History Commons^™

A Dramaturgical Exploration: Setting Oliver Goldsmith’S She Stoops To Conquer In Post-Civil War Virginia, Amanda Ward

Senior Honors Theses

A reputable theatrical company will hire a dramaturg to implement historical research and to provide reputable information where the director or staff desires it. They ensure that the play’s elements are as truthful to the time period as possible and aid in a performance’s overall success. If a theatrical company were to set Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer in 1870 Virginia, it could strengthen the play’s underlying religious, political, and cultural elements.

The paper is comprised of seven sections: a biography of the playwright, a religious exploration, a political analysis, a cultural comparison, a delineation of suggested script …

Teaching The Presidential Elections Using Media Literacy In The Ld Classroom, Jaclyn K. Siegel

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper examines how an educator at a school for students with learning disabilities (LD) used various types of media to engage her students, to develop their academic and executive functioning skills, and to heighten their awareness of media literacy and the 2012 and 2106 Presidential elections. Teacher-created curriculum materials and activities are provided that support students’ ability to analysis media coverage in the context of a special education history classroom. Both media literacy and academic skills were developed through activities that enabled students to find and select resources from their media use at home.

“Music Reception In The Völkischer Beobachter,” Paper For The “Music, Politics, And The State” Session, David B. Dennis

David B. Dennis

No abstract provided.

"Does Beethoven Have To Roll Over? Not If We Flip Him!” Paper For Session: “Who’S Afraid Of High Culture?”, David B. Dennis

David B. Dennis

No abstract provided.

Katja, Ketevahi 'Katje', Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ketevahi “Katja” is from Georgia. She’s in her late 40’s. She grew up on a farm in the country and became the financial support for her family after her mother died and her father became “emaciated.” When Putin came to power, diplomatic ties deteriorated between Georgia and Russia, which eventually led to war. She fled her country using forged documents and first worked in Turkey but has now lived in Naples for nine years and regularly sends money home to her brother, who cares for their father.

Katja expresses her feelings about war, government, liberty, and what it means to …

Exorcising Power, John Jarzemsky

Theses and Dissertations

This paper theorizes that authors, in an act I have termed “literary exorcism,” project and expunge parts of their identities that are in conflict with the overriding political agenda of their texts, into the figure of the villain. Drawing upon theories of power put forth by Judith Butler, I argue that this sort of projection arises in reaction to dominant ideas and institutions, but that authors find ways to manipulate this process over time. By examining a broad cross-section of English-language literature over several centuries, this phenomenon and its evolution can be observed, as well as the means by which …

Entartete Kunst: The War Against Modern Art In The Third Reich, Zeynep Kazmaz

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

In July 1937, the Nazi Party exhibited a collection of modern artwork confiscated from museums throughout Germany. This display, entitled the “Degenerate Art Exhibition,” was organized to ridicule the artwork being presented. The events that led to such a breaking point had started forming around the early 20th century. In Germany, after the First World War, the blossoming of modern art had coincided with the forming of a racist ideology. Meanwhile, Hitler was also discovering his own racist views and dislike of modern art. An artist who delved into politics, Hitler integrated his artistic views into his political ideologies. Eventually, …

Book Review: From War To Genocide: Criminal Politics In Rwanda, 1990-1994, Erin Jessee

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Beethoven At Large: Reception In Literature, The Arts, Philosophy, And Politics, David B. Dennis

David B. Dennis

A detailed analysis of Beethoven's influence on global culture.

Vintage Red.Docx, Rowan Cahill

Rowan Cahill

Vance, Edward Richard, 1833-1902 (Mss 612), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 612. Correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs and family papers of Richard Vance, a Warren County, Kentucky native and U.S. Army officer. After his Civil War service, Vance spent his career at several posts in the South and on the frontier until his retirement in 1892.

Rising In The East: Order And Identity In The Mapping Of A Maine Town During The Federal Period, Kendrick Price Daggett

Maine History

In 1794, the General Court in Boston passed a resolve requiring all towns in Massachusetts and the District of Maine to submit plans that would aid in the creation of an official state map. The legislature’s directive was part of the ongoing nationwide quest to establish order and identity in America following the Treaty of Paris and the break with Britain. Never a foregone conclusion, the evolving national identity was born through a process of invention and was the offspring of contention and debate among various segments of society. This article analyzes the map of Georgetown, Maine drawn by Mark …

An Evaluation Of The Farc, Mln-T, Fmln :The Impact Of Guerrilla Warfare On Democratic Stability In Latin America, Anthony Wright

Honors Theses

Throughout the history of Latin America there have been many revolutions that have reshaped the political fabric of the entire continent. This thesis will seek to explore the impact that the following three movements have had: The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador, Las Fuerzas Armadas de la República de Colombia (FARC), and the Tupamaros (MLN-T) in Uruguay. When examining these three movements the research will include histories and discussions of each revolution and text regarding the strength of democracy within the countries. These sections will then be supported with data regarding democracy and the people’s perspectives …

Pop-Culture Politics: How Cable News Created The Tea Party, Trump, And A Fake Populist Movement, Cole Souder

History Theses

The populist tradition in the United States originated in the nineteenth century with the Populist Party. Since, political movements in the United States and across the globe have been declared populist for their anti-elite, nostalgic message. Most recently, the Donald Trump campaign for president was declared populist because of a perceived economic message that contradicted traditional conservative ideology. However, Trump's movement was not the grassroots sort that he presented it to be. Rather, his was an extension of a particular, socially and culturally motivated faction of the Tea Party. This faction was radicalized in the first decade of the 21st …

The Music And Politics Of Willy Chirino, Nancy N. Balcziunas

Honors College Theses

Cuban musician and singer Willy Chirino, the self-proclaimed inventor of the “Miami Sound,” was sent to the United States as a teenager in the 1960s under Operation Pedro Pan to escape the influence of Fidel Castro's communist regime. Throughout his career, he has used his music to spread a personal and political agenda; his rejection of communism and the Castro regime can be seen through his song lyrics, humanitarian efforts, and direct engagement in the world of politics.

Lincoln’S First 100 Days, Hannah M. Christensen

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Imagine trying to avoid a civil war and then having to figure out how to fight one—all in one’s first 100 days in office and all without Congress. That was what Abraham Lincoln’s first 100 days as president essentially looked like. From his first full day in office on March 5th, 1861 to his 100th day in the middle of June, Lincoln barely had time to handle the things presidents normally did, never mind relax.

Ticket To The Past: A Political History Of The Mexico City Metro, 1958-1969, Maxwell E.P. Ulin

Grand Valley Journal of History

This essay outlines the historic political battle between Mexico's longest serving mayor, Ernesto Uruchurtu, and the nation's president, Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, over the construction of what would become the second largest subway system in the Western Hemisphere, The Mexico City Metro. The conflict, which eventually resulted in Uruchurtu's resignation, was characterized by latent political tensions between the PRI and Mexican middle class that would erupt in 1968 and lead to the ultimate decline of PRI hegemony. I thus argue that the new Metro project did not reflect Mexico's democratic modernization--as its supporters meant it to do--but rather the vestiges of …

Statements In Stone: The Politics Of Architecture In Charlemagne's Aachen, Mary Katherine Tipton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Statements in Stone is an intersectional and preliminary study of the architecture and Social aspects of the palatine complex of Aachen Germany during the reign of Charlemagne approximately spanning from the 790s to 814CE. The interplay between built space and its Social uses inform the larger Social understandings and interpretations of power and authority. Court poetry written by contemporaries and courtiers of Charlemagne allow readers to glimpse the court as it moved through and interacted with the built environment. Architectural precedents inform the connotations associated with the spaces of Aachen, while spatial theory will provide a framework for understanding the …

The Corwin Amendment: The Last Last-Minute Attempt To Save The Union, Hannah M. Christensen

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

At around 5:20AM on March 4, 1861—Inauguration Day—the Senate voted 24-12 to pass a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would permanently preserve slavery in the states where it currently existed. If successfully ratified, it would become the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution—and hopefully avert the secession crisis and the impending Civil War. However, only six states had ratified the amendment by early 1862, and the amendment died soon after. The last attempt to stop the Civil War, an attempt which had been in the works since shortly after the presidential election, had failed.

The Oil Crisis Of 1973: President Nixon’S Actions To Maintain American Prosperity, Meredith Haluga

American Studies Forum

The paper describes the Oil Crisis of 1973. It examines how President Nixon and his government reacted to the Oil Crisis in attempts to prevent the United States from being economically devastated by it. The work includes details about the actions that Nixon and the government took, the regulations set in place as a result, the reactions of Americans, and the lasting impacts of both the crisis and the regulations.

The Growing Challenge Of Dual Credit/Enrollment, Eric G. Tenbus, Daniel Schierenbeck

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Face the dual credit challenge by taking back control of the program and strengthening it to ensure high academic standards. This presentation will explain the dual credit phenomenon and offer practical advice in countering it, navigating the political landmines, and making it work better for your department.

Abolitionists Day: Why Now?, Olivia Ortman

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

This past Saturday, I attended the very first Abolitionists Day here in Gettysburg. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the Seminary Ridge Refectory, but the crowded room seemed like a promising sight to me. When the event started, I was greeted with the words of famous abolitionists—William Loyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe—being spoken by reenactors in period garb. As I listened, I couldn’t help wondering why now? This was a question I heard echoed by many of the other event goers. Why hold the first Abolitionist Day on March 4, 2017?

Fighting An Invisible Enemy: The Polish Media Campaign Against Radio Free Europe, 1950-1972, Nicholas Kulawiak

Summer Research

This project builds off work done in Spring 2017 for a History 400 paper on the development of Radio Free Europe broadcast strategy in Poland from 1950 to 1956. Broadly, my summer project focuses on the way the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL) reacted to and sought to discredit RFE’s broadcasts from 1950 to 1972. The project’s specific analysis is on the way this reaction was manifested in PRL propaganda’s principal outlets: media organs such as state radio stations and newspapers.

My final paper’s central argument is that from 1970 to 1952, RFE was portrayed continuously as an obstacle to …

Adolescence Versus Politics: Metaphors In Late Colonial Uganda, Carol Summers

History Faculty Publications

This article discusses the British deployment of metaphors of adolescence in late colonial Uganda. Topics include the psychological, physiological, sociological and anthropological implications of a modern stage of adolescent life, the presence and persistence of ideas of adolescence in the country, and British engagement in developmental politics and institutions.

When "Comoners Were Made Slaves By The Magistrates": The 1627 Election And Political Culture In Norwich, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article tells the story of a contested provincial election for sheriff which took place in Norwich during 1627. In light of recent scholarly critiques of studies that frame the early-modern period in terms of binary opposites, this article demonstrates that 1620s political culture is hard to define in such stark terms. Through a close reading of the events, characters, and outcomes of the election, this article also shows the importance of embedding local peculiarities into wider historiographical narratives of change, or continuity, and reveals the essential role of the urban middling sorts in shaping the political narratives of the …

Salafism, Wahhabism, And The Definition Of Sunni Islam, Rob J. Williams

Honors Program: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

My capstone deals with the historical definition of Sunni Islam, and how it has changed in approximately the past 200 years. Around 1800, Sunni Islam was pretty clearly defined by an adherence to one of four maddhabs, or schools of law: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools and are all based in nearly a millennium of legal scholarship. Since 1800, however, numerous reform movements have sprung up which disavow previous scholarship and interpret Islamic law their own way. However, certain reformist groups, such as Traditionalist Salafis and Wahhabis, claim that their version of Islam is the only “pure” …

The Wwi Middle East: Western Intervention And Modern-Day Political Conflict, Pauline Park

Global Tides

This paper analyzes three conflicting agreements made by the Allied powers between 1915 and 1917: the Husayn-McMahon correspondence, the Sykes-Picot arrangements, and the Balfour Declaration. It reveals the agreements as demonstrative of deeper patterns of political power and strategy in the Middle East that persist today. This paper moreover compares the Middle East with the European colonization of Rwanda in the 1880s, and how the nation's internal division was caused by external global powers seeking political and economic gain. This analysis seeks to connect global events as part of a wider political agenda propagated by Western powers.

Nature And Human Flourishing In The Laws Of Manu And The Daodejing, Qijing Zheng

Honors Theses

By comparing the interpretation of dharma in the ancient Indian Laws of Manu (Manusmṛti) with the concepts of dao in the Chinese classic, Daodejing, this thesis discusses that, despite the plausible perception that the former represents despotic, hierarchical governance while the latter promotes freedom (and even anarchy), the two texts in fact share a similar envision of human flourishing through the following of one's nature, as well as a foundational belief that both laws and political ideals emerge from nature.