Digital Commons Network^™

“As The Developing Situation Warrants”: U.S. Counterterrorism Policy Considered Through The 1994 Gerry Adams Visa Debate, Olivia T. Sullivan

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This thesis analyzes the 1994 U.S. decision to grant Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams a visa and what it reveals about American counterterrorism policy in the immediate post–Cold War period. Long suspected of senior involvement in the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the Troubles (1968–1998), Adams had previously been denied entry under terrorism-related immigration provisions. His case became a flashpoint inside the U.S. government: officials debated whether diplomatic opportunity, domestic political incentives, and momentum toward peace in Northern Ireland warranted a departure from the prior “no concessions” posture toward IRA-linked figures. Situating the controversy within U.S. terrorism discourse from the …

"The Worst Of War", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

The article recounts a specific instance of Civil War violence exacted near Cypress Creek and Parsonage Chapel Cemetery in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

A Bostonian In Cuba: Edwin F. Atkins And United States Imperialism In Latin America, Miles Klotz

Graduate Masters Theses

Edwin F. Atkins, a native of the Boston area and member of a well-known Brahmin family, was the largest and most powerful American property owner in Cuba at the turn of the twentieth century, overseeing a massive sugar plantation called Soledad in the southern port city of Cienfuegos. Atkins’ ownership of Soledad coincided with massive changes in Cuba’s colonial system of government, concluding with the Cuban War of Independence (1895–1898) and the War of 1898, which saw the United States defeat Spain, gain control of Cuba, and install a military government on the island. This thesis examines the attitudes and …

Bringing Women Into Focus: Adapting Traditional Lesson Standards To Incorporate Women In U.S. History, Emma M. Wilson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis Plan-B project is creating women centered lesson plans for middle and high school social studies curriculum. As a result of male dominance in education the standards, practices, and curriculum have largely focused on a male-dominant narrative. This project works to remedy this imbalance by taking standards directly from the State and adapting lesson plans to highlight historical women actors as the focus, while still aligning with core outcomes. The current male-centered approach to the broader social studies curriculum does not account for the wide array of viewpoints experienced for those living in the United States. Re-envisioning lessons to …

Wrangling Pelicans: Military Life In Texas Presidios, By Tim Seiter, Patrick B. Simpson

Journal of Texas History

No abstract provided.

History Of The College Of The Holy Cross Naval Rotc Unit, O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

85th Anniversary of NROTC at Holy Cross

The Holy Cross Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Unit reached its 85th anniversary in July 2026 and, to commemorate this event, the Holy Cross O’Callahan Society has updated the history of the Unit that was prepared for the Unit’s 75th anniversary and now revised twice. The O’Callahan Society grew out of the vision of Reverend John E. Brooks, S. J., President of the College of the Holy Cross 1970-94, who invited several graduates of the NROTC Unit to meet in the early 1990s and discuss how NROTC alumni could support the NROTC Unit. From these discussions, the O’Callahan Committee …

Industrial Democracy: Unionization, Power, And Control In Rockefeller’S Southern Colorado, Ava Welty

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

By 1914, democracy was clearly connected to America’s political ethos, and Wilson and Frank Walsh only amplified the term. Against this backdrop, labor and CF&I sought to define their movement as aligned with the national project of industrial democracy, despite having divergent understandings of the term. CF&I and Rockefeller built upon decades of social betterment, in addition to new ideas of company unionism to create their definition of industrial democracy, while workers returned to union recognition as a tool of power to construct their definition of industrial democracy. This paper argues that conflicting definitions of industrial democracy after the Ludlow …

A History Of The Underground Comix Scene: The Seriousness Of An Unserious Genre, Harris Darcie Shugart

Master's Theses

The Underground Comix Scene of the 1960s and 1970s was born out of an age of censorship. The Comics Code Authority, a regulatory body created by the Comics Magazine Association of America in 1954, established guidelines requiring publishing houses to self-regulate following a recommendation from the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency in 1953. Comix with an X, for their X-rated nature, represent an emerging counter-culture in the latter half of the 1960s and the 1970s, with an epicenter of San Francisco. These comix and their artists were not interested in obtaining the looming ‘Seal of Approval’ from the …

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, 2nd Edition, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Story surrounds an event that occurred one summer on June 25, 1876, along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it is a story of a collision between two very different civilizations or empires. Both empire’s military fought in the manner of their society. This narrative will attempt to balance the believable truth of what happened in that contest between the military representatives of both societies while also trying to tell an engaging story, without drifting into naked partisanship, purple prose, or sensationalism. The narrative …

The Us Marine Corps And The Battle Of Belleau Wood, William Maass

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The central question of this research is how the United States Marine Corps shifted from an auxiliary naval force to an elite, mobile fighting force, and the role that the Battle of Belleau Wood played in that transformation. The Battle of Belleau Wood, fought from June 1-26, 1918, in France during the First World War, was a pivotal engagement where untested American forces were able to stop and drive back the German advance in the Chateau-Thierry sector. While there were both Marines and Army soldiers present at the battle, newspapers disproportionally showed the Marines’ actions, which created a public image …

Washington’S War: The Evolution Of Strategy In America’S Fight For Independence, Connor S. Haines

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The American Revolution presented George Washington with an immense challenge as the commander of the Continental Army. Facing the most powerful empire in the world, Washington had to mold a loosely organized, often undisciplined force into an army capable of sustaining the revolutionary cause. His early campaigns, particularly the disastrous New York campaign of 1776, nearly destroyed the Continental Army and exposed the weakness of conventional European-style tactics when applied to America’s military situation. From these defeats, however, Washington began to reshape his approach, adopting a Fabian strategy of endurance that emphasized survival over decisive engagement. This transformation not only …

Shepherds In The Great War: The Evolution Of The U.S. Army Chaplaincy And The Service Of Malcolm Taylor In World War I, Sydney Gilbert

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

From its beginnings in 1775, the U.S. military chaplaincy has been a vital but often overlooked component of the American military experience. Though the specific duties, expectations, and regulations for U.S. chaplains have evolved over time, the heart of the chaplaincy is rooted in sacrificial service, a ministry of presence, spiritual leadership, and moral guidance. The American entrance into the Great War in 1917 marked a period of exponential growth for the military chaplaincy as it faced unprecedented demand and growing professionalization. To meet the needs of the modern era warfare, a major shift occurred within the chaplaincy as it …

Faith In Service: The Evolving Role Of Military Chaplains In Humanitarian Relief During Twentieth Century Conflicts, Hannah Dugan

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Since America's founding the Chaplaincy has been an important part of the nation's military. The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, one of the oldest branches of the military, has served as a spiritual foundation for American soldiers. Established July 29, 1775, at the request of General George Washington, Congress authorized chaplains for each regiment of the Army.During the Revolutionary War, 218 chaplains served, offering spiritual guidance, moral counsel, and religious services to the troops.Over time, the chaplaincy has evolved, expanding to represent other denominations and faiths. During the Mexican American War, Catholic chaplains were added to the Corps, followed by Jewish …

A Gentleman’S Agreement: Prisoners Of War During The American Revolution, Delynn Burrell

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The topic of prisoners of war in any war is often controversial and convoluted. The American Revolution is no different. The problem surrounding prisoners of war during this era is the lack of official policies regarding care and exchange. For centuries, armies had relied on a gentleman’s agreement, often made on the battlefield or in the immediate days following, by commanders, most often Washington and Gage or Burgoyne and Lee. Washington frequently deferred to the Continental Congress, which had no issue expressing its opinions on matters such as provisions and the locations where prisoners were held. The British, for their …

Foundations Of Power: The Early Continental Navy, Dawson Baber

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Before there was the United States Navy, there existed a small, comparatively ramshackle force that faced off against the most powerful fighting force of its time. This force was known as the Continental Navy, and it played an important but often overlooked role in our nation’s founding. Authorized by the Continental Congress in 1775, the navy emerged not from a coherent maritime doctrine but from immediate strategic necessity. The Royal Navy was the largest and most powerful fleet in the world while the thirteen colonies had no warships to speak of. As a maritime trade nation, access to the seas …

Old World Ranks On A New Frontier: Noncommissioned Officer Command In The United States Military, Robert K. Whillock

History Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the development of the United States Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps and the regulatory limits placed on its authority. The early American military adopted European traditions that reserved command for commissioned officers and confined NCOs to supervisory and disciplinary roles. Regulations reinforced this hierarchy by preventing NCOs from exercising autonomous command and limiting opportunities for advancement into the officer corps through merit. Over time, however, egalitarian reformers began to question whether these rigid distinctions served the needs of the evolving American military.

The paper argues that foreign military examples and operational necessity gradually challenged the established roles of …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in  the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather  than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship  rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they  were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of  citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded  Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

Vietnamese American Anti-Imperialism: South Vietnamese History And Analysis Of Publications Pre-1975, Jeannie Nguyen

Master's Theses

During the Vietnam War, citizens contested US imperialism at multiple levels. In South Vietnam, citizens published newspapers and magazines to challenge their government and expose the depth of US aggression in South Vietnamese society and culture. Inside the imperial core, Black, Chicano, and Asian American activists formed solidarities to resist the war and challenge racial inequality. At the intersection of imperialism inside and outside its borders, lies a group of South Vietnamese students and scholars who became American, migrating during the war via state-structured projects. However, in response to the heightening of war and drawing inspiration from their ‘Third World’ …

Silent No Longer: Pedro Albizu Campos And The Fbi, Noah D. Dubroff

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis explores the Puerto Rican revolutionary, Pedro Albizu Campos, and how he evolved from a typical independence-minded young man into a radical who actively rebelled against the colonial rule of the U.S. because of the pressures applied by law enforcement agencies, especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The United States annexed Puerto Rico in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. Ever since, many Puerto Ricans have strongly advocated for their independence from the continental U.S., shaping the relationship into the present day. This article argues that the pressure and strain of such an imperial relationship influenced Albizu …

Aggression And Mobility: The Power Of A Cavalry Pursuit During The Civil War, Leland G. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Decades after the Napoleonic Wars ended, military theorists in western countries began to write books and other manuals on how to successfully use cavalry on the battlefield. One such writer; Barron Jomini, mentions in his book The Art of War that cavalry should be used for reconnaissance, guarding flanks and looting, but its most important use was “opening the door for victory” by exploitation and pursuing the enemy for total victory. Jomini’s book was influential for the generals fighting the Civil War. In the early days of the war the Confederates would greatly use cavalry to conduct reconnaissance, while the …

Free In The Forest: Montagnards And U.S. Special Forces In Vietnam’S Central Highlands, Jake L. Brooks

Madison Historical Review

When America began to send U.S Army Special Forces to South Vietnam as advisors in the late 1950s, they needed allies that were familiar with the lush jungles of Indochina. In the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the Montagnard people partnered with the U.S. Army Special Forces in an attempt to keep their homelands safe from the Communists. As an ethnic minority, the Montagnards had been through years of abuse and cultural suppression by their ruling government; kept down by a Vietnamese dominated regime which viewed them as backwards and rebellious tribesmen. For the Green Berets that worked alongside them, the …

Manufacturing A Confederate Martyr: John Yates Beall, John Wilkes Booth, And The Politics Of Postwar Memory, Corin M. Fyrdrian

Student Papers (History)

John Yates Beall, a Confederate naval officer and privateer executed by the United States in 1865, has often been remembered through a Lost Cause framework that casts him as a chivalric martyr and “victim of honor.” This thesis challenges that interpretation by situating Beall’s life, wartime actions, trial, execution, and postwar memory within competing ideas of honor, legality, violence, and Confederate nationalism. Through analysis of Beall’s military activities, legal arguments, newspaper coverage, personal writings, and later narratives, this thesis argues that his postwar image was not merely preserved but actively constructed. Lost Cause writers transformed his execution into a moral …

Criminalizing Resistance: The Black Panther Party And State Terror In The U.S., Tyler Messinger

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the rise, suppression, and eventual collapse of the Black Panther Party (BPP) between 1966 and 1972, arguing that the organization was dismantled not primarily due to internal failures, financial issues, or criminal activity, but through a sustained campaign of state repression led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Using a document-based historical case study approach, the paper draws extensively on declassified FBI memoranda, COINTELPRO records, congressional testimony from the Church Committee, contemporary newspaper coverage, and the Black Panther Party’s own publications. Placing the BPP within the broader trajectory of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, …

Nails In The Confederacy's Coffin: The Wilson Raid And The End Of The Civil War, Chad A. Bowen

History

Over the course of this thesis, I argue that the Wilson Raids of March-April 1865 played a decisive role in ending the Civil War and beyond it. With this raid, Wilson denied the Confederacy access to the last of its major industrial cities, forcing the Confederate government to concede defeat. The raid, however, faded into the background both due to the proximity of the events to the end of the war and the lack of reporting conducted on the operations. This led to the rise of two groups that sought to deliberately misinterpret events to garner support for Southern writers …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …

They Returned Fighting: World War I, Disillusionment, And The Remaking Of African-American Political Life In New York City, Michael Frank

Theses and Dissertations

They Returned Fighting examines how Black New Yorkers used World War I service, wartime activism, and postwar protest to press claims to citizenship and democracy, even as racial violence, discrimination, and contested public memory exposed the limits of that belonging in New York City and the United States.

American Industry And Soviet Blood: U.S.-U.S.S.R. Collaborations During The Interwar And Wartime Years, Evan Banaszewski

History

This project will examine the connections between American corporations and the Soviet state from the late 1920’s through WWII. In particular, this project will focus on ventures undertaken by said corporations towards the modernization of Soviet industrial might, including, but not limited to, Ford-built automotive plants, Albert Kahn-designed factories, and General Electric-built hydroelectric grids. These ventures not only helped the Soviets transform a historically agricultural society into an industrial one but also enabled the rapid conversion of peacetime infrastructure into hubs of wartime production. The project then situates these private indirect contributions alongside the direct aid provided by the American …

Girlhood, Interrupted: An Intersectional Feminist History Of Decolonizing And Reclaiming Womanhood, Ayden Kelly

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In the past few decades, social and political discourse surrounding womanhood and who is considered a "real" woman has led to the execration of transgender women. This work will explore how recent discourse and rhetoric surrounding who is and who is not a “real woman” can be traced to nineteenth century notions of “true womanhood” that excluded women of color. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with westward expansion, settler colonialism, residential schools, slavery, and post-emancipation serving as backdrops, this work will also analyze how ideologies of womanhood have interrupted and suppressed women of color throughout Western American …

Human Dignity In The Foundational Political Documents Of The United States, Kalista Roades

Honors Theses

Human dignity is integral to modern discussions of human rights and liberties, but this connection can be found stretching back through history to the early developments of human rights. This paper begins with modern philosophical definitions of human dignity, especially from Rosen and Kateb. Rosen discusses four “strands” of dignity- Intrinsic Dignity, Status Dignity, Manner Dignity, and Respect Dignity. This paper then uses that framework to find human dignity implicit within the founding documents of the United States including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as well as “Common Sense” and the Magna Carta to …