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The Heart Of The University: Student Clubs And The American Colonization Of The Pacific, Eli Arnold

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Students have travelled across the Pacific Ocean to study at the University of Montana for over a century, and the contributions of these students deserve to be studied. This thesis explores the educational and community building roles that the historic International Club and Filipino Club, as well as the contemporary Pacific Islanders Club fulfilled. Students from the Philippines and Hawaiʻi provide clear examples of the potential for college campuses to be gathering places for broader community. This thesis is also a study of the global phenomenon of colonialism as seen from Filipino and Native Hawaiian students who travelled to Missoula …

Norfolk Core Redevelopments And Population Disruption Dispersal, Sumner Darling

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

This project is an analysis of the racial impacts of the redevelopment of the downtown area of Norfolk, Virginia in the period of 1939-1959. The overall goal is to understand the ethnic and racial impacts of redevelopment and how populations were treated differently during the two styles of redevelopment that were employed in the city. The existing research on this topic tends to focus on the segregation of the education system in the city over the community population segregation. This makes it difficult to find sources that show the impacts of other factors like redevelopment of minority communities. Through research …

[Review Of The Book Closed Seasons: The Transformation Of Hunting In The Modern South, By J. Brock]., Tracy L. Barnett

History Faculty Publications

[Introduction] The hunt has long occupied a central place in southern lore and literature. For generations, fathers and grandfathers initiated their sons into its rituals, teaching them to steady a rifle, bait a hook, and cast a line. In the twentieth century, William Faulkner and other writers elevated this long-held tradition into mythology, evoking both the exhilaration of the chase and the gothic romance of Mississippi’s pine forests. And, today, around 5.3 million southerners (of all races and genders) hold hunting licenses and organize their calendars around the season’s rhythms and associated social gatherings. Focusing on the Deep South states …

The Black Panther Party: From Militancy To Social Activism, De'andre Brown Jr.

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

This research project examines the ways in which the Black Panther Party (BPP) was negatively portrayed by the media and targeted by the government from the moment of the organization's inception in 1966. The BPP’s shift in rhetoric style from militancy to social activism is emphasized by examining the organization’s “survival” programs, such as the Free Breakfast Programs, Free Health Clinics, and Education Programs, and their impact on black communities around the country. Past scholarly opinions about the BPP were driven by a fear from white America toward the organization’s aggressive style of protest and social activism. The government looked …

The Alchemy Of Jim Crow And Chinese Exclusion: A Study Of Chinese Mississippian Experience From Reconstruction To The Civil Rights Movement, 1870-1967, Sixu Liu

Theses and Dissertations--History

This dissertation examines the history of the Chinese community in Mississippi from the Reconstruction era to the late 1960s. Despite the modest size of their population, the experience of Chinese Mississippians helps us answer a number of key questions regarding two of America’s most impactful institutions, Chinese exclusion and Jim Crow, and their recipients. Why did Chinese Mississippians come to a state that was known for racial hatred and racial oppression? How should a people that was neither Black nor White situate themselves in a society dictated by a Black-White binary? How did Mississippi, a state that was often not …

4h Nr 3122 Fusiller Regiment Von Knyphausen, Trenton, New Jersey, 1782, Johannes Schwalm Historical Association

Schwalm Marburg Files

No abstract provided.

Spring 2025 Graduate Portfolio, Alex Billman

Graduate Research Papers

History is more than a mere chronicle of events; it is a dynamic tapestry woven from a multitude of experiences, cultures, and narratives that shape our collective past. My philosophy of history is rooted in the belief that understanding history is essential for comprehending the present and envisioning the future. As a passionate historian with a focus on Iowa's rich and diverse history, I am driven by a commitment to uncovering the stories that have shaped this region and its people. My approach to history is both analytical and empathetic, aiming to bring to light the voices and perspectives that …

Graduate Portfolio, Cody Miller

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Civilian Manufacturing And National Defense: Strategic Planning For Globalization's Challenges, Izeck Kohler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines the interconnection between civilian manufacturing and national defense within the context of globalization. The study aims to identify the challenges faced by the United States in maintaining its manufacturing capabilities and to propose strategic solutions to address these challenges. Through a comprehensive analysis of historical data, case studies, and policy recommendations, the research highlights the critical role of specialized and process manufacturing sectors towards national defense. The findings suggest that the creation of a federal executive department, strategic investment, diversification, policy re-evaluation, and collaborating with allies are essential for sustaining national defense capabilities. The study concludes with …

Ski Jumpers From Kongsberg, Norway, Dominated Competition 1938 - Ruud Brothers Tour The Country Demonstrating Their Ski Jumping Skills, John W. Lundin

Works by Local Authors

This essay was written for the Norsk Bergverksmuseum (Norwegian Mining Museum) in

Kongsberg, Norway to provide a brief history of some of the ski jumpers from that small town

who competed in the U.S. and dominated the sport from the 1920s through the 1940s. This was

known as the Kongsberg Era, and the Kongsberg technique of ski jumping, developed by the

Ruud brothers, was the style used by most competitors.

In summer 2025, Mining museum staff contacted the Washington State Ski and

Snowboard Museum seeking information about ski jumping trophies in their collections that

were won by Kongsbergers in tournaments …

Searching For The "Tender Places": Shoddy, Knowledge, And Material Culture In The Civil War Era, Robert William Novak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the American Civil War era, shoddy was difficult to understand. It was simultaneously seen as evidence of advancing western civilization as well as a disgusting amalgamation of refuse and disease that threatened those who touched it. Made from shredding woolen rags and tailors’ clippings, the recycled woolen fibers could by applied in myriad woolen blends that came to dominate the ready-made clothing industry that developed through the first half of the nineteenth century. Its application could soften coarse blends and refine the appearance of cheap cloth. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, however, shoddy came to define …

Not Far Enough: The West Virginia Human Rights Commission And The Civil Rights Movement, David Solomon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigates the West Virginia Human Rights Commission and its action surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. The Commission represented the liberal ideals that led white moderates to be potent allies of the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the years following its inception, the Commission investigated and documented many instances of Jim Crow that were crushing Black communities in West Virginia. However, the limits of its liberal approach prevented it from creating solutions that would address the power structures that supported discrimination in West Virginia. By the late 1960s, Black frustrations with the lack of meaningful change boiled over into riots …

Power, Economy, And Food Systems In The Confederacy: A Material History Of The Confederate Subsistence Department, John Martin Mcmillan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation questions how human and non-human actors share power. By exploring Confederate logistics within the Subsistence Department, the collaboration between bureaucrats and the material world is revealed. Contributing to scholarship aimed at expanding the field of Civil War studies, this dissertation not only provides a more complex and interesting view of the conflict, but also an understanding that human beings are not solely responsible for the war’s results. By applying a materialist approach, the causes and outcomes of an event as complicated as a civil war can be better explained and understood. The choice to stockpile food for distribution …

Adopting America’S Future Citizens: The Children’S Bureau And The Plight Of East Asian War Orphans, 1950-1969, Caroline Chen

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

This essay considers the role of the Children’s Bureau in the transnational adoptions of East Asian war orphans from 1950-1969. World War II and other Cold War conflicts left hundreds of thousands of children in Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea orphaned and displaced. This essay argues that the Children’s Bureau played an important role in the transnational adoptions of East Asian war orphans. The Bureau was the only federal agency involved in these adoptions explicitly devoted to child welfare. Cold War geopolitics imbued the Bureau’s approach. Through transnational adoptions, the agency simultaneously responded to Cold War pressures to help children …

Cascadian Independence: A Rising Movement For An Independent Northwest Amid Growing Regionalism In The United States And Canada, Elias V. Savitt

Capstone Showcase

Because of the Civil War, secession is a sore topic to many Americans. However, the idea of secession has not been confined to this notorious example. My essay focuses on the idea that Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia could be the basis for a unified autonomous or even independent entity called Cascadia. First, I discuss the history of secession as such, and the arguments that have been made pro and con as to its legality and under what situations. I then situate this within the histories of the United States and Canada and the phenomena of regionalism and independent movements. …

Operation Dumbo Drop: Cultural Memory, And Representations Of The Vietnam War In The 1990s, Sylvie Kromer

Scripps Senior Theses

In 1995, the film Operation Dumbo Drop was released by Walt Disney Pictures. This film, based on a true story of elephants being airlifted across Vietnam in 1968 by the American military, holds a unique position as a rare family-friendly comedy about the Vietnam War. As a reflection of 1990s-era cultural memory of the Vietnam War, the film rehistoricizes and sanitizes the war, following a similar trend in other pieces of media from the same era. Operation Dumbo Drop must be seen in this context and as a product of the moment in which it was made. In taking a …

U.S. And Russian Responses To The Syrian Civil War: A Comparative Analysis, Grace Dewitt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Syrian Civil War was among the most devastating conflicts in the 21st century and was defined by the involvement of various international actors, including the United States (U.S.) and Russia. The Syrian conflict was sparked by the Arab Spring movement. The Asad regime, which controlled the Syrian government at the time of the Arab Spring, reacted violently to the civilian protests and calls for reform. This led to the formation of organized rebel groups, creating a complex and violent civil war. The U.S. and Russia, as well as other international actors such as Turkey and Iran, became involved in …

From Segregation To Censorship: The Evolution Of "States’ Rights" In Shaping American Educational Policy And Its Role In Contemporary Culture Wars, Halle Wright

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper traces the rhetoric of “states’ rights,” “local control,” and “parental rights” as evolving tools for shaping American public education. Using legal, political, and cultural sources, it constructs a historical timeline that shows how this rhetoric transformed from an explicit defense of segregation into a central weapon in contemporary culture wars. I begin with the post–Brown v. Board of Education era and Massive Resistance of the 1950s and 60s, when Southern officials deployed states’ rights language to resist desegregation and recast segregationist goals as “local control” and “freedom of choice.” I then examine how these arguments persisted through the …

From Curiosity To Controversy: American Perception Of Japanese Immigrants, 1853-1924, Chloe Elizabeth Curbelo

Theses and Dissertations

In the mid-nineteenth century, as the United States reached the Pacific through westward expansion, Asia emerged as a new stage for commerce and power. Japan, long isolated under the Tokugawa shogunate, became an object of American fascination when forced into relations. While early depictions cast Japan as an exotic yet uncivilized nation in need of Western guidance, Japan’s rapid modernization and the growing number of Japanese immigrants on the West Coast transformed curiosity into anxiety. My paper traces this evolution of perception from 1850 to 1924, arguing that shifting views of Japan and its people reflected America’s ethnocentric notions of …

Dividing Paradise: A History Of Land In Hawai'i, Lacy Nicholas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper acts as a biography of Hawaiian land, using multidisciplinary sources to construct a timeline of how land has been conceptualized and used by the people who live there. It analyzes Hawai'i as a settler colony. I begin with the first Polynesian settlers in Hawai'i, focusing on the feudal-like division and redistribution of land by the king in the pre-colonial era. Then, I discuss the attitude of the American settlers in Hawai'i and how those ideas were manifested in the privatization of land and the age of sugarcane plantations. Next, I focus on how the United States military has …

Unveiling Legacies: Exploring And Analyzing Cultural Artifacts In The Higbee Collection, Samantha Staller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anthropology and the Cummings Center to find ways to properly analyze an archaeological collection's artifacts to understand the overall significance of everything better. Before starting my research, I came up with the following questions: Can any artifacts be considered culturally affiliated? Is everything in the collection authentic? What is the overall background of the collection? Does this collection have any connection to Ohio history? Can anything in the collection be dated? Throughout the research, I will create an Excel inventory list to include qualitative and quantitative data from the artifacts to give insight into what is included in the Higbee …

Reclaiming Revolutionary Relics: How Nineteenth-Century Americans Used George Washington’S Objects To Understand The Civil War, Abbi E. Smithmyer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

By combining cultural, memory, and material culture studies, this dissertation examines the ways objects associated with George Washington became instruments within the proxy war over whether the United States or the Confederacy best represented the American Revolutionary era’s principal values of liberty and equality. Exploring monuments, statues, historic homes, relics, and mementoes, as well as antebellum speeches and schoolbooks, letters, diaries, military orders, newspapers, and memoirs, this work demonstrates how the relics linked to Washington and the nation’s founding shaped how the Civil War generation thought about America’s past.

The 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States has …

An Overview Of Nagpra And The 2024 Revisions, Emily V. Owens-Barber

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Section 11 of the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAIA) was added to public law in 1989. This required the Smithsonian Museum to repatriate any human remains or funerary objects associated with Native American Ancestry back to their tribes. In 1990, The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was added to federal legislation expanding on this section and requiring that every federally funded institution in the United States that held Native American Remains or funerary objects in their collection must follow this regulation to continue to receive federal funding. Nearly 33 years later in the autumn …

Truman Seymour Report, Dieter Ullrich

Guarding Ossabaw Island: History and Archaeology of the 47th N.Y.V.I. Camp

A document detailing the life of Truman Seymour, written by Dieter Ullrich in 2025.

Ullrich, Dieter. Ossabaw Island Chronology. (2025)

Bargaining For Statehood: The Intersection Of Capitalism And Politics In The Creation Of West Virginia, Kristen L. Bailey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores the original architecture of West Virginia. The plans and deliberate construction of the new state not only represented the longstanding desire of western counties for equitable representation in its legislature but also rested on the economic and political ambition of the movement’s leaders. Not all western counties supported independent statehood, and a substantial number of counties favored secession. Without a cohesive citizen consensus to embark upon statehood, traditional narratives that the western counties embarked on statehood solely to protect republican interests bears further investigation. Lacking a unified front, political and business leaders steered the movement through the …

Rifles And Riflemen: Material Culture, Violence, And Early American Identity, 1720 -- 1820, John Bradstreet Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The rifle was one of many material objects which colonists of British North America brought with them from Europe. Starting in the early eighteenth century, German-speaking settlers in Pennsylvania began to manufacture rifles from locally made and imported parts. These rifles became associated with other material objects – namely a system of dress, which included wearing a whitetail deer’s tail in the hat, the hunting shirt, and forms of Native American dress – which became emblematic of some British colonists who used rifles in hunting and war. Rifles became militarily important in the Seven Years’ War, where Native American warriors, …

From Conscientious French Canadian To Enterprising American: Making Memory & Measuring Social Mobility Of French Canadians 1880-1940, Brooke S. Schwaderer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis studies the social mobility of French-Canadian immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula 1880-1940 and memory among their descendants to explain how French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw faded over time. Oral histories were conducted to gain an understanding of the current French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw, understand how the current generation perceives changes in culture over time, and provide possible explanations for why French-Canadians thrived in the Keweenaw. Tax records from the Michigan Technological University Archives and social mobility scores, mother tongue, and homeownership information from the United States census was analyzed to measure language loss, and the social mobility …

Outlaws, Lawmen, And The Emergence Of Justice On The Western Frontier, Kaci Mae Krier

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Defining ‘Un-Americanism’ In Culture And Art: The Dies Committee’S Investigation Of The Federal Theatre Project, Matthew G. Summers

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the House Un-American Activities Committee’s (HUAC) expansive definition of ‘Un-Americanism’ through the body’s 1938 investigation of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). The committee, then known as the Dies Committee after its chairman Martin Dies (D-TX), publicly presented the hearings as an attempt to root out communism in a deeply compromised government program. And indeed the FTP, an ambitious New Deal Program to provide work for unemployed professionals in the theatre, had an undoubtedly leftist bent. However, the hearings were consistently focused on the project's progressive stances on issues of race and gender, and effectively exposed the underlying …

From Lithuania To Mobile: An Immigrant’S Memoir Comes To Light, Deborah Gurt

University Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.