History Commons^™

The First New South: J. D. B. De Bow’S Promotion Of A Modern Economy In The Old South, John Franklin Kvach

Doctoral Dissertations

Between 1846 and 1867, J. D. B. De Bow, the editor of De Bow’s Review, promoted agricultural reform, urbanization, industrialization, and commercial development in the nineteenth-century South. His monthly journal appealed to thousands of antebellum southerners with similar interests in a modern market economy. De Bow’s vision and his readers’ support of economic diversification predated the rhetoric of postbellum boosters who promised a New South after the Civil War. He created an economic plan that resonated among urban, middle-class merchants and professionals; wealthy planters; and prominent industrialists. They supported De Bow because he understood the necessity of economic diversification. …

Standing In The Shadow Of The Greatest Generation: Men And Women Of The Korean War, Melinda Leigh Pash

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation takes a fresh look at the forgotten generation of servicemen and women who served in theater during the Korean War. Beginning with their shared childhood, growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, this narrative account follows the story of American men and women as they enlisted in or were drafted into the Armed Forces, took basic training, shipped out to the Korean Peninsula or Japan, lived in the war zone, and returned home to a country that seemed not to have noticed their absence. Special attention is paid throughout to the complex interplay between service …

"Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" : Virginia And The Bonus March Of 1932, Steven Patrick Schultz

Master's Theses

On 6 May 1932 the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives declined to pass along for a full vote in the House a bill that would have provided for immediate and complete payment of the Soldiers' Bonus, a small sum of money due in 1945 to veterans of World War I. In doing so it set in motion a chain of events that led to one of the most sordid affairs in American history, the Bonus March of 1932, when tens of thousands of World War I veterans traveled to Washington to ask their government for …

Shadows Over Goshen: Plain Whites, Progressives And Paternalism In The Depression South, Fred Carl Smith

Dissertations

This dissertation is about poverty and rural Southerners and the beginnings of America's rational assault on poverty. By 1932, a sense of emergency and desperation permeated American economic and political thinking. The apparent collapse of the industrial economy and credit markets created an environment in which politicians allowed and the public demanded bold experimentation. The period, 1933-1937, in which most of America approved or tolerated progressive notions, offered an opportunity for progressives to demonstrate their solutions to persistent southern poverty. The Division of Subsistence Homesteads (DSH), an agency of the Department of Interior, created communities that combined subsistence gardening with …

How The Social Context Of Bill Clinton's Childhood Shaped His Personality: Using Oral History Interviews Of His Childhood Peers And Relatives, Karen Sebold

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since individual personality plays an important role in presidential decision-making (Barber, 1972), then understanding the setting that impacted the personality is an important component in any understanding of a president's personality. This study seeks to understand the setting that shaped the personality of William Jefferson Clinton. This case study was selected for two reasons: (1) there is a plethora of descriptive psycho-biographies of Clinton (Maraniss, 1995, Renshon 1996b, Post, 2006) and (2) there are oral history interviews from individuals who were part of Clinton's familial and childhood peer networks. The interviews used for this study are part of the Clinton …

The Impact Of The European Economy On An Indigenous Productive Regime: Coca Production In The Yungas Of La Paz, 1548-1570, Krista Anderson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a European system of mercantile production on the indigenous organization of coca production in the yungas of La Paz in the years immediately following the Spanish conquest until the administration of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo (1569-1581 ). European mercantile ambitions in the earliest years of Spanish rule had an enormous, and often adverse, impact on the people of the yungas and their productive capabilities. The transformation of the yungas was introduced largely through the reorientation of coca production toward a market economy. This contact resulted in a marked increase …

Civil War Camps Of Instruction In Illinois: Exploring The Transition From Civilian To Soldier, Daniel C. Sauerwein

Theses and Dissertations

The study of Civil War soldiers is an emerging field in the scholarly study of the Civil War, especially since the 1980s. The historical works focus on a variety of subject areas, but all share the common thread of neglecting the soldier before he engaged in his first battle. It was in the camp of instruction that the soldier was born, transitioning from civilian to soldier.

Illinois established camps of instruction to train the men who fought for the Union. Based upon letters, diaries, and memoirs written by soldiers, as well as local newspapers of the era, a picture emerges …

Naked And Alone In A Strange New World: Early Modern Captivity And Its Mythos In Ibero-American Consciousness, Benjamin Mark Allen

History Dissertations

This study compares and contrasts early modern (1500 - 1650) American captivity narratives of Jerónimo de Aguilar, Gonzalo Guerrero, Juan Ortiz, Cabeza de Vaca, Hans Stade, Hernando d'Escalante Fontaneda, Fray Francisco de Avila, and Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán. Although originally touted as "true histories," they should be seen primarily as literary works imitative of popular heroic lore that suffused 16th-century Iberia and Europe. Because the chroniclers penned the narratives years after the experience, subjective memory supplanted objective empiricism. The narrators employed acceptable literary conventions highly imbued with Christian and medieval ritual and imagery to express physical and mental …

Rural And Urban Boosterism In Texas, 1880s-1930s, Laura Kathleen Bennett

History Theses

The second half of the nineteenth century saw a "civilizing" trend across the rural and urban West. In Texas boosters launched myriad campaigns emphasizing the close of the western frontier and the emergence of a more modern society. This paper examines the methods used by Texas boosters to attract new residents and visitors. While all booster campaigns relied on access to railroads, rural and urban boosters used different tactics to lure settlers to their part of the state. Rural boosters extolled the virtues of a simple life where a man could be his own boss and where there is room …

Symbol Of Conquest, Alliance, And Hegemony: The Image Of The Cross In Colonial Mexico, Zachary Wingerd

History Dissertations

The universality of the cross image within the transatlantic confrontation meant not only a hegemony of culture, but of symbolism. The symbol of the cross existed in both European and American societies hundreds of years before Columbus. In both cultures, the cross was integral in religious ceremony, priestly decoration, and cosmic maps. As a symbol of life and death, of human and divine suffering, of religious and political acquiescence, no other image in transatlantic history has held such a perennial, powerful message as the cross. For colonial Mexico, which felt the brunt of Spanish initiative, the symbol of the cross …

The Nadir Of Alliance: The British Ultimatum Of 1890 And Its Place In Anglo-Portuguese Relations, 1147- 1945, Matthew Winslett

History Theses

As has been stated many times before, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance is the oldest pact still currently in force in the world. It has been the bedrock cornerstone of Lisbon's foreign policy as a means of insuring Portuguese independence against Spanish incursions. Yet, despite the benefit it has given to Portugal, it has often been used by the British to extract unequal economic and political terms from Lisbon, in exchange for a promise of protection. In Portuguese history, the Ultimatum of 1890 - when Britain issued a threat of war to Lisbon over Portugal's attempt to connect its two African colonies …

Bilingual Education, Federalism, And The Political Culture Of American Public Education, 1964-1980, Robert Harold Duke

Dissertations

Five decades of English-only orthodoxy in American public schools came to an end with the passage of the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 (BEA). This research investigates how the convergence of community activism, ethnic pride, and union clout shaped and reshaped bilingual education programming at thelocal level within the broader context of post-WWII American society. By comparing and contrasting the experiences of communities in Texas and Michigan with the newly enacted BEA, this study illuminates the changing political culture of school governance from the high-water mark of Johnson-era liberalism tothe surging tide of Reaganite conservatism. It asserts that the tradition …

Renders It Necessary That We Should Be Prepared' A Reexamination Of The Militant South Thesis In Territorial Florida, Franklin Nooe

All Theses

This thesis examines the effect of Native Americans on the martial tradition in the Old South. As proposed by John Hope Franklin, the proximity of Southern settlements to Indian tribes aroused grave apprehension regarding the safety of the settlers from hostile attack. This thesis seeks to illustrate a specific example of his assessment. Therefore, the work is focused on the events of the Seminoles in Florida and to a lesser extent the Creeks in Alabama and Georgia. Chronologically the thesis focuses on approximately 1800-1842. Geographically the text is concerned with Florida and the border areas. This thesis argues that the …

From Memory To Honor: Stories Of South Carolina's World War Monuments, Amy Matthews

All Theses

Out of the South's defeat in the Civil War emerged proponents of the Lost Cause and a desire to remember and perpetuate the South's honor in the war. This desire to commemorate fallen loved ones and to preserve their memory continued into the twentieth century, most notably the era following the First and Second World Wars.
Based on the South's strong sense of military tradition and remembrance established after the Civil War, a scholarly debate has emerged in recent decades over the meaning of military commemorations and monuments. One side of the argument views World War I commemorations as a …

God And Slavery In America: Francis Wayland And The Evangelical Conscience, Matthew S. Hill

History Dissertations

The work examines the antislavery writings of Francis Wayland (1796-1865). Wayland pastored churches in Boston and Providence, but he left his indelible mark as the fourth and twenty-eight year president of Brown University (1827-1855). The author of numerous works on moral science, economics, philosophy, education, and the Baptist denomination, his administration marked a transitional stage in the emergence of American colleges from a classically oriented curriculum to an educational philosophy based on science and modern languages. Wayland left an enduring legacy at Brown, but it was his antislavery writings that brought him the most notoriety and controversy. Developed throughout his …

An Unquenchable Flame: The Spirit Of Protest And The Sit-In Movement In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Samuel Roderick Jackson

History Theses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Sit-in movement in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the early 1960s in the context of a perpetuating tradition of protest in the African American community spanning more than a century. The study will also illustrate how it was a unique episode in the annals of the Civil Rights Movement in that it was strictly orchestrated by high school students without the input or support of adults, yet it has largely been neglected by historians. The research conducted includes oral histories, newspaper clippings, private manuscript collections, books, videos, and periodicals which provide great …

"A Little Bit Of Heaven": The Inception, Climax And Transformation Of The East Washington Community In East Point, Georgia, Lisa Shannon-Flagg

History Theses

This thesis explores the evolution, growth and sudden decline of the East Washington community, located in East Point, Georgia. This African-American community was strategically created in 1912, when the city council passed its first residential segregation ordinance. This research uses oral histories and other documents to analyze the survival techniques that enabled East Washington to endure the turmoil of Jim Crow racial segregation from its 1912 inception to its 1962 transformation due to urban renewal. First, it identifies the people who chose to migrate to this area, where they came from and what enticed them to settle in East Point. …

Crystal, Minnesota And The American Suburb, Matthew Ottinger

Culminating Projects in History

This thesis covers the development of the American suburb with special attention paid to Crystal, Minnesota as a case study. With sporadic primary sources, a simple chronological telling of Crystal's history was a difficult task to undertake. That being the case, a study of how the average American suburb changed from a community on the fringe of a metropolitan area to a city of its own are discussed within this thesis.

The topics that continually presented themselves during research ranged from how people have changed the land to how one defines community. Suburban growth in the form of sprawl, development, …

Shades Of Green: The Use Of Force Debate In The German Green Party, 1990--2002, Scott H. Brunstetter

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Utilizing an heuristic model that incorporates aspects from several theoretical perspectives this dissertation examines the German Green Party debate on the use of military force from 1990-2002. From the absolute rejection of any use of force to evict Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War in 1991, the Greens evolved over the course of a decade to support the deployment of German forces to Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This dissertation argues that this evolution was the result of a conscious will to govern by German political leaders in particular and external shocks—Srebrenica, Kosovo, and 9/11. It …

Martin Luther: Perceptions Of The Reformer In Popular Culture And Historical Scholarship, Kathryn R. Cross

History Theses & Dissertations

Martin Luther's remarkable life, his impressive body of written work, his dynamic and charismatic personality, and his impact on the world have long been a source of interest in the world of academia and of popular culture. This thesis examines the affect of the scholarly historical research of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries regarding Luther and its affect on perception of the reformer in popular culture as presented by the media.

The opening section of the thesis presents an examination and evaluation of Lutheran scholarship and how historical trends have affected the reformer's image in the academic world. Documents …

Italy And Italians Through American Eyes, 1861-1881, Dennis M. Bench

History Theses & Dissertations

American perceptions of Italy and Italians between 1861 and 1881 were characterized by competing and conflicting images. These two decades in the late­ nineteenth century demonstrated the transitional nature of American attitudes towards Italians as contact between the two peoples increased. American travelers went to Italy initially to recreate the journeys of educated Europeans of the Grand Tours of the eighteenth century. By the 1860s this style of travel was on the decline to be replaced by traveling based on exploring the "real" Italy. However, the two styles overlapped and resulted in conflicting and complementary images. In part this was …

Drawbridge Diplomacy: Romanian-American Relations, 1963-1968, Brett A. Jerasa

History Theses & Dissertations

Entering the White House in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson pursued a policy of "bridge building" to Eastern Europe, finding agreement on small issues of economics and foreign relations in order to decrease tension between East and West. Johnson targeted Romania as the show case for bridge building because of its growing autonomy from the Soviet Union. Romania's policies of rapid industrialization and foreign policy independence offered potent possibilities. However, Johnson's bridge building faced many difficulties. His administration pursued a dual Cold War policy: he fought communist belligerency in Vietnam while affirming the positive behavior of Eastern European satellites. Despite the …

Jimmy Carter's Foreign Policy: The Battle For Power And Principle, Frances M. Jacobson

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Evaluating the foreign policies of presidents while they are in office or shortly after their tenure ends can sometimes lead to conclusions that prove to be unsound in the future. The case of Harry Truman exemplifies this. When he left office in 1952 his approval rating was in the 20 percentile range. Yet, he set the tone and direction of United States foreign policy that led eventually to the successful conclusion of the Cold War. The foreign policy of President Jimmy Carter was also generally viewed as a failure by many scholars in the field, both during his time in …

Kurds In The Mosul Province 1918-1932, Kristen Alff

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Anonymous Text Of Ms Bodley 451 And The Intellectual Character Of The Abbey Of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Winchester, Johnna L. Ap'morrygan

Honors Theses

This thesis will begin by describing MS Bodley 451 and its texts in detail and will continue with the close examination of a previously unpublished text appearing there. It will conclude with an assessment of the evidence offered by Oxford MS Bodley 451, other contemporary documents, and the overall historical record about the likely intellectual character and activities of the house during the early twelfth century.

Racial Motivations For French Collaboration During The Second World War: Uncovering The Memory Through Film And Memoirs, Daniela Greene

All Theses

Abstract
After France was defeated by the Germans in June 1940, several politicians of the Third Republic formed a new government under Marshal Philippe PŽtain in Vichy. The men in the new regime immediately began to make social and political changes which, in their mind, were long overdue. They believed that they could negotiate with the occupation officials in the North and maintain France's sovereignty, at least in the 'free' Southern zone. They also believed, as did a large part of the French people, that the inadequacies of the republican system had lost France the war. It had certainly been …

Ilya Repin And The Zaporozhe Cossacks, Kristina Pavlov-Leiching

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Standing above other nineteenth-century century Russian painters, Ilya Repin has proven himself through his technical mastery and unrelenting quest for artistic exploration. Thi s has placed him among Russia' s most influential artists. This study examines Repin' s life and prolific career. The obj ective of thi s research i s to explore the unique marriage between art and politics in nineteenth-century Russia. This proj ect focuses on Repin' s 1 8 80 painting of the Zaporozhe Cossacks as a basis to explore the conflicting forces that befell Rep in, and also as a means to better understand the tempestuous …

In Partnership With The Land - An Environmentally Historic Overview Of The Ancestral Puebloan People Of Chaco Canyon During The Bonito Phase Ce 850-1140, Ilyse Goldman

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

This paper is an environmental history of the Ancestral Puebloan People of Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico from 850 - 1 1 40 of the Common Era (CE), a period also known as the Bonito Phase. Environmental history explores the relationship between people and their landscape over time. To capture as complete a narrative as possible, this paper is written from three perspectives - the natural history of the desert southwest, how the Ancestral Puebloans adapted to these environmental conditions, and a discussion of how the Ancestral Puebloan religious cosmology assisted them in adapting to these conditions, enabling them …

Bonneville Power Administration And The Creation Of The Pacific Intertie, 1958 -1964, Joshua D. Binus

Dissertations and Theses

Construction of the Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie (also known as the Pacific Intertie) began in 1964, following the culmination of a series of interrelated negotiations which included: 1) the planning for the construction and operation of the Pacific Intertie; 2) the passage of federal legislation that put limits on the export of electricity from the regions where it was generated; and 3) the full ratification of the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada. By 1970, with construction complete, the Pacific Intertie allowed for the movement of more than 4,000,000 kilowatts of power among the electrical systems of …

The American Expeditionary Forces In World War I: The Rock Of The Marne., Stephen L. Coode

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American participation in the First World War developed slowly throughout 1917 to a mighty torrent during the last six months of the war. United States participation undoubtedly helped not only repel but to stop all German assaults on the Western Front: it had substantially aided in defeating Imperial Germany.

Through primary and secondary sources a timeline, as well as a few of the more significant events, has been established following the United States' involvement in the war. Special attention has been focused on the United States Third Infantry Division and its part in the July 15- 17, 1918 Second Battle …