Social History Commons^™

Our National Reckoning: A Historiographical Approach To Emancipation And Lincoln, Jaie R. Pizzetti

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This historiographical paper examines scholarship on Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation in our national reckoning with the legacies of slavery and race in American History since 1865. This leads scholars to inevitably confront the question of Lincoln’s true motivation for pursuing emancipation as a war goal: to save the Union or to provide a “new birth of freedom?” Following the tumultuous period of Reconstruction, which gave rise to segregation in the South, many white historians focused little attention on slavery and emancipation in studies of the Civil War. Attention returned in the twentieth century, especially with the centennial of …

Frenemies? Fascists And Conservatives In Interwar Britain, Dylan R. Cameron

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the attitudes, beliefs, and arguments of British Conservatives (Tories) in discussions about British fascism through the lens of two mainstream Conservative newspapers, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, focused primarily on the buildup and aftermath of the infamous Olympia rally in June 1934. This thesis identifies two key factions within the conservative movement which arose in reaction to the rise of Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF): (1) the staunchly anti-fascist “mainline Tories” who detested the BUF’s “foreign” character, propensity for violence, and antithesis to traditional liberal democratic principles, and (2) the fascist-sympathizing “reactionary Tories” …

Black And Catholic: Leadership Lessons From The Saintly Six, Sr. Nicole Trahan

Black History at St. Mary's University - 2025 Collection

Finding your voice as a Black Catholic in the United States today can be challenging in many ways. This workshop explored the lessons for leadership and empowerment we can learn from Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Augustus Tolton, and Servant of God Thea Bowman – the six Black Americans in the official process of being recognized as Saints by the Catholic Church.

Black Women & Feminism: Sncc, The Second Wave, And Balancing Identities Of Gender & Race, Olivia Sinkevitch

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

This research paper discusses American Black women’s interactions with feminist movements with a focus on the story of one civil rights group, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The paper tells the account of how advancing feminist thought in the 1960s was met with different reactions among SNCC’s racially diverse membership. With ideologies such as Black Power also gaining in popularity at this time, rifts among racial lines were created within SNCC that would echo later racial disparities in the second-wave feminist movement of the 1970s. The thesis of the paper largely speaks to the issue of intersectionality and how …

"Nuestra Herencia, Nuestra Historia – Our Heritage, Our History" Preserving Hispanic Heritage Month At St. Mary’S University, Barbara Ortiz

Capstone Projects

This project aims to initiate the preservation for culturally significant events of Hispanic Heritage Month at St. Mary’s University through collection, documentation and archival efforts. By capturing events, speeches, performances, and exhibits, I plan to create a lasting historical record that highlights the contributions and experiences of Hispanic students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Digital Commons will serve as the primary archive and research space, providing a valuable and accessible resource for future generations, fostering understanding, appreciation, and celebration of Hispanic heritage within the St. Mary’s and Westside San Antonio community.

Res Historica, Volume 4, Lynneth Miller Renberg Phd, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta

Res Historica

The 2025 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg, Samuel Sanders, and Julia Ackerman. The cover art for this volume is an open access image.

“A Wonderful World?”: C&S’S Georgia Plan, Urban Renewal, And Historic Preservation In Savannah, Augusta, And Macon, J. Mark Souther

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ursinus Magazine, Spring 2025, Robyn E. Hannigan, Steve Thomas, Jennifer L. Post-Whisted, Brad Drexler, Alyssa Kratz, Connor Donohue

Ursinus Magazine, 1995–Present

Students named campus sustainability champions • It's On Us grant awarded • APEX to redefine the student journey • Trustee appointments • New academic offerings • Scholarships awarded for study abroad • Gordon Ramsay spotted at Cafe 2020 • Voices soar in the Big Easy • Exploring the world • New graduate partnerships • Ursinus joins Cost Transparency initiative • Ursinus voted a 2025 "Philly Favorite" • Alumni Awards celebrate outstanding achievement • Class of 2025 embracing joy and awe • Faculty research • Defender of the deep • Delivering a dream • Where art meets architecture • The new …

Crusading Against Vice In The Progressive Era: American Anti-Profanity Leagues And Their Legacy, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era in the United States, the rise of Anti-Profanity Leagues—such as those led by Roland D. Sawyer and Arthur S. Colborne—mirrored a growing national moral sentiment against profanity that aligned with broader ideals of social reform and public virtue. These leagues responded to widespread concerns about the perceived erosion of public decency and sought to promote “clean speech” through grassroots organizing, religious engagement, and civic advocacy. This paper situates the Anti-Profanity Leagues within the larger framework of Progressive Era moral reform movements, including temperance, anti-vice campaigns, and social purity efforts. Drawing on period newspapers, archival materials, and …

The Semantics Of Sin: Profanity, Reform, And Cultural Authority In Progressive America, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era, language reform movements such as the Anti-Profanity League sought to regulate everyday speech as part of broader efforts to preserve public morality and cultural identity. This paper examines the rhetorical strategies and cultural assumptions underpinning the anti-profanity crusade, focusing especially on Reverend Roland D. Sawyer’s leadership. Using historical sources including league literature, newspaper accounts, personal letters, organizational records, and sermons, it argues that profanity was framed not merely as a religious or moral failure but as a threat to social cohesion, character, and national values. Efforts to suppress swearing reveal how language functioned as a marker …

Crusading Against Vice: American Anti-Profanity Leagues And Their Legacy, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

This presentation examines the rise of American Anti-Profanity Leagues during the Progressive Era, with particular focus on the efforts of Roland Sawyer and Arthur Colborne. These leagues sought to eliminate profanity from public and private life, using printed materials, pledge campaigns, public speeches, and media outreach to promote “clean speech” as a moral imperative. Drawing on archival research, including the Roland D. Sawyer Papers housed at the UNH Library, as well as digital newspaper databases, this project investigates how profanity was framed as a threat to civic virtue, and how anti-profanity activism mirrored the goals and methods of other Progressive-Era …

Lincoln, Slavery, And Race: Tracking Change Over Time, Charles C. Clow-Levesque

GLI MA in American History Student Works

Abraham Lincoln's views on African slavery and race changed over time.

Defying Conscription: The Social, Political, And Military Consequences Of Draft Evasion In The Union And Confederacy, Orlando R. Pagan

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This research paper examines draft evasion during the American Civil War as a reflection of deep social, economic, and political divides within the Union and Confederacy. It argues that draft resistance stemmed not from individual cowardice but structural inequalities and resentment among the poor and working class. Wealthy citizens could evade service through legal mechanisms like commutation fees, fueling the perception of the war as a “rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.”

Drawing on primary and secondary sources from scholars like David Williams and Stephanie McCurry, the paper analyzes events such as the New York City Draft Riots …

We Are The War: The Evolution Of Black Military Service In The Department Of The South, Richard P. Condon

GLI MA in American History Student Works

During the waning months of 1861 a joint operation between the United States Army and Navy forced wealthy white planters and Confederate troops from the Sea Islands of South Carolina. The Battle of Port Royal Sound, better known as the day of the “Big Gun Shoot” by the local enslaved population, marked the beginning of a new era; the transition from a slave society to a free one. Within months the liberating army expanded their footprint in the Deep South, moving inland toward the port cities of Charleston and Savannah. Limited access to additional troops, however, necessitated the recruitment of …

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1860-1862 The Effects Of Military Occupation On Unionist And Secessionist Convictions, Riley P. Bogema

GLI MA in American History Student Works

Local histories of Civil War occupation provide a human face to the larger history of the American Civil War. The interactions between citizens and outside occupiers furnishes greater clarity and revelations on the human cost of conflict. It also presents greater evidence, either supportive or not, on broader arguments expressed in scholarly works on the Civil War. This work examines how prior attitudes towards the Unionism and secessionism were provoked during the process of military occupation. It argues that in the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the citizens’ allegiances and relationships were challenged by the occupation of both Union and Confederate …

The Overlooked Civil Rights Movement In South Carolina, Brooks R. Hammett

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This paper examines the overlooked but critical role of South Carolina in the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the contributions of student-led activism, landmark legal cases, and influential grassroots leaders. Focusing on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Claflin University, Allen University, Benedict College, South Carolina State University, and the Avery Institute, the study explores how students catalyzed local movements through sit-ins, marches, and organized protests. It also investigates the legal and social ramifications of desegregation efforts following Brown v. Board of Education, including the resistance from public institutions and the emergence of segregation academies. Key civil rights events—such as …

Hidden Gems In The Cops/Metro Archival Collection, Qiuying Chen

Posters - 2025

This student poster was created for the 5th annual Research Showcase at St. Mary's University. From the poster:

University of Texas in San Antonio’s Special Collections has boxes upon boxes of COPS/Metro archival records which include rarely-known stories including these about a United Nations award, nationwide documentaries, and an inspiring bishop. In this project, it is my goal to uncover these special memories.

A City Divided: Norfolk, Virginia And Public Higher Education In The Era Of Desegregation, John Edward Wiley V

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the 1978 suggested merger of predominantly white Old Dominion University and historically Black Norfolk State College (now Norfolk State University), two neighboring public higher education institutions. That year the Federal Department of Housing, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and the Office for Civil Rights (ORC) claimed that the two universities offered nine duplicative degree programs. According to HEW and the OCR, this duplication was a violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in all public institutions receiving federal aid. The duplication also represented the last vestiges of Jim Crow segregation in the …

Piecing Together The Past: Documenting The Philanthropic History Of Lincoln’S Arts And Culture, Audrey L. Ellis

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project explores the creation of a book chapter discussing the history of philanthropy in Lincoln, Nebraska, focusing on its impact on arts and culture. The chapter will be published in Fall 2025 by the Lincoln Community Foundation. By documenting philanthropy in the arts and culture spaces, this book and chapter hope to inspire further giving by showcasing the benefit that has been reaped through giving. Through research of public records and a series of interviews, this chapter examines Lincoln’s key donors and arts organizations from the mid-19th century to the present. This project explores the process and key takeaways …

A Quarter Century Of Scholarship: Trends In The St Mary’S Law Scholar’S Journal, Trenton Boudreaux

Capstone Projects

This project catalogs the trends of the articles published in The Scholar: St Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice. Over its 25-year history, The Scholar has published 26 volumes discussing issues related specifically to minority and social justice issues. The project catalogs the topics covered in the volumes, and explores this data for historical trends. The project posts these results on the St. Mary’s Law School History page and provides historical context for some of the topics covered. This information provides a valuable resource for researchers into The Scholar as a publication.