Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Potomac Ploy: George Washington’S Secret Scheme That Shaped The Nation’S Capital, Benjamin A. Savel

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

For over 200 years, historians have glossed over blemishes on George Washington’s reputation, transforming the president into an almost mythological figure of the United States’ national identity. This paper brings into focus one of the more overlooked narratives about the president, revealing that his choice of Washington DC and the Potomac River as the location for the national capital was driven by financial self-interest and not by a prescient vision of future national unity.

Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that Washington knew the Potomac River could not serve as a national waterway; he was well aware of impassible rapids, sudden drops that …

Poles And Puerto Ricans: Immigration And Assimilation In The Pioneer Valley, Gabriel S. Proia

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This paper attempts to explain why Polish immigrant farmers who came to the Pioneer Valley around the turn of the century assimilated more fully into the dominant culture and achieved on average greater economic success than Puerto Rican immigrant farmers who engaged in similar work in the same region roughly fifty years later. I begin by reviewing American Studies literature on assimilation dynamics to develop a framework for qualitatively evaluating how both groups changed over time. The evaluation is thereafter based on local newspaper articles and secondary ethnographic and historical literature from throughout the twentieth century, as well as interviews …

Using The Colonizers’ Own Weapons: The Politics Of Equality, Freedom, & Integration In Advocacy Against American Indian Termination, Eliza Kravitz

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Beginning in the early 1950s, the United States Congress enacted a program of “termination” of American Indian tribes. By eliminating the special relationship between tribes and the federal government, termination aimed at the full assimilation of American Indians into U.S. society. Government proponents advocated for termination using the language of equal rights, freedom, and integration. Previous scholarship has shown that anti-termination advocates, by contrast, appealed to the internationalist Cold War language of development, self-governance, and global decolonization to resist termination. These same leaders also invoked the civil rights language of termination’s proponents, however. Their arguments illustrated how the federal government …

Land, Labor, And The Railroad In Industrial Appalachia: How The Baltimore And Ohio Railroad Engineered Space, 1843-1872, Lillian R. K. M. Austin

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

During the nineteenth century, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad reshaped the social, political, and physical environment of the mid-Atlantic around the needs of the industrial economy. The creation of industrial space, and the proliferation of communities to populate it, is seen retrospectively as an inevitable consequence of technological innovation, but engaging with contemporary corporate records reveals that this space, like the railroad, was engineered. In order to design a supply chain that would make industrialization economical, the railroad and coal industries engaged in political and social engineering to design the new locales of industrialism, exemplified in the Allegheny Mountains by …

Recollections Of Old Friends: A Historical Account Of Rhode Island African American Community And Anti-Slavery Society Leaders In The Affairs Of The Dorr Rebellion, Caleb T. Horton

Dorr Scholarship

This article by Caleb Troy Horton accounts Frederick Douglass’s work with abolitionist allies and Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society leaders during the affairs of the Dorr Rebellion—with a particular focus on petitioning the People’s Convention in the autumn of 1841 to allow Black male participation in their referendum and to exclude a white-only clause in the new Rhode Island State Constitution (a.k.a. the People’s Constitution).

2024 O'Callahan Society Newsletter, O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

O'Callahan Society Newsletters

This annual newsletter of the O'Callahan Society includes articles about the 2023 Annual Dinner. Admiral James G. Stavridis, United States Navy (Retired) was guest speaker. President of the College of the Holy Cross, Vincent D. Rougeau, made introductory remarks. VADM Peter Daly, US Navy (Ret) was 2024 Annual Meeting Speaker.

Breaking Silence: The Historiography Of The Bear River Massacre, Logan C. Romney

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This paper explores the historiography of the Bear River Massacre, analyzing its progression from historical silence and mischaracterization to recognition and nuanced interpretation. By addressing biases, evolving narratives, and modern efforts to commemorate the tragedy, this paper underscores the importance of preserving this complex and overlooked chapter of American history.

Historiographical Interpretations Of The Diplomatic Career Of John Quincy Adams, Nicholas E. Zilempe

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This historiography paper seeks to determine how historians have interpreted the diplomatic career of John Quincy Adams over the last one hundred and seventy-five years. As sixth President of the United States and son of second President and Founding Father John Adams, John Quincy Adams has been the subject of significant historical interpretation since his 1848 death. Though the demand for writing about his life was strong in the immediate wake of his death, the subsequent body of work that permeated throughout the nineteenth century ultimately fell short of addressing the monumental diplomatic career Adams held before his Presidential and …

Maternal Sacrifice And Resilience: The Legacy Of Harriet Jacobs And Enslaved Black Motherhood, Beverly A. Duran

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This paper explores the unique role of enslaved Black women in preserving family and cultural identity during the American slavery era, focusing on the life and writings of Harriet Jacobs. Through her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs exemplifies the extraordinary sacrifices and resilience of enslaved mothers, who navigated the dual burdens of racial and gender oppression. The study delves into Jacobs’s years-long confinement in an attic to avoid separation from her children and her use of storytelling, education, and cultural practices to resist dehumanization. It highlights how enslaved women, despite systemic constraints, developed strategies to …

Black Radio’S Contribution To Collective And Cultural Memory: Personnel Perspectives Of Black Radio History In The United States, Kim Fox

Faculty Journal Articles

This interdisciplinary research investigates the significance of the community connection between Black radio personnel and their audiences through the lens of collective and cultural memory narratives. The study addresses two key research questions. First, how do Black radio personnel’s collective and cultural memories contribute to the Black public sphere? Second, what are the defining characteristics in developing parasocial relationships and interactions between Black radio personalities and their audiences? The qualitative research employs an autoethnographic methodology and a questionnaire, utilizing insights gained from the author’s experiences working at a Black-owned radio network and station. The questionnaire, distributed to key informants in …

Representations Of Violence Against Native American Women, Christine York

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

It is the aim of this study to provide detailed attention to the representation of violence against Native American women throughout American films and literature. Native American women have been persecuted against since the times of colonization; however, there has been a recent uptake in this crime. This crime has been seen throughout many forms of art, but has not often been a focal point to these artforms. In order to argue that the violence these women experience needs to be central to the texts they are seen in, a comparison between three different texts is imperative. These texts are …

Black Nationalism And Black Power’S Influence On Karamu House, I'Maya Gibbs

Discussions

This article will explore the impact of the Black Nationalist and Black Power Movement on Karamu House, the oldest Black theater in America. Karamu House, initially established as an integrated settlement house in 1915, later became an influential community theater in Cleveland, Ohio. By examining how an integrated theater shifted into prominently producing radical Black artistry, this article will uncover how Black Nationalism and Black Power changed the leadership, artistry, and goals of Karamu House. Furthermore, studying this shift highlights Black artists’ historical utilization of theater as a form of resistance against racial oppression and Karamu House’s participation in this …

James Still Manuscript Collection, James Still

Morehead State University Manuscripts Collections

No abstract provided.

Come As You Are: The Rise And Fall Of The Grunge Movement And Its Implications On The Identity Of Seattle, Colin J. Wood

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper evaluates the rise of the Grunge movement through Nirvana’s Nevermind album as a unique burst of culture through the city of Seattle. Culturally, in the late 20th century, Seattle found its identity in the area around it, though other American cities overshadowed its significance. Through music, figures such as Jack Endino and the iconic Kurt Cobain gave Seattle an unfathomable uplift within global culture. This paper argues that grunge culture emerged as a distinct facet of Seattleite identity, with elements like flannel clothing and thrifting playing pivotal roles in shaping the city's recognizable and esteemed cultural landscape. It …

“She’S On Her Way Up”: A Case Study Of Mercy Otis Warren And The Gendered Politics Of Commemoration, Sara Ann White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2001, a statue of eighteenth-century Bill of Rights advocate Mercy Otis Warren was erected on the Barnstable County Superior Courthouse lawn in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The story of the statue’s eventual placement is a fascinating case study of how the gendered politics of commemoration can play out over time in local communities. The saga of Warren’s commemoration is inextricably bound up with the history of efforts to commemorate Warren’s brother, James Otis Jr., and eventual arguments that Warren’s work deserved recognition in its own right. We first see gendered politics at play as Warren’s real accomplishments were consistently overshadowed by …

Finding Aid For The Jan Ruehling Polio Era Collection (Mum00813)

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

Correspondence, newspaper clippings, and records related to the life and work of Jan Ruehling, as well as the 20th century polio epidemic of the United States of America.

[2024 Honorable Mention] Diversifying Local Histories: Religion’S Erasure Of Indigeneity, Christina Fultz, Helene Marie Kristensen, Camille Herrera

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

Our podcast explores the nature in which the Carmel Mission has been projecting a false narrative of their religious origins. Hence, erasing the indigenous culture and communities while developing the Mission System. Our research unveils the historical discrepancies, the accurate portrayal of Junipero Serra. While acknowledging the traumatic experiences of Indigenous communities when facing religious indoctrination.

Hayes, Eugenia Mary (Blakey), 1905-1992 (Mss 764), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 764. Primarily genealogical research collected by Eugenia Hayes on her ancestors in the Blakey, King, Morris, Cowherd and related families.

John Xxiii Aids Ministries Christmas Party

Monterey County LGBTQ Histories Exhibit

No abstract provided.

Hodges, Mary J. "Mollie" (Sc 3727), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescripts (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3727. Letters of Mollie Hodges, Hart County, Kentucky, to her future husband Ambrose King, written during his Civil War U.S. Army service. She mourns their separation, mentions the Confederate presence near Burkesville, and recalls her visit to him in camp, where she found him in a sad state of mind. Distressed by his mood, she is anxious to keep up their correspondence.

Memorial High School - Hart County, Kentucky (Sc 3729), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3729. Directory of graduates, 1920-1969, of Memorial High School, located between Hardyville and Canmer in Hart County, Kentucky.

Hayes, Eugenia Mary (Blakey), 1905-1992 (Sc 3728), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3728. “A History of Old Gilead Church House,” by Eugenia Blakey Hayes, prepared for the church’s one-hundredth anniversary, 1860-1960.

Charles H. Schaffer: “Alger County Charcoal King”, Thomas J. Straka

Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region

One of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’s earliest industries was iron production. Iron furnaces (smelters) were part of that industry; these were primarily fueled by charcoal, produced in hundreds of charcoal kilns scattered across the Upper Peninsula. Charcoal burning was a major industry in its own right, and one person, Charles H. Schaffer, came to dominate it, earning the name “Alger County Charcoal King.” His empire began when the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad expanded east from Marquette and was centered on charcoal kilns at the Onota station in Alger County. When wood supplies near Lake Superior declined, he expanded his charcoal …

Usa Archaeology Museum Newsletter - June 2024, Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum Newsletters

In this edition of the museum's newsletter:

• Document the Historic Plateau/Africatown Cemetery?
• Giving to the Archaeology Museum

Front Matter

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

The Tiny Village In The American Appalachians That Is More Swiss Than Switzerland, David Signer, Jonas Kakó

Swiss American Historical Society Review

About 150 years ago, Swiss immigrants founded the hamlet of Helvetia in West Virginia. Villagers still organize themselves democratically and celebrate Swiss festivals. The background of a popular video game is even modeled after the idyllic town. But can Helvetia survive?

Praising The Industrial Achievements Of Switzerland In The Early Twentieth Century: A Mural Painting Cycle For The Federal Polytechnic In Zurich, Alex Winiger

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The dome of the Swiss parliament’s building, the central part of the so-called “Bundeshaus” in Bern, is framed by four stained glass windows. They represent four pillars of the Swiss economy of around 1900: commerce to the north, textile industries to the east, agriculture to the south, and metal industries to the west. Other important sources of the growing wealth of the country are absent: finance (the banks), science (especially chemistry and its respective productions), and tourism. The latter found abundant representation in the railway stations of the time, relics of them still to be seen in the entrance hall …

Book Review: 50 Amazing Swiss Women: True Stories You Should Know About, Mary Brunisholz, Yvonne Sandoz

Swiss American Historical Society Review

From Mary Brunisholz:

50 Amazing Swiss Women is the collaborative result of five industrious women writers and one first-rate illustrator brought together by lead author Laurie Theurer, to present this modern view of admirable and inspirational Swiss women in historical and contemporary views. The target audience is primarily adolescent readers, but booklovers of any age will enjoy the read. Included with the book are companion materials for schools in English, German and French that are available for a free download at Bergli Books at 50 Amazing Swiss Women—Bergli.

From Yvonne Sandoz:

To mark the 50th anniversary of Swiss women …

Book Review: Iron And Blood: A Military History Of The German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500, John E. Fahey

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Modern Germany has a reputation for militarism and expansion. This reputation is often distilled into a simple view of German states as aggressive, regimented, and militaristic. Peter Wilson’s Iron and Bloodexplores how conflict has shaped German history since the 1500s. An accomplished historian of the Thirty Years War, Wilson is the right author for this work, and is able to draw out important themes and subtleties of German military history. He argues that although militarism is “integral” to German history and state structure, it was “neither an end destination nor a single trajectory of development” (xliii). He shows that …

Book Review: The Gilded Chalet: Off-Piste In Literary Switzerland

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Part detective work, part treasure chest, full of history and scandal, award-winning writer Padraig Rooney takes you on a grand tour of two centuries of great writing by both Swiss and foreign authors and shows how Switzerland has always been at the center of literary Europe.