Digital Commons Network^™

The Air Littoral: Another Look, Maximilian K. Bremer, Kelly A. Grieco

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Assessing threats to the air littoral, the airspace between ground forces and high-end fighters and bombers, requires a paradigm change in American military thinking about verticality. This article explores the consequences of domain convergence, specifically for the Army and Air Force’s different concepts of control. It will assist US military and policy practitioners in conceptualizing the air littoral and in thinking more vertically about the air and land domains and the challenges of domain convergence.

The Civil War And The Transformation Of American Medicine, Benya Wilson

Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

The most common historiographical narrative used to explain the transformation of American medicine during the Civil War centralizes on the brilliance of a few notable physicians, whose radical ideas, daring, and exceptional work ethic built or set precedents for standards foundational to modern medicine. However, this approach is limited and does not consider the impact of the context of war and power structures in shaping the practice of medicine. Through examining personal accounts and official documentation including, government reports, news articles, war journals, private and military correspondence, physicians and nurse’s notes, and post-war autobiographical recollections, a new understanding emerges. Civil …

The Ironclad Economy, Ryan Thomas

Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

This paper investigates and describes the Confederate navy’s attempt to establish a naval presence in New Orleans. At the forefront of the Civil War, the Confederate States were pressed to create and sustain a working military presence within an evolving economy. The Southern economy was about to be ravished by the Union’s blockade. Both the Union and the Confederacy knew that establishing an early presence on the water would be of the greatest importance, of which the Union had a considerably large head start on the nonexistent Confederate navy. This paper covers the birth of the Confederate navy in an …

Beauty, Real Or Apparent: Christian Kings, Muslim Artisans, And The Development Of An Imperial Image Through The Silk And Horticulture Industries In Sicily. (Ca. 1090-1190), Casey K. Brown

History ETDs

In the wake of the Norman conquest of Sicily in the second half of the eleventh century, the Mediterranean island housed a diverse collection of Greek, Latin, and Muslim communities. Norman kings chose Palermo to become the seat of Latin-Christian Sicilian government for its productivity and strategic location and included the island into the complex world of self-fashioning politics and exchange. For Sicilian and ‘foreign’ Muslims alike, the imperious pose Roger II and his successors held created a precarious balancing act between the real and imagined worlds of Sicily. The content of this thesis is primarily concerned with the impact …

Spanish Fisheries Of Charlotte Harbor, E. A. Hammond

Florida Historical Quarterly

The fishermen from Cuba and other Spanish colonial settlements who had first sailed their smacks into the waters of Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay recognized that the bays, inlets, and rivers of the area abounded in edible fish and green turtle ready to be taken with minimal risk and perhaps even with substantial profit. The organic content of these waters provided ideal feeding haunts for many species for which there would be convenient markets. It may be reasonably assumed that commercial fishing, at least on a small scale, was carried on there in the latter part of the seventeenth and …

Book Reviews, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

No FURTHER RETREAT: THE FIGHT TO SAVE FLORIDA, by Raymond F. Dasmann, reviewed by Charlton W. Tebeau; ON PRESERVING TROPICAL FLORIDA, by John C. Gifford, reviewed by Polly Redford; ST. PETERSBURG AND ITS PEOPLE, by Walter Fuller, reviewed by Milton D. Jones; HISTORY OF SANTA ROSA COUNTY: A KING’S COUNTRY, by M. Luther King, reviewed by E. W. Carswell; JAMES BLAIR OF VIRGINIA, by Parke Rouse, Jr., reviewed by Jack P. Greene; THE LETTERBOOK OF ELIZA LUCAS PINCKNEY, 1739-1762, edited by Elise Pinckney, reviewed by Hugh Lefler; THE ANATOMY OF THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS, by Thomas B. Alexander and Richard E. …

Black Slaves, Red Masters, White Middlemen: A Congressional Debate Of 1852, James E. Sefton

Florida Historical Quarterly

A list of the most noteworthy congressional debates over slavery would include those on the Compromises of 1820 and 1850, the Gag Rule, the slave trade, and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, among others. Sometimes, however, debate on a comparatively minor episode of a large issue can be highly illuminating. In the spring of 1852, the House of Representatives devoted perhaps ten hours to a bill which brought to a close a bizzare story that had begun sixteen years earlier during federal efforts to remove the Seminole Indians from Florida. Ever since the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1819, white …

Presumed Nonhuman: Black Women Intellectuals And The Struggle For Humanity In The Academy, Andrea N. Baldwin

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

In this article I engage with the work of Sylvia Wynter, Christina Sharpe, and Kevin Quashie, weaving in my own personal narrative of being presumed nonhuman to detail the everyday struggles Black women academics face. Herein I also illustrate how these struggles become sites of resistance, building, and hope.

The Long Red Thread : How Democratic Dominance Gave Way To Republican Advantage In Us House Elections, Kyle Kondik

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

An incisive study that shows how Republicans transformed the US House of Representatives into a consistent GOP stronghold—with or without a majority.

Long-term Democratic dominance in the US House of Representatives gave way to a Republican electoral advantage and frequently held majority following the GOP takeover in 1994. Republicans haven’t always held the majority in recent decades, but nationalization, partisan realignment, and the gerrymandering of House seats have contributed to a political climate in which they've had an edge more often than not for nearly thirty years.

The Long Red Thread examines each House election cycle from 1964 to 2020, …

For Cause And Countries: Initial, Sustaining, And Combat Motivation In The Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, 1940-1942, Timothy Defazio

Master's Theses

Before the United States entered the Second World War, 245 American pilots pledged their service to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Organized into 71, 121, and 133 Squadrons, collectively known as the Eagle Squadrons, these foreign volunteers present an intriguing avenue of soldier motivation analysis. Employing the conceptual framework offered by John Lynn and James McPherson, this thesis analyzes three components of the Eagles’ motivation—initial, sustaining, and combat.

Viewed in context, the Eagles’ decision to join a beleaguered air force reflected a commitment to ideological principles, as the desires to defend England and curb German aggression figured largely into their …

Book Reviews, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Fancher, The Lost Legacy of Georgia’s Golden Isles, by James C. Bonner; Frakes, Laboratory for Liberty: The South Carolina Legislative Committee System, 1719-1776, by George C. Rogers, Jr.; Combs, The Jay Treaty: Political Battleground of the Founding Fathers, by J. Leitch Wright, Jr.; Daniels, Ordeal of Ambition: Jefferson, Hamilton, Burr, by Aubrey C. Land; Ketcham, James Madison, a Biography, by James Rabun; Stewart, Joshua R. Giddings and the Tactics of Radical Politics, by Alfred A. Cave; Davidson, The Last Foray, The South Carolina Planters of 1860: A Sociological Study, by John Hebron Moore; Thomas, The Confederacy as a Revolutionary Experience, …

Book Reviews, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

WesseIs, Born To Be A Soldier: The Military Career of William Wing Loring of St. Augustine, Florida, by George Buker; Carter, The Gulf Stream Story, by Charlton W. Tebeau; Wright, Gold, Glory, and the Gospel: The Adventurous Lives and Times of the Renaissance Explorers, by William R. Gillaspie; Kraus, Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography, by Paul E. Hoffman; Olson and Brown (eds.), Anglo-American Political Relations, 1675-1775, by Robert R. Rea; Clark, New Orleans, 1718-1812: An Economic History, by Jane De Grummond; Knight, Slave Society in Cuba During the Nineteenth Century, by Kenneth F. Kiple; Rayback, Free Soil: The Election …

The Captives Of Florida, Eugene Lyon

Florida Historical Quarterly

In September 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés of Spain sought out and attacked the Huguenot French in their Florida settlement. When his victory was won, a number of men, women, and children had become captives of the Spanish, while at least two Spaniards were prisoners in the hands of the French. Some of these people possessed noble blood; most were common sailors and soldiers. A few gained a degree of notoriety from their experiences– at least one of the captives was received at the court of Philip II of Spain, while another appeared before the Queen Mother of France. While …

Higher Command: An Examination Of African American Leadership In The Vietnam Era, Amanda Abulawi

Master's Theses

Since the founding of the United States, African Americans have sacrificed their lives to uphold the nation’s democratic ideals, all while being denied equal access to voting, education, employment, and housing rights at home. Military service appealed to many African Americans who hoped it would lead to social and economic advancement for themselves and their race. Despite African American military participation throughout the nation’s history, these soldiers were treated as outsiders through segregated units and often relegated to non-combative duties, until the Vietnam War. This was the first major conflict in which African Americans had been deployed in large numbers …

2021 Annual Dinner Program, The O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

O'Callahan Society Annual Dinner Program

The O'Callahan Society resumes the tradition of an annual dinner after a two-year hiatus. This year's speaker is R. Peter Kimener ’67, a leader in business and a Silver Star recipient for his actions in the Vietnam War

This year we salute those who have served since 9/11/01 and mark the 80th anniversary of the NROTC Program on the Holy Cross campus.

Warfare In The 19th Century, Freddy Enrique Moran

Lesson Plans

Students will be learning about 19^th century warfare and challenges nations faced when fighting a war. The lesson will be accomplished through primary source journal entries and graphs.

Grade Level: 9-12

Lesson Length: 60 minutes

Purpose: Students will read the excerpt from multiple sources and will compare and contrast warfare from the 19^th century and the 20^th century.

Learning Outcomes:

• Student will have the ability to point to specific reasons as to what could have made the Civil War so deadly a conflict.
• Students will give specific examples as to how the Civil War changed/impacted …

Covert Imperialism: The Eisenhower Administration And Cuba, Patrick R. Sullivan

Student Publications

This paper tracks the Eisenhower Administration’s shifting policy towards Cuba and its use of covert imperialism to obtain its objectives. The policy considerations of the United States centered around a convenience for American interests. The support for the Batista regime, despite its oppression, exacerbated anti-American sentiments in the Cuban Revolution and put it on a collision course with American interests. As engagement failed, Cuba nationalized, and tensions escalated, the Eisenhower Administration initiated a campaign of covert imperialism that sought a government more in line with its interests. The covert operations implemented included economic and political sabotage, assassination attempts, and the …

Bearing Report: A Roundtable On Historians And American Veterans, James Marten

History Faculty Research and Publications

Five historians—each an expert on a specific era and issue related to veterans—were asked to ponder the following questions: 1. What are the most important questions explored by historians in veterans studies? 2. What are the books that have been most useful to your particular area of interest in veterans studies? 3. How can the history of veterans help us understand larger cultural, social, and economic issues during the time periods in which the veterans you study lived? 4. What are the particular contributions that a historic sensibility can bring to the study of veterans of any war? 5. How …

For Just Business, It’S Pretty Personal: The Impact Of Money On The Early Republic’S Economically Elite Families, Abigail L. Adam

Student Publications

This essay examines the Adam Family Papers as a case study representing the Early American Republic’s economic elite. It argues that individual business practices affected the relationships between relatives—sometimes positively, other times negatively. The first section concerns other historians’ work on the family and on the Salisbury Iron District. The second section discusses women’s roles within their male relatives’ businesses. The third section relates to gift exchanges, while the fourth concerns business transactions between family members. The fifth section regards the economic hierarchy that emerged within the Forbes & Adam family. Letters concerning Samuel Forbes, John Adam Jr., Abigail Adam, …

Equality, Non-Interference, And Sovereignty: President Ahmadou Ahidjo And The Making Of Cameroon-U.S. Relations, Julius A. Amin

History Faculty Publications

Scholars often dismiss the importance of local archives in the reconstruction of postcolonial African history, stating that they are superficial, unorganized, and unreliable. Amin challenges that notion and argues that those archives are central to the study of African diplomatic history. Based on extensive and previously unused documents, he argues that Cameroon’s Ahmadou Ahidjo leveraged his U.S. policy to develop his country and protect its sovereignty while maintaining a firm grip on power. This reappraisal of Ahidjo’s actions engages debates about the contours of U.S.-African foreign policy and the challenges new nations face as they navigate external relations.

“The Music Did All The Talking:” Community, Resistance, And Improvisation In Louis Armstrong’S Cultural Diplomacy, Leo Posel , '22

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This paper examines the many meanings and implications of Louis Armstrong’s role in the Jazz Ambassadors program, and his tours of West and Central Africa in the 1950’s and 60’s. Specifically, I argue that musical evidence is crucially important in a comprehensive understanding of this program, as well as the politics of creating and consuming Black American music at this time. By relying on live recordings, documentary footage, and radio interviews as well as a rich historiography that relates this music with American Cold War culture, I demonstrate the underlying connections between Armstrong’s performances and American notions of race, diaspora, …

Indigenous Conceptions Of Community Organization And Autonomy In Oaxaca’S Sierra Norte: Answers And Resistance To State-Sponsored Practices Of Internal Colonialism, Carter Minnick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past century, the Mexican government has continued to reproduce dominant, colonial relationships with its indigenous populations. Within the last few decades, clashes between harmful neoliberal visions of national development and continued demands for indigenous autonomy have only intensified. In the context of such events, this present work seeks to explore a specific conception of community identity, coined as la comunalidad, in the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca. After the breakdown of its most fundamental tenets, I will attempt to both underscore its position as a framework of resistance in combatting historical and ongoing state-organized aggressions against these communities, …

A Socio-Ecological Perspective On Integrating Biodiversity Conservation And The Security-Development Nexus In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lilyon Conroy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of community-based biodiversity conservation as a security-development strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa. While the creation of the security-development nexus has been an essential component in mainstreaming the principles of sustainable human development, there exist numerous gaps in the nexus. With the aid of four expert interviews, this analysis critically assesses the role of the environment and of local communities in successfully implementing the security-development nexus. Using the existing body of work comprising the security-development nexus as a framework, this research examines why biodiversity conservation has been overlooked as a security-development strategy …

The Role Of Public And Private Sectors: How To Promote National Cybersecurity Strategies And Critical Infrastructure Protection In Southeastern Europe, Larry Cruz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to address the important role of public and private interests in protecting critical infrastructure in Southeastern Europe, providing examples from Serbia. While the public sector does have a role in protecting critical infrastructure needs, it is the private sector which holds major oversight of the critical infrastructures of the region, therefore having an important role in maintaining their functionality and protection. The literature in this field argues for more collaboration and information sharing between the public and private sectors of the region, though the task is not as simple as it appears given the varying aspirations of …

The Buraimi Crisis: The Anglo-American Rivalry In The Arabian Peninsula, 1949-1955, Omar S. Abdellatif, Abdulaziz Al Meajel

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Through the case study of the Buraimi War, this essay aims to dissect the impact of British and American influence on political systems in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly as a result of their post-Second World War rivalry in the region. It is argued that as a result of Great power rivalry and the clash between traditional political concepts and that brought on by Western powers, that the adoption of political institutions of European conception would accelerate. Thus, the modern state system in Arabia was born marked by territorially defined boundaries and increased authoritarianism.

From Madame Butterfly To M. Butterfly: Changing Narratives Of Oriental Womanhood, Nam Do

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Throughout its performance history, Madame Butterfly (1904) by Giacomo Puccini has

attracted significant intrigue and controversies. Through its protagonist Cio-Cio San, the opera

depicts Asian femininity as weak-willed, servile and ultimately powerless in the face of Western

forces. This paper will examine the trajectory of this narrative of Orientalism through Madame

Butterfly and its two modern adaptations, Miss Saigon (1989) and M. Butterfly (1993). Through an analysis of both informal and formal sources, this study will show how the Orientalist womanhood is first accepted and embraced by the native audiences of Madame Butterfly, is rejected by the audiences of Miss …

Serfs, Excluded Or Governed By The State? Serfdom In Russia, An Historiographical Analysis, Jason Ferguson

Dissertations and Theses

Serfdom in Russia has often been viewed in Anglo-U.S. historiography as an exceptional institution in that it emerged in the early-modern age, after serfdom in Western Europe had ended, and that it persisted for well over two centuries, spanning the Muscovite and the Imperial eras. Many historians have thus compared serfdom in Russia unfavorably to labor systems that developed in Western European nations at that time, considered to be "modern" and "free," in contrast to the "unfree" labor obtained through Russian serfdom. This thesis presents the scholars who take this view, and refers to them as "Consensus Historians," as their …

Biden Administration U.S. Space Force Policy Literature, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides details on U.S. Space Force policy literature produced by the Biden Administration during its first eight months. Includes announcements that the Biden Administration will continue this new armed services branch begun during the Trump Administration. Features congressional testimony of Biden Administration officials such as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Wilson and Air Force Space Command leader General James Dickinson, the text of Space Force's 2021 Digital Force Vision document, congressionally approved FY 2022 space force budget figures, congressional committee comments and report requirements contained in emerging defense spending legislation, the emergence of collaboration between Space Force and universities such as …

Chemical Warfare In Wwi: The Psychological Corrosion Of Soldiers Via Chemical Warfare And The 1925 Geneva Convention’S Involvement In Eradicating Future Gaseous Afflictions, Lakin Davis

West Virginia University Historical Review

The discourse surrounding mental health awareness has progressed throughout decades of research, stigma breaking, and connectedness; however, this trend of growth regarding mental illnesses was not as forgiving over a century ago, during and directly after the Great War. Natural elements of war alone caused tumultuous suffering for soldiers within the Triple Entente and the Central Powers. Yet, it was the man-made technologies of World War I that caused the deepest traumas, particularly the chemical variants created by Fritz Haber. By examining this history through a psychological lens, the British soldiers exposed to chemical warfare from Ypres to Verdun are …

Beyond A Border Conflict: Indigenous Involvement In The Mexican-American War, Riley Bowers

West Virginia University Historical Review

Settled squarely in the heartlands of many Indigenous Americans’ ancestral territories, the disputed area between the United States and Mexico fought over during the Mexican-American War is often solely conceptualized as the latter definition. The Indigenous peoples of these lands themselves are often just as ignored in the historical narrative of this period as are their ties to the lands. The research presented in this article aims to bring to light this often understudied part of the Mexican-American War, being Indigenous involvement in the war itself and the lasting effects that it had upon Indigenous groups. This article focuses on …