Digital Commons Network^™

Iii.A.2 Displacement & Barriers To Home Ownership, Kim Rostan, Bria Harper, Jim Neighbors, Mark Byrnes

Crafting Democratic Futures

This document explains how systemic racism and discriminatory policies from the Civil War & Reconstruction period through the 20th century prevented African Americans in Spartanburg from building wealth through land ownership and home equity. It details barriers such as Black Codes, sharecropping, convict leasing, exclusion from New Deal programs, discriminatory housing policies, and urban renewal projects that displaced Black neighborhoods without providing equitable opportunities for economic advancement.

Iii.B.2 Educational Barriers, Kim Rostan, Bria Harper, Rylee Jorgensen

Crafting Democratic Futures

The document examines how historical segregation and systemic racism have shaped educational disparities in Spartanburg County, highlighting persistent inequities in school resources, teacher pay, and student outcomes. It concludes that these historical barriers continue to influence academic performance and post-secondary enrollment, with schools serving more diverse populations often facing lower proficiency rates despite high graduation rates.

Iii.F.2 Safety And Security, Kimberly Rostan, Bria Harper, Jim Neighbors

Crafting Democratic Futures

The document details the persistent and systemic violence against Black people in Spartanburg County from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights era, highlighting the role of groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Red Shirts in enforcing white supremacy through terror, intimidation, and murder. It emphasizes that this continuous threat of violence created lasting psychological trauma and served as a major barrier to economic and social progress for Black communities.

University Of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2025, University Of Southern Maine

Commencement Programs

University of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2025

[Review Of The Book Querns And Mills In Mediterranean Antiquity. Tradition And Innovation During The First Millennium Bc, By N. Alonso, T. J. Anderson, L. Jaccottey]., Jared T. Benton

Art Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Querns and Mills in Mediterranean Antiquity (hereafter QMMA) is the publication of an EAA (European Association of Archaeologists) session on querns held in Barcelona in 2018. The purpose of the session—and by extension the volume—was to fill a gap by studying the smaller, hand-operated millstones, which have received less attention than their larger Roman-era and medieval counterparts. A second aim was to begin a conversation about standardizing the study of millstones, and particularly querns, in terminology and methodology.

2025 Recipient's Application, Jennifer Taylor

Open Education Teaching Award

No abstract provided.

Reimagining The College On The Hill: A History Of The Black Working Class At Connecticut College, 1911-1955, Jonathan Dayan

History Honors Papers

The stories of domestic labor at this institution demand a reassessment of the history of the College, its relationship with the city of New London, and the life of the College’s first Black graduate. While Connecticut College was founded explicitly to offer women in the state of Connecticut a chance at a higher education, the College’s progressive mission was tempered from the start by its elitist ambitions and its reliance on the hierarchies of race, class and gender that shaped both American education and labor at the dawn of the 20th century. From its earliest days, the College made an …

Beyond Interdisciplinarity: How Rosine 2.0 Created Social Structures Of Community Care, Jordan Landes, Katie L. Price, Vivian Truong

Library Staff Works

How might we learn from history in ways that help us imagine a better future? And what role might academic institutions play in making those futures imaginable? These questions informed Rosine Association 2.0, a socially engaged art project out of Swarthmore College active from 2021 to 2023. Inspired by a nineteenth-century social project in Philadelphia, Rosine 2.0 formed an interdisciplinary collective of artists, harm reduction organizers, archivists, and activists to co-imagine how harm reduction and mutual aid reduce stigma and increase community care in Philadelphia. We believe that Rosine 2.0 exemplifies the possibilities of public humanities projects that are …

Pressing Matters: American Print Culture And The Development Of Proto-Romanticism, Daniel Young

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis explores the distinctive features of post-independence American print culture and their influence on the emergence of American Romanticism. Advancements in printing technology, the establishment of paper mills, and the proliferation of newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets created a dispersed and unrestricted print environment. This accessibility allowed for a dynamic exchange of ideas, disseminated revolutionary concepts, and cultivated a unique American ethos characterized by individualism and intellectual freedom. Key works such as Washington Irving's The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. and Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland and Edgar Huntly illustrate how early American Romanticism evolved to reflect the unique American …

The Proprietor Of Battersea: The Life And Legacy Of American Founder John Banister (1734–1788), Davis C. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the multifaceted life of Colonel John Banister (1734–1788) during the eighteenth century. Using a biographical methodology, the study highlights his significance as an American founder from Virginia. It provides a chronological account of his accomplishments and a detailed analysis of his complex character as a politician, slave owner, and public figure of cultural importance. The research draws on primary sources such as letters and official records, as well as secondary sources including biographies and historiographies that have received limited attention. The thesis argues that Banister’s role as a Revolutionary leader and American founder is underrepresented in current …

“We Were Put Out Of Good Jobs”: Women Night Workers In New York And The Origins Of The Women’S Equal Opportunity League, R.B. Tiven

Publications and Research

In the 1910s, U.S. social reformers advocated for labor laws to protect women who worked in factories. The laws included bans on women working at night. In New York, a small contingent of night-working women who had lost their jobs objected. Arguing that the laws were paternalistic and harmful, they formed the Women’s Equal Opportunity League. The group opposed all single-sex laws and ultimately won repeal of New York’s night work ban for printers, elevator operators, and transit workers. Night work was the stage on which reformers’ ideas about the greater good conflicted with arguments for women’s autonomy. Whether and …

Soldiers, Alcohol, And Insanity At Richmond Asylum, 1860s-1900s, Amy Milne-Smith

History Faculty Publications

This article examines the role of alcohol in the etiology of madness through a case study of soldiers and veterans at Richmond Asylum in Dublin. It argues that the diagnostic process was a complex practice informed by medical and military authorities and patient and family histories. Like any medical records, Richmond casebooks are mediated through the medical gaze, but they do contain significant glimpses into what role patients and families believed alcohol played in soldiers’ mental health. The study highlights moments of consensus and disagreement rather than a singular theory on the role of alcohol in mental illness. Through a …

Silent Testimonies: The Global Evolution Of Grave Marker Art And Meaning, Erik Culley

Bakerman Student Research Awards

Grave markers are more than simple memorials; they are meaningful cultural objects that reflect how societies understand death, identity, belief, class, and community values. The size, material, decoration, and inscriptions of gravestones change over time in response to economic conditions, religious beliefs, social structures, and consumer culture. By studying grave markers across different regions and historical periods—such as early modern Europe, nineteenth-century Germany, and immigrant cemeteries in Australia—archaeologists can trace broader cultural transformations. Research shows that the rise of external grave markers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was closely tied to increased material consumption and a growing emphasis on …

Limitations Of Secular Values In Constitutions Of The Kingdom Of Thailand: A Critical Study Of The Concepts Of Rights And Liberty, Chayanin Nuisin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This dissertation aims to examine the limitations of secular values within the context of all twenty constitutions of the Kingdom of Thailand. The analysis focuses in particular on rights and liberties as core secular values. The study considers their origins, development, and the obstacles that have hindered the realization of rights and liberties in Thai society. The findings suggest that secular values—especially modern concepts of rights and liberties—emerged during the Reformation period under King Rama V, when Siam sought to adjust itself to the conditions of modernity. This was a period marked by strong Western influence, which brought with it …

An Account Of Roman Surgical Treatments For Ozena: Historical Review, Perry Hammond, Rebecca R. Benefiel, Kent Lam

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Objective: To analyze a first-century Roman account of surgery for ozena-a tetrad of nasal crusting, ulceration, bony involvement, and foul odor-with a focus on historical context, etymology, and surgical management.

Data Sources: This historical review draws from the authors' translation of De Medicina. Primary sources detailing Roman surgical instruments from the House of the Surgeon in Pompeii, as well as secondary sources of surgical techniques, were utilized.

Review methods: An in-depth review of Celsus' descriptions of surgical techniques for ozena was conducted using independent translation and exegetical analysis of primary sources. Archaeological findings were investigated to correlate surgical tools with …

Review: Alle Thyng Hath Tyme: Time And Medieval Life, Kaitlyn Garrett

Quidditas

In a topical addition to the Medieval Lives series, Adler and Strohm's Alie Thyng Hath Tyme: Time and Medieval Life provides an overview of the average medieval person's keeping of, value of, and relationship to time. Gillian Adler, Assistant Professor of Literature and Esther Raushenbush Chair in Humanities at Sarah Lawrence College, and Paul Strohm, professor emeritus at Columbia University, combine literary backgrounds to delve into both technical forms of timekeeping and abstract interpretations of time, including "timescapes" and philosophies of passing time and human aging. Alle Thyng Hath Tyme educates readers on technical forms of timekeeping as well as …

Review: The Catholicism Of Literature In The Age Of The Book Of Common Prayer: Poetry, Plays, Works, 1558-1689, Brandon Schneeberger

Quidditas

Anyone who has observed the worship trends of the younger generation of Christians in the last ten to twenty years will have noticed a renewed interest in traditional, liturgically conservative forms of worship. Whether it is interest in liturgy itself, or in the materials of liturgy - ornate vestments, incense, candles, bells, chanting, etc. - young people today display a keen interest in forms of worship and reverence that seem to have been lost in the cultural upheaval of the late twentieth century, a revolution that affected both Protestant and Catholic forms of worship. However effective the late twentieth-century iconoclasm …

Charles Forbes 'Beano' Russell. Cwgc Certificate, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents: Charles Forbes (Beano) Russell

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Certificate for RAF cadet Charles Forbes ‘Beano’ Russell who died on July 22, 1941, while training to be a pilot at 5BFTS. He is buried in the CWGC British Plot. at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Arcadia.

Dutch Henderson And The Old Hydroelectric Plant On The Oconee River, Dutch Henderson, Billy Mckinley, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Billy McKinley interviews Dutch Henderson about the legacy of the Old Hydroelectric Plant on the Oconee River.

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Rq0PWrh4ESM

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-30-Dutch-Henderson--the-Old-Hydroelectric-Plant-e367uah

Kyle Van Campen And The Delta Sigma Pi House, Kyle Van Campen, Liam Glass, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Liam Glass interviews Kyle Van Campen about the Delta Sigma Pi house and ghost stories in Milledgeville.

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/L3MarBMO5aw

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past---Episode-28-Kyle-Van-Campen-and-the-Delta-Sigma-Pi-House-e35r7cr

Donna Guatier And The First Presbyterian Church, Donna Guatier, Daniel Sims, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Daniel Sims talks with Donna Guatier about the history of the First Presbyterian Church.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s0jnh2Suxuk

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-22-Donna-Guatier-and-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-e35e2ru

John Hargaden And Sacred Heart Catholic Church, John Hargaden, Eowyn Agullo, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Eowyn Agullo interviews John Hargaden about the significance of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Milledgeville.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KCgfVVRyL3Y

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-24-John-Hargaden-and-Sacred-Heart-Catholic-Church-e35njvs

Robert Wilson And The Baldwin Hotel, Robert Wilson, Drake Mellie, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Drake Mellie interviews historian Robert Wilson about the Baldwin Hotel.

Part one

YouTube: https://youtu.be/gERH6zAOd1E

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-26-Robert-Wilson-and-the-Baldwin-Hotel-Pt-1-e35nopf

Part two

YouTube: https://youtu.be/y-qphh64Lh4

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-27-Robert-Wilson-and-the-Baldwin-Hotel-Pt-2-e35nord

Kimberly Griffin And Downtown Milledgeville, Kimberly Griffin, Drew Rice, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Drew Rice interviews Kimberly Griffin about businesses in downtown Milledgeville, including Trapnells, Piggly Wiggly, Sanford House, and JJ's Locker Room.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1hUviYP7hms

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-29-Episode-Kimberly-Griffin-and-Downtown-Milledgeville-e35r7mh

Kimberly Griffin And Memory Hill Cemetery, Kimberly Griffin, Courtney Brandon, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Courtney Brandon interviews Kimberly Griffin on the history and significance of Memory Hill Cemetery, including racial and gender divisions.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lZTo2ly5zOM

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-25-Kimberly-Griffin-and-Memory-Hill-Cemetery-e35nm5m

Jean W. Fraley And Flagg Chapel Baptist Church, Jean W. Fraley, Anne O’Neill, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Anne O'Neill interviews Jean W. Fraley on the history and significance of Flagg Chapel Baptist Church.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DyhVEL9Qrro

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-23-Jean-W--Fraley-and-Flagg-Chapel-Baptist-Church-e35nj38

Al Matysiak And Immigration To Milledgeville, Al Matysiak, Axel Hawkins, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Axel Hawkins speaks with Al Matysiak about his family's immigration to Milledgeville, their connections to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and their relationship with the O'Connor family.

Listen to the podcast versions here:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ou2XcklemWY

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0t6OfFssHacOHmjPTvSHhJ?si=kgR-aOJcRKaNBkQFTPyLwg

Alfred Thomas And Black Businesses In Milledgeville, Alfred Thomas, Maddie Marcinkowski, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Maddie Marcinkowski talks with Alfred Thomas about owning AT's Jazz Club in Milledgeville and describes other black businesses in the area.

Listen to the podcast versions here:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/IDNdkIMMlmk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/672GyUTA7d9xVymTtPnvDy?si=i-mM6_4mTfuCXdAcJmvrtQ

Al Haslam And The History Of Lake Sinclair, Al Haslam, Emily Brown, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Emily Brown interviews Al Haslam about the history of Lake Sinclair, his family-owned marina (one of the longest-operated in Georgia), and the impact of the lake on life in Milledgeville.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y29NJXIuc_s

Listen on Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/sGA2KSqWbVb

"Queens Of Ghost-Land" 134 Years Later: Un-Masking An Appalachian Witchcraft Accuser, Aíne Norris

English Faculty Publications

In 1891, newspapers across America printed a story about witches in the Appalachian Mountains and the alleged powers they possessed to control their small farming community. The article was scathing in accusation and ultimately contributed to continued othering of the women profiled, increasing their visible vulnerabilities of class, gender, and societal status. Despite an implied familiarity with the region, the article was published with initials for its byline, an act that simultaneously identified the author to locals as historian Eva Grant while offering her anonymized national protection as a subject expert. For over five years the accusations were re-printed in …