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A Decolonial Middle School Social Studies Curriculum: 19th Century U.S. Westward Colonization, Leah Chatterji

Master's Projects and Capstones

Social Studies education throughout the United States sustains settler futurity, white supremacy, and coloniality, as it rarely engages with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) hxstories and structural violence. For middle schoolers, this is especially troublesome as social justice pedagogies are minimal for this demographic. To shift this, this field project offers an 8^th grade decolonial Social Studies curriculum on 19^th century U.S. Westward colonization; this topic was intentionally chosen as it is an opportunity to disrupt settler epistemologies. It centers: Land; relationality; and collective liberation. It complements the California unit 8.8 standards, yet different grades, subjects, …

Historical News, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Memorial prizes, activities and events

Key West And The New Deal, 1934-1936, Durward Long

Florida Historical Quarterly

Historians often point out that the depression which began for the rest of the United States in 1929, started in Florida much earlier. The final collapse of the real estate boom in Florida in 1926, was followed by serious fiscal difficulties for units of government-local and state-as well as for private citizens. Even nature seemed to conspire against the economic well-being of the state. The devastating hurricanes of 1926 and 1928 were followed by the invasion of the Mediterranean fruit fly in 1929, to add to the deepening financial and economic distress which many Florida communities were suffering in the …

Florida's Golden Age Of Racing, Alice Strickland

Florida Historical Quarterly

The honor of being “the first man to sit behind the controls of a self-propelled road vehicle,” goes to a French army engineer, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot, who in the 1760s designed a monstrous steam carriage to transport artillery. Cugnot’s vehicle was so massive and unwieldy that it knocked over the wall of a courtyard while being tested, and on another occasion turned over on the streets of Paris. Its top speed was from two to six miles per hour.

Sleeping With Storyville: The Influence Of Media, Race, And Morality In New Orleans’ Red Light District, Tiffany R. Nelson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In 1897, the red-light district of Storyville was officially consecrated in New Orleans, Louisiana. Storyville encapsulated centuries’ worth of Southern cultural, social, and political values that culminated in the creation of a legally recognized district of vice. New Orleans was an economically situated city, profiting from the business and tourist routes provided by the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River. Known throughout the nation for a plethora of negative attributes, such as disease, prostitution, and murder, New Orleans developed a national reputation as a city of immorality, which was only furthered by the creation of a red-light district.

In exploring …

The Therapeutic Benefits Of Attunement Through Lindy Hop, Sarah Trowbridge

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) was developed as a tool to aide in therapeutic healing. A foundational aspect of DMT is attunement, the emotional/kinesthetic connection between two people that allows for meaningful and healing bonds to emerge. Lindy Hop is a partnered dance that fosters an environment of attunement, as it is accessed both subconsciously and consciously. This research explores Lindy Hop as a possible method of therapeutic treatment. The literature indicates the physiological need for attunement and how safety plays a key role in strengthening senses of self-identity, nervous system development, and worldview. Four experienced Lindy Hoppers were recruited to engage …

Historical News, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Notice of the annual meeting, National Library Week, local historical societies, contributors to this issue

Through The Wilderness: Andrew Jackson's Military Road And The Settlement Of The Southern Frontier, Dustin Mitchell Wren

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Shortly after the War of 1812, the U.S government attempted to construct a new military road system connecting Nashville, Tennessee to strategic ports at New Orleans and Mobile. The road was intended to grant faster military responses to British, Spanish, and Indian threats within America’s southern frontier and to aid in the region’s settlement. The American government directed iconic General Andrew Jackson to spearhead the road’s construction, believing the construction would be rapid and the expenses minimal. However, the impenetrable thickets and inundating swamps of the Mississippi Territory proved untamable, while shifting geo-political dynamics mitigated the road’s necessity. Never used …

Failoure On All Fronts: The United States Army In The First Year Of The War Of 1812, Gary H. Nobbs Jr.

History Theses

The United States declared war on the United Kingdom in the hopes of defending the nation's national honor. However, the United States Army was unprepared to go wage war. The army's supply system, militia system, and field commanders failed and led to a disastrous first year of conflict.

Eagle Eye Vs. Gear Jammer, Jessica Danielle Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Where similarities in class struggle have historically operated as a unifying force globally, the American crafted mythos isolates the individual and dehumanizes those that do not fall within the parameters of the cowboy archetype. The national protagonist is turned into a class traitor and an extension of government power.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? A Marxist Analysis Of "Hamilton" And Its Relationship To The Broadway Economic System, Alana Ritt

Honors Projects

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton: An American Musical has been both a critical and academic darling since its premiere in 2015. A historical retelling of America’s inception through the eyes of an oft-ignored founding father, the musical weaves together a diverse cast and hip-hop musical stylings in order to tell the story of “America then, as told by America now.” While many critics and scholars alike have praised the musical for putting an exciting and accessible twist to American history, others have argued that the musical is not nearly as “revolutionary” as it claims to be. This essay is designed to …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? A Marxist Analysis Of "Hamilton" And Its Relationship To The Broadway Economic System, Alana Ritt

Honors Projects

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton: An American Musical has been both a critical and academic darling since its premiere in 2015. A historical retelling of America’s inception through the eyes of an oft-ignored founding father, the musical weaves together a diverse cast and hip-hop musical stylings in order to tell the story of “America then, as told by America now.” While many critics and scholars alike have praised the musical for putting an exciting and accessible twist to American history, others have argued that the musical is not nearly as “revolutionary” as it claims to be. This essay is designed to …

Actions Above Words: A Biography Of Vice Admiral Clifton “Ziggy” Sprague, John Kirwan

Undergraduate Theses

Among the many larger than life and fascinating figures of the Second World War, one who is seldom spoken of is the late Vice Admiral Clifton A.F. "Ziggy" Sprague. A quiet man from New England, Admiral Sprague was an accomplished pilot, administrator, and commander. From service during the First World War to assisting in the testing of nuclear devices following the end of the Second World War, Sprague was a force behind the scenes. He was devoted to his profession and refused to play the political game those above him did, preferring that his actions speak greater volumes than any …

Memoir Of A West Pointer In Saint Augustine: 1824-1826, Cecil D. Eby, Jr.

Florida Historical Quarterly

In May, 1824, Second Lieutenant Alfred Beckley of the Fourth Artillery, United States Army, reported for duty at Fort Marion, St. Augustine, Florida, where he remained until April, 1826. He was green and untried - a twenty-two year old West Pointer who had graduated ninth in the Class of 1823- and except for his aversion to “French brandy” and “Old Sledge,” he was perhaps a typical example of the officer-gentleman that was the backbone of the peacetime army of that time. Born in Washington City in 1802, Beckley could recall as guests in his home such dignitaries as Joel Barlow, …

The Editor's Corner, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

The following interesting letter has been made available to the Quarterly through the good offices of Paul L. Maddock and Judge James R. Knott. It was secured by Miss Mary Stavely of Palm Beach on a recent trip to England. The writer, Tom Agar, was the great-uncle of Mrs. Vera Pickard, Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England. This was the only letter received in England from Agar, and his eventual fate is unknown.

Book Reviews, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Reviews of Travels with Charley, In Search of America. By John Steinbeck. (New York: The Viking Press, 1962. 246 pp. $4.95.); Cycles of Conquest. By Edward H. Spicer. (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1962. xii, 609 pp. Illustrations, maps, bibliography, index. $ 12.50.); The Colonial Records of South Carolina, Series I: Journal of the Commons House of Assembly, March 28, 1749-March 19 1750. Edited by J. Harold Easterby and Ruth S. Green. (Columbia: South Carolina Archives Department, 1962. 490 pp. Preface and index. $12.50.); The Department of War, 1781 - 1795. By Harry M. Ward. (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, …

East Coast Florida Steamboating, 1831-1861, Edward A. Mueller

Florida Historical Quarterly

Transportation facilities have always played a substantial and significant role in the development and settlement of the United States. Likewise, in the early days of Florida’s development, water transportation played a most important part, sailing ships helping to bring in some of the first settlers and visitors. Because Florida is a peninsula for the most part and has water access on most of its boundaries as well as many waterways serving the interior, transportation by water has always loomed large. Sailing vessels, however, have their difficulties not the least of which is the lack of a regular schedule and the …

The Journal Of A. B. Meek And The Second Seminole War, 1836, John K. Mahon

Florida Historical Quarterly

Alexander Beaufort Meek was born in Columbia, South Carolina, March 17, 1814, the son of a methodist minister. While he was still young his parents migrated to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, taking him with them. Although inclined to be indolent, learning came easily to the boy. Proof of this is that at a tender age he memorized the entire Old Testament. At age nineteen he was graduated from the University of Alabama (1833), and at twenty-two was awarded a master’s degree from the same school. Meanwhile, in 1835 he had begun the practice of law in Tuscaloosa.

Trade Relations Between Southwestern Florida And Cuba, 1600-1840, James W. Covington

Florida Historical Quarterly

When Cuba had been settled by the Spanish, heavy inroads were made into the nearby supply of edible fish, and the Havana fishing interests were forced to look elsewhere for a ready source. Southwestern Florida with its almost inexhaustible schools of drum, redfish, mullet, pompano, and grouper was situated only a short distance away and easily fitted into the Havana market situation. The combination of the excellent Cuban market and the nearby available supply of edible fish proved to be a business opportunity which would be profitable for many years for the inhabitants of both the island of Cuba and …

Early Churches Of Pensacola, Lelia Abercrombie

Florida Historical Quarterly

The church is certainly among the most important factors in the building of any city. Neither wealth nor a large population of themselves make a community a pleasant place in which to live; more important is an atmosphere of goodwill and kindness. To develop such an atmosphere the fundamental religious principles of the Church are needed.

Newspapers Of Pensacola, 1821-1900, Horance G. Davis, Jr.

Florida Historical Quarterly

Brigands, camp followers, speculators, gamblers and soldiers-of-fortune made Pensacola a gay city in 1821 as the populace, swelled to some 4,000, awaited the triumphant entry of the conquering hero, General Andrew Jackson. Florida, international pawn long coveted by the United States, was to be relinquished by Spain. Andrew Jackson and his troops had invaded the area twice since 1814, but diplomacy had foiled United States territorial ambitions. Now at last Florida was to be ceded to the United States, and provisional governor Andrew Jackson was expected momentarily at Pensacola, the seat of Florida government. Only Spanish loyalists viewed the gaiety …

Letters From The Second Seminole War, John K. Mahon

Florida Historical Quarterly

These pages are built around fragments drawn from the letters and diary entries written by Joseph R. Smith. They contain nothing important enough to require a reinterpretation of the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842; indeed they have little significance except that they enlarge the printed record left by the people who lived at that time. This record helps us, in spite of the one hundred and thirty years lying between, to bring to life their interesting era.

Florida And Iowa: A Contemporary View, Franklin A. Doty

Florida Historical Quarterly

Within the span of one generation after the admission of Florida and Iowa to the Union, the citizens of the two states confronted each other in the awful strife of the Civil War. Portents of this bitter separation had been discernable in the birthing of the states, but who could have said with assurance that these two frontier communities, having so many more roots and inheritances in common than they had fatal divergencies, would shortly stand drawn in battle array against each other? Regardless of their common institutional origins, the two communities came to subordinate themselves to, and form a …

News And Notes, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Notes about Tequesta, activities of local and regional historical societies, notice of the annual meeting, gifts

St. Paul’S Church In Quincy, Florida, During The Territorial Period, Edward B. Gearhart

Florida Historical Quarterly

The development and the growth of the Episcopal Church in Quincy, Florida, and in all Florida, has been best related through the stories of the church leaders whether they were the parish rectors or, in all too few cases, able laymen. For a clear understanding of the life of St. Paul’s Church in Quincy during territorial Florida, three periods must be kept in mind. First, there was the long period of development into a congregation; second, there was the founding of the church and its growth under a rector in residence; last, and most important, were the situations that affected, …

Florida Historical Society, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

Notes from the Annual Meeting, new members, Junior Historian Essay Contest winner, contributors

Mary Todd Lincoln: Duty And Depression, Bella Biancone

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was perceived by Victorian America as materialistic and unbalanced. Behind the closed doors of the Executive Mansion, however, lie a grief-stricken mother struggling to manage an undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. Her fragile condition was exacerbated with each death of her beloved family. Yet, this First Lady played an integral role in the White House, acting as hostess, advisor to the President, and activist in her own right. She was not a passive bystander as her husband worked tirelessly to preserve the Union, but an active participant in the war effort. Following Abraham Lincoln’s premature …

A ‘Superlicious’ Feast: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Davy Crockett’S Almanacs As An Early Form Of White National Identity, Darren L. Letendre

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: Davy Crockett’s Almanacs, published between 1835 and 1856, have been held as a prime example of nineteenth-century Anglo-American folklore. While authors have commented on their comic qualities and racist content, what has been lacking is a rhetorical analysis, as suggested by Folklorist Stephen Gencarella, which would examine the ways in which “folklore is not something that a folk does, rather… something which constitutes a folk.” This paper analyzes the almanac stories dealing with native peoples in order to understand the political and ideological discourse that was propagated by these publications. Rather than genuine folk-stories faithfully recorded by publishers, these …

Osceola And The Charlestonians, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Osceola: Portraits, Features, And Dress, John M. Goggin

Florida Historical Quarterly

The most colorful figure of the unpopular Second Seminole War, Osceola, the Seminole war leader, early caught the imagination of the American public. 1 As a result, although we lack details of his early history, we have a good amount of data for his military career, and numerous comments on his appearance. He was the subject of several original sketches and paintings, as well as numerous engravings taken from them. However, differences between some of these “from life” renderings, raise the question of exactly what Osceola did look like!