Social History Commons^™

Italians, Finns, Methodists, And The Klan: A Look Into The Complex Identities And Relationships That Were Prominent In The Upper Peninsula During The 1920s, Piper R. Kraft

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

This essay focuses on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the 1920s and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. Using interviews from the Italian Oral History Collection, this essay explores the relationship between Italians, Finns, and the KKK. Rather than focusing on labor relations, this essay explores how these groups saw exogamy, the value placed on maintaining one’s religious connection and perceived racial identity. This research touches on the intersectionality of racialized ethnicity, religion, and class, concluding that the predominantly Methodist KKK would be more open to relationships, both personal and professional, with Finnish immigrants, even though they do …

The Price Of Freedom, Bryce Fletcher, Dawson Helton, Ty Ledford

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

In April of 1943 at Djebel under heavy enemy fire Private First Class Slusher and three other enlisted men swiftly assaulted the hill with fixed bayonets and did away with an enemy machine gun squad. For this action he was awarded a silver star. The next day he was injured by a shell fragment for which he received a purple heart.

Paul 'Raymond' Griffith, Isabella Anderson-Huseman, Allison Ferguson

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Paul Raymond Griffith began his active-duty service on May 17, 1945 where he was stationed at the Fleet Post Office in San Francisco, California. He later served on both the USS Samar (ARG11) and the USS LST 505 working in the mail room organizing and distributing the mail among the men on the ship.

John Thomas 'Big Dog' Daugherty, Christina Lambert, Bryce Tackett

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Lieutenant Colonel John ‘Big Dog’ Daugherty was sent to Espiritu Santo Island in 1943. In 1944, he was ordered to start a bombing attack on Rabaul out of fear of a Japanese ship attack. He flew a Grumman ‘Avenger’ and his team sunk seven ships. He was awarded the Flying Cross for showing heroism while in flight.

Sammie Slusher, Bryce Fletcher, Dawson Helton, Ty Ledford

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Staff Sergeant Slusher enlisted in July 1942 and passed in June 1944 before his daughter could meet him. In 1943, he became the recipient of the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. His medals are the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign and the World War II Victory Medal.

The Silver Star is awarded to those who had valor in combat and the Purple Heart is given to those were injured or killed while serving the US military.

Smokey & The Panther: Homer "Smokey" Davis, Walker Anderson, Jeremiah Brown

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Homer “Smokey” Davis belonged to the 3rd Armored Division, known as Spearhead. Davis saw heavy fighting towards the end of the war and had the rare privilege to operate the M26 Pershing T26E3 tank. Spearhead was present at the Battle of Cologne, where Davis and crew fought and won a famed tank duel with a German Panther.

Impact Of World War Ii In Eastern Kentucky, A Intro

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

An introduction poster to the Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky created by Emma Crouch in the fall of 2024.

Authenticity And Genre In Old-Time Music: 1958-1965, Lara Ressler-Horst

Masters Theses, 2020-current

From 1961-1965, in response to the growing commercial success of the Folk Revival, a small group of New York City-based folk musicians and folklorists began promoting what they viewed as a more ‘authentic’ version of folk music. Calling themselves the “Friends of Old Time Music (FOTM),”[1] these musicians and folklorists put together a series of 14 concerts between 1961 and 1965 to promote ‘traditional musicians’. The decision by this small group of musicians and folklorists to use the genre name ‘old-time’ rather than ‘folk’ in their concert series was a direct engagement with and response to Folk Revival era …

Greenwood 'Cokie' Cocanougher, Chandler Howard, Brennan Ison, Zoey Rounsville

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Greenwood ‘Cokie’ Cocanougher participated in the War Service Training Program where she taught 250 students. She was the first woman to pin wings on a graduate, who was her son. After the war she became the leader of the Civil Air Patrol and Aero Club of Louisville. She served on UK Board of Athletics.

Gladys Veronica Stamper Meyers: "The Hornet", Emma Crouch, Kaitlyn P'Simer, Arwen Sergent

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Gladys Meyer came from a long line of military servicemen. She’s the first female in the Stamper family to enlist in the United States military. She was deeply inspired by her three brothers, Clarence, William, and Theodore who all served in World War II. She served in the Women's Air Force during the Korean Conflict.

Greenwood "Cokie" Cocanougher: "A Mother Doing Her Part", Chandler Howard, Brennan Ison, Zoey Rounsville

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Cokie Cocanougher participated in the War Service Training Program where she solo taught 250 students how to fly. She was the second woman to land a plane on an army airfield and the first woman to pin wings on her son who graduated flight school.

Paul Raymond Griffith, Isabella Anderson-Huseman, Allison Ferguson

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Seaman 1st Class Paul R. Griffith joined the Navy despite ‘not being able to swim’ according to his son. He served at the Fleet Post Office, the USS Samar and USS LST 505 in the mail rooms. Griffith received the Asiatic Pacific Area Ribbon and the World War II Victory Ribbon. After leaving the Navy, he worked for the US Postal Service until his retirement.

Gladys 'Hornet' Meyers, Emma Crouch, Kaitlyn P'Simer, Arwen Sergent

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Corporal Gladys ‘Hornet’ Meyers serviced in the Women’s Airforce during Korea. She worked at the Defense Plant in Dayton, Ohio and took care of her family as teenager. She is the first woman in her family to serve – three of her brothers – Clarence, William, and Theodore - served in World War II one of which also served in Korea. Her father, Link Stamper, served in World World I.

Kentucky's Flying Leader: John Thomas Daugherty, Christina Lambert, Bryce Tackett

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

On July 31, 1943, Colonel John Daugherty and his bomber group were sent to Espiritu Santo Island to prepare for the Japanese along their acquired territory of Rabaul in the Pacific. In February 1944, it was assumed Japan was preparing a possible navy attack. Daugherty was ordered to begin a bombing attack on Rabaul. On March 4, 1944, the crew destroyed seven Japanese ships, with Daugherty sinking one while flying a Grumman "Avenger" torpedo bomber plane. He would receive a Flying Cross.

Homer 'Smokey' Davis, Walker Anderson, Jeremiah Brown

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Private Homer ‘Smokey’ Davis operated the M26 Pershing T26E3 tank. His Division, called Spearhead, was at the Battle of Cologne. After serving in the war, he became an electrician at Morehead State University.

Urban Japanese, Rural American: How Regionality Shaped Nisei Girlhood In Prewar America, Lauren Reiko Yanase

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores Nisei girls' racial and cultural identity formation in the American West before their forced removal to the World War II Japanese American mass incarceration camps. Japanese American history has long been dominated by male narratives, from labor histories of the 1880's first-generation Issei to the American patriotism of the 1930's second-generation Nisei. Japanese American women are generally considered through generational categories, promulgating a linear story of American progress. I argue that regionality is the main factor that shaped Nisei girls' self-identity, employing transcribed interviews with Nisei women born 1924-1929 as primary sources to write narrative histories differentiated …

The Civil War In Bedford County, Virginia: The Role Of One Small County In The Nation’S Bloodiest War, Jacob Slusser

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Bedford County, Virginia played a central role in many important aspects of the Civil War. The county provided some of the first troops to Virginia following secession and fielded numerous units in many of the most important battles of the Civil War. Liberty (as Bedford was known then) also served as a major hospital town, effectively making the county seat a major Confederate military outpost. The women of Bedford County helped to ensure that sick or wounded soldiers were fed and taken care of in the numerous hospitals in the city. The importance of Liberty, therefore placed the town in …

Liberty To The Captive: The Two Definitions Of Equality In The Abolitionist Movement, Justin Searls

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The matter of the debate on equality’s definition between black Christian ministers and white Christian ministers is an understudied topic of discourse that merits attention in the historical profession. In recent years, there has been discussion surrounding the general racial divide within abolitionism. However, the religious perspective on this matter has received little to no attention. How did black ministers and white ministers address the question of emancipation and enfranchisement for African Americans in the abolitionist movement from the 1830s through the Civil War and beyond? There is a significant disparity in the discussion of equal rights for African Americans …

Resourcefulness And Changes In Wealthy Confederate Women’S Fashion During The American Civil War, Adaline Nolley

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

At the dawn of the American Civil War, women’s fashion had become increasingly extravagant, featuring intricate embroidered designs, folded skirts, and detailed bodices. In the American South, the image of the “southern belle” emerged during the antebellum period. The initial view of the southern belle was characterized by displays of wealth through clothing and décor choices. However, as the Civil War dragged on, battles and blockades caused shortages in goods in the South both from Northern industrial centers and European markets. The evolution of southern women’s fashions between the antebellum period and the end of the American Civil war demonstrates …

Women’S Fashion In The Civil War And Godey’S Lady’S Book’S Role In Its Dissemination, Julia Broughton

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The Civil War was a difficult time in America’s history, but in many ways, life continued as it always had. Women were still interested in fashion, and they still wanted to wear dresses that made them feel beautiful. They also wanted to keep up with trends and find creative ways to incorporate trends into their wardrobes. In the war period, fabric types, the typical dress silhouette, common trends, and fashion magazines all informed women’s fashion, as well as fashion’s function. One such magazine that played an important role as a disseminator of women’s fashion during the Civil War was the …