude about a subject previously not looked to for …

The ‘Darkening Sky’: French Popular Music Of The 1960s And May 1968, Claire Fouchereaux

Honors College

This thesis explores the relationship between ideas, attitudes, and sentiments found in popular French music of the 1960s and those that would later become important during the May 1968 protests in France. May 1968 has generated an enormous amount of literature and analyses of its events, yet there has been little previous work on popular music prior to May 1968 and the events of these protests and strikes that involved up to seven million people at its height. Using data from best-selling monthly charts in France from 1963 to 1968, this thesis links particular key aspects or ideas of May …

The Triad Of Nationality Revisited: The Orthodox Church And The State In Post-Soviet Russia, Robert D. Potts

Honors College

The Orthodox Church has been intimately wrapped up in the Russian state since Russia’s conversion to Christianity in 988. The relationship between the two is most succinctly wrapped up in Tsar Nicholas I’s so-called triad: “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality.” This paper seeks to explain the manner in which the Orthodox Church reasserted itself as a force in Russian politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 up through the first administration of President Vladimir Putin. The church under Patriarch Alexy powerfully reinserted itself into affairs of state during the August 1991 coup attempt, while its relationship with the …

Directing "Godspell", Nellie M. Kelly

Honors College

My Honors Thesis was the research and direction of the musical Godspell at the University of Maine. Godspell was first produced in 1970. It is based on the book of Matthew which follows the parables taught by Jesus Christ. The cast, production team, and crew will be UMaine students or recent alums. I wanted to direct this show in order to have the experience in my undergraduate career and prove a student run musical can be done here. Although there have been multiple student productions produced by the theater club Maine Masque at UMaine, there has never been a full …

Acadia National Park And The Efforts Of George Bucknam Dorr: How The Preservation Frontier Moved East And The Challenges For Acadia's Second Century, Sean Cox

Honors College

Through the intrepid efforts of George Bucknam Dorr and the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations (HCTPR), Acadia National Park fostered a preservation frontier in the Eastern United States. As a trustee organization, the HCTPR was one of the first in the world to gather lands together with the express mission of preserving them for public use and recreation. While summer residents had more than enough money and legal right to divide up the island between themselves in private ownership, through a distinctive philanthropic effort they donated land and funds to the creation of a shared public space. Federal protection …

Nationalism In The French Revolution Of 1789, Kiley Bickford

Honors College

The French Revolution of 1789 was instrumental in the emergence and growth of modern nationalism, the idea that a state should represent, and serve the interests of, a people, or "nation," that shares a common culture and history and feels as one. But national ideas, often with their source in the otherwise cosmopolitan world of the Enlightenment, were also an important cause of the Revolution itself. The rhetoric and documents of the Revolution demonstrate the importance of national ideas. The Republic relied on national symbols, such as the tricolor flag and the “Marseillaise” anthem, to spread nationalist ideas throughout French …

Class Conflict And The Confederate Conscription Acts In North Carolina, 1862-1864, Tyler Cline

Honors College

This thesis will analyze the effect that Confederate conscription policies during the American Civil War from 1862 to 1864 had on the social order that existed in North Carolina. Conflicts arose during the war between the slave-owning aristocratic class and the yeomen farmers who owned few slaves, if any, and thus were not dependent on the slave system in the pre-war era. A regional approach, exploring the impact of geography on social development, illustrates that the undermining of this social stability led to growing class-consciousness among the middle class farmers who dominated the Piedmont region of North Carolina. It will …

Teaching Literature In America: Demonstrating Relevance In The Early Cold War 1945-1963, Jennifer Chalmers

Honors College

This historical research focuses on how literature was taught in American high schools in the early Cold War period (1945-1963) and why it was taught that way. It aims to discover how the Cold War culture of conformity impacted secondary literature education. What were literature teachers’ concerns? What was the historical context of these concerns, and how did they affect methods in the classroom and rhetoric in academic journals? Finally, how did methodology and rhetoric change over time? Research involved gaining familiarity with Early Cold War culture, politics, and events through secondary sources; narrowing to U.S. education in the early …

An Oral History Of The Islamic Center Of Maine, Orono, Kyle Franklin

Honors College

In January 2002, the first freestanding mosque in the state of Maine was built near the University of Maine campus. Called the Islamic Center of Maine (ICM), it was established to serve the growing Muslim population in the Orono area, in particular the student and faculty population at the University. The establishment of this Islamic Center was due to the efforts and hard work of Muslim faculty and students, as well as families in the area and generous contributions from Muslims around the United States and other countries. A new, larger center was constructed in 2010, again to meet the …

Pius Xii On Trial, Katherine M. Campbell

Honors College

Scholars have debated Pope Pius XII’s role in the Holocaust since the 1960s. Did he do everything he could and should have done to save Jews? His critics say no because of antisemitism rooted in the traditional Catholic views. His defenders say yes and deny that he was an antisemite. In my thesis, I shall assess the arguments on both sides in terms of the available evidence. I shall focus both on what Pius XII did do and what he did not do and on the degree to which he can be held responsible for the actions of low-level clergy. …

Muckrakers Vs. Public Relations: Analytical Case Studies, Maria Necastro

Honors College

The purpose of the three independent case studies in this thesis is to examine the complex relationship between investigative journalism and corporate public relations. By examining the journalistic works written by three of America’s best-selling authors and the following corporate communications responses, it becomes possible to understand the importance of strategic communication. Ultimately the dynamic relationship between investigative reporting and public relations is one that produces visible change, within both society and corporations.

Partisan Gridlock In The Contiguous States: Credit Ratings, Economic Stability, And The Ramifications Of Political Competitiveness, Polarization, And Party Control In U.S. State Legislatures, 1992-2010, Logan Nee

Honors College

Today’s complex sociopolitical context features an increasing determent of fundamental bipartisan principles and negotiation at both the federal and state levels of government. A competitive political environment akin to post-Civil War times, amplified by growing partisan polarization and politicians’ quest for party allegiance and self-reward, pervasively discourages productive compromising efforts to work across the isle. We believe this hinders government’s sole and rather straightforward fiscal duty: to provide stable, healthy, and predictable economic conditions for its constituents. Credit ratings offer a window into the interaction of public policy, political uncertainty, and economic performance, which all lie at the nucleus of …

Imperial Impulses: The Influence Of War And Death On The Writings Of Rudyard Kipling, Dylan J. Sirois

Honors College

This historical inquiry will focus on Rudyard Kipling's life, his works, and their relationship to British Imperialism. More specifically it will demonstrate how Kipling's attitude changed after World War One through his works. To understand Kipling and his place in the British Empire it is essential to understand the framework of imperialism at the time. Once an understanding of imperialism is formed it is possible to get to know Kipling and the world he grew into. The circumstances of Kipling's upbringing were undoubtably what drove him into his passion for empire, while his later experiences were what drove him to …

Humanizing The Humanities: A Historical, Cultural, And Philosophical Examination Of The Disintegration Of Humanities Higher Education, Nicholas Moore

Honors College

This essay is an examination of the multifaceted reasons humanities education in American colleges is losing standing and funding. Historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives are used to analyze the grounds that have justified the decreasing levels of support for humanities education. Historically, there is no longer any external justification provided, as there was when Sputnik was launched and the Cold War was endured. Culturally, the high culture model of ascension through the accrual of cultural signifiers is no longer the dominant form of raising one’s status, as it was when the humanities could be justified as cultural initiation. Philosophically, market-based …

Taking The War To The Water: The American Revolution At Sea, 1775-1776, Sarah Kent

Honors College

The story of the land war of the American Revolution has been told many times. However, the naval conflict remains largely ignored except for its most famous aspects, such as the voyages of John Paul Jones. When the sea battles of the Revolution have been discussed it has mostly been in the context of the end of the war when the navy had already existed for some time. Historians such as William Fowler and Nathaniel Miller have attempted comprehensive studies of the Continental Navy, but neither focus on the character and significance of naval combat in the first year of …

Safe To Drive? Police Powers Of Search And Seizure In The Vehicular Context, Mark Rucci

Honors College

Since their creation, automobiles have become a central facet of the American culture and psyche. As status symbols and modes of transportation their importance cannot be overstated. Americans love their cars, and the average citizen believes that he or she has legitimate privacy interests in his or her vehicle. But is this the case? For decades, The Court has struggled to balance 4th Amendment privacy rights with effective police procedure, and has thus handed down dozens of rulings on the topic, many of which often seem disparate and contradictory. In the face of such confusion, the Court’s answer has almost …

Prolific Playwrights: Clifford Odets And Lillian Hellman Expose The Thirties, Samantha L. Paradis

Honors College

Clifford Odets and Lillian Hellman were two of the most influential playwrights of the 1930s, which was a decade of economic instability and political unrest in the United States. Odets began his career in 1935 with his workers’ theatre smash hit Waiting for Lefty. Hellman’s career took off with the premiere of her drama The Children’s Hour. Both playwrights generated controversy with their plays through the emphasis of Popular Front values. They were influenced by the political, social, and economic conditions in the 1930s. An in-depth analysis of their plays reveals how the interrelationship between playwright and society …