History Commons^™

“Mimicking Straights”: The Legacy Of Conservatism In Homophile Activism, 1950-60s, Brock Manasseri

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis I explore historical misconceptions about the homophile movement that was active during the sixties and 1950s. Scholarly narratives have borrowed Gay Liberation’s perspective that narrowly defined homophiles as conservative, respectable, and tied to gendered roles. This representation only reflects the ideas of leadership, rather than the membership. Homophiles were a highly diverse group of people, both intellectually and demographically. Assumptions about their politics and practices began in straight society but did come to be repeated by their critics. In truth, homophiles included radicals and conservatives and their publications served as the stage on which to debate the …

The Weaponization Of Medicine In Arkansas Prison Farms, 1960s-1970s, Grace E. Marr

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Arkansas State Penitentiary provides a case study for medical care in prisons during a transformational period. Isolation and state non-involvement in Arkansas allowed the creation of an independent culture in which harrowing abuses flourished. Medical providers could be prisoners themselves, operating the hospital and blood bank creating a complicated hierarchy. By examining medical provisions at the Cummins and Tucker Prison Farms during the 1960s to 1970s, this thesis reveals a system where the lines between treatment and torture and medical practitioner and imprisoned were blurred.

"Troublesome Medicine Man": Representations Of The Sword Bearer Incident In Newspaper Coverage, Cara Sue Swaim

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

Newspaper coverage of Native Americans during the nineteenth century had an “artistic bias,” or a tendency to emphasize action, danger, and treachery as a part of the “Indian formula.” This meant that vast amounts of journalistic zeal was spent on instances of conflict and tension between tribes, within tribes, between tribes and white settlers, or between tribes and the U.S. military, while times of peace and instances of cooperation received miniscule amounts of attention. This was largely motivated by a desire to justify American western expansion and the need to “civilize” Native groups. This “Indian formula” was also applied in …

Forced Sterilizations And Reproductive Control: A Legacy Of Eugenics And White Supremacy In The United States, Bshara Alsheikh

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Women of color have suffered racial reproductive abuse by the hands of government-funded white supremacist institutions. From federal government agencies to the highest court of the land, they have all played a crucial role in the reproductive oppression of women of color and have failed to protect their bodily autonomy. This thesis examines legal cases like Buck v. Bell, Madrigal v. Quilligan, and Relf v. Weinberger to showcase how the bodies and reproductive capacities of women of color have been targeted and controlled under the guise of public health, to advance supposed economic stability, and through a racially charged eugenics …

The Shift Of Western Power In The Anglo-American Relationship As Examined Through The Military Events Of World War Ii, Zaina A. Nait Omar

All Theses

How did the authority within the Anglo-American Alliance begin to shift toward the American domination that ruled the second half of the twentieth century? By examining the events of World War II, this thesis restructures the typical timeline with which historians have approached the dynamic of authority in the Anglo-American Relationship. Many historians claim that America was the perceived senior partner by 1941; however, this thesis demonstrates that by examining things from a military lens, that date must change. The British continued to operate under the intention of maintaining their global authority through 1945 and even into 1946. The thesis …

Displacement And Dreams: The Loss Of Home In A New South Town, Dora Helen Impson

All Theses

Despite much research regarding the experience of white city dwellers of Greenville, South Carolina, in the twentieth century, telling the stories of the city’s Black neighborhoods still remains to be done. This thesis chronicles the Black neighborhood of Little Texas, which was found northeast of the city’s central business district from its inception in the 1870s to its demise in the 1970s. By situating the city’s efforts to restrict and limit Black spaces within the historical framework of nationwide efforts of residential segregation ordinances, racially restrictive covenants, and city planning, this thesis argues that Greenville followed many other cities in …

The Proverbial Milk And Honey: Frontier, Racial Lines, And The Development Of California Foodways, Ahlys Gandara

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis proposes that the development of foodways in the state of California occurred concurrently with the development and failures of Americanization and the American frontier. This is done with respect to the fact that California has a much longer history than that of the United States. While foodways are often discussed and examined within the ideas of nationalization, this becomes harder to do within the United States as there is no unifying idea of a national identity and any attempts to do so were hampered by the lack of consensus as to a singular identity. This is especially true …

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

Black Women During The Great Migration: Transitions From Sharecropping To Black Metropolis, Ryan Daye

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The origin of the dissertation came about as me being the only southerner within the group of individuals completing the MALS Program. While studying Cultural studies, I began to take a focus on the Great Migration of black Americans migrating from the South to other regions of the United States. As a southerner, I was aware of the migration patterns but never went in-depth on the subject because I felt no connection. While studying, I noticed the perception of black women who were being used as subjects. Women who were being forced out of their southern situations because of segregation, …

From Tragedy To Triumph: Maine’S Lgbtq+ History (1984-2005), Aidan King '25

All Student Scholarship

Maine’s LGBTQ+ history may be very rich, but true acceptance was an uphill battle. For decades, queer residents of Maine fought for equal rights in the state. The Stonewall riots in 1969 in New York City were an early sign that LGBTQ+ citizens were not going to continue to let their identities be suppressed, but as the years progressed, so too did the confidence of queer people to be open about their identities, including in Maine. In 1973, at the University of Maine, the Wilde-Stein Club was established, to the deep chagrin of homophobic fundamentalist preachers whose protests against the …

Healthcare Access And Agency In Material Culture: A Specialized Analysis Of Pharmaceutical Artifacts From Louisville’S West End., Sara Marian (Deurell) Ignacio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American Victorian Period of the 1870s to 1920s was a time of significant transitions in medicine. In Louisville, Kentucky, this period saw an influx of Black healthcare professionals and the founding of Louisville National Medical College, the state’s first medical school open to people of color. A number of these professionals lived and/or practiced in the Beecher Terrace study area, which was excavated between 2017 and 2020. Patent medicine brands and archival records were examined qualitatively in order to understand neighborhood and case study household health concerns and consumer choice. Statistical analyses of the medicine bottles recovered during the …

The Value Of Holidays In World War I America, Laura Kathleen Neis

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

World War I affected what people valued, which in turn impacted American celebrations of the Fourth of July and Christmas. These two holidays became patriotic ways to demonstrate unswerving loyalty to the U.S. government, with charitable pursuits, parties, and even meals altered due to the need for victory. These holidays impacted the war in turn by bolstering morale on the homefront and overseas, and strengthening Americans’ emotional connection to the war.

Surprisingly, the Fourth of July became an international holiday which emphasized the United States’ historical ties to France, and the shared values between the United States and Great Britain. …

Firearm Trauma Across Time: Investigating Civil War Gunshot Trauma And Their Impact On Modern Forensic Analysis, Morgan K. Reeder

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This thesis will examine the ballistic trauma caused by Civil War-era firearms and ammunition. These weapons, each with distinct characteristics, had a profound impact on the nature of combat and the resulting injuries. By investigating how these firearms’ ammunition interacted with human bone structure, this research will offer a detailed analysis of the trauma these weapons produced.

This research intends to answer several key research questions. First, how did the different types of Civil War firearms affect skeletal remains? Second, what are the key characteristics of gunshot trauma caused by these firearms in terms of bone fracturing and fragmentation, and …

The Bones: A Novel-In-Progress, Chris Stark

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Mapping Homes Of Georgia's Governors And Their Westward Shift (1776–2024), Andrew J. Bramlett

Symposium of Student Scholars

Since the start of the American Revolution, seventy-seven men have served as Governor of Georgia. Over time, the state expanded westward from the coast to become the largest state east of the Mississippi River. Although individual governors have been studied extensively (particularly in James F. Cook’s The Governors of Georgia), their residences remain underexplored as indicators of electoral power shifts. Based on the information of seventy-seven governors collected from Cook, the New Georgia Encyclopedia, and Georgia Historical Quarterly, this research visualizes the residences of governors at the time of their election by using ArcGIS and reveals the state’s electoral …

Colonial Waste And Liminal Space: A Look Behind The Muhlenberg General Store, Ciara S. Chagnon

Anthropology Honors Papers

The following project includes both a comprehensive site report on the archaeological field school hosted by Ursinus College and Historic Trappe in the summer of 2024, as well as spatial representations and analysis of colonial window glass distribution over the excavation units. Descriptions of the results of this archaeological investigation aim to expand on the body of knowledge concerning the Muhlenberg general store and the Speaker’s House property where the field school was conducted. An exploration of liminality and archaeological boundaries provides a lens into the structural nature of the general store zone as well as its colonial-era functions. In-depth …

The Grizzly, April 24, 2025, Kate Horan, Renee Washart, Nathaniel Nerone, Sidney Belleroche, Erin Ewing, Hadley Whitman

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Experimental Film Event With Jen Proctor • Golf Centennial Conference Championships • Portrayals of Identity • Yik Yak Ban and Online Conduct • Tau Sigma Gamma Talks Events, Friendships and Recruitment • A List of Unserious Reasons Why You Should Join The Grizzly • Bears' Track Roars On • Men's Lacrosse Fights Through Challenging Season

The Podcast Election: How Podcasts Helped Decide The United States Presidential Election Of 2024 In An Unprecedented Way, Logan T. Boyd

Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to showcase the interesting, yet inevitable effect that the medium of podcasting had on the 2024 United States Presidential Election Cycle. Throughout the history of the U.S. voters have looked towards the ever growing frontier of technology to shorten the gap between them, and their candidate of choice. From Franklin D. Roosevelt and the radio, to Barack Obama and the internet, the impact these leaps in communication have had on presidential elections are undeniable. Between the two candidacies of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it was Trump who made full use of the medium …

Thompson’S Rifle Battalion: The Original Unit Of The Army Of The United Colonies (Now The United States Regular Army), John A. Bonin

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2025 John A. Bonin

Although 1775 is indisputably the birth year of the US Army, two events occurred on June 14 of that year to which the Army can credit its birthday. One is the adoption by the Continental Congress of the collective militia forces from several colonies outside Boston to form a Continental Army, of which Congress appointed George Washington the commander in chief on June 15, 1775. In addition, the US Regular Army officially dates its beginning to June 14, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress directed 10 companies of expert riflemen to be raised immediately in Pennsylvania, …

Activist Abolitionists And The Experiment Of Civil War New Orleans 1862-1865, Cress Ann Posten Ph.D.

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Activist Abolitionists and the Experiment of Civil War New Orleans 1862-1865

Abstract

This essay examines the efforts of both white and black activist abolitionists in New Orleans during Union occupation of the Civil War. Their altruistic efforts and experimental approaches, though imperfect and riddled with mistakes, offered practical help and long-needed hope for formerly enslaved people.

New Orleans was home to11,000 free black and Creole citizens, many of whom were wealthy and respected community members. Their leaders became advocates for themselves and for the influx of thousands of newly arrived contrabands. As numbers of contrabands grew in the city, freeborn …

The British Invasion Of Tea: How Advertising Wars Influenced America's Tea Drinking Habbits, Maddux L. Mullinax

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

This paper examines the historical shift in American tea consumption from green to black tea during the early to mid-20th century. Initially, green tea from China and Japan was predominant in the U.S. until the 1920s. The transformation to black tea was spearheaded by British tea growers from India, notably through the strategic marketing efforts of Sir Charles Higham and the India Tea Growers Association (ITGA). Their campaigns focused on aligning black tea with American tastes, distancing it from its British colonial connotations, and leveraging global trade dynamics. The influence of World War II further entrenched black tea's dominance, with …

Charity Begins At Home: A Case Study Of Rural Western Pennsylvania During The Great Depression, Jacob A. Battle, Colin J. Wood, Christian E. Mumpower

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Rural Pennsylvania is often neglected when discussing the world-shaping events of the Great Depression. This study addresses a significant gap in historical research by exploring how a small-town in Pennsylvania, New Bethlehem, survived and even thrived during the Great Depression. New Bethlehem, situated in the fertile Redbank Valley, built its settlement on local resources and rural communalism. During the Depression, the townsfolk banded together through wealthy philanthropy, backyard gardens, and homegrown charity to withstand the crippling implications of the event. By examining church records, newspaper archives, and conducting oral interviews, this article reveals the resilience and resourcefulness of rural Pennsylvanian …

To The Shores Of Tripoli: America’S First Crusade To Cement Her Sovereignty, I. B. Landry

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The First Barbary War, also known as the Tripolitan War, is the conflict that set the tone for American sovereignty. The results of this research show that the Tripolitan War was about more than simply America’s right to exercise trade freely in the Mediterranean and North Africa. This was, in a sense, the litmus test for the new nation that would prove to be challenging to its Christian values. It can be concluded that Thomas Jefferson sanctioned the Augustinian campaign to not only benefit America, but all parties wishing to operate in the Mediterranean freely.

Windmills As Symbols Of Economic Development And Progress In West Texas From 1860 To 2011, Stacy Taylor

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The outline of a windmill against the sky is a popular image of Texas found on many forms of media including illustrations, photographs, and other print media. How did the image of a windmill become symbolic to Texas? The purpose of this paper is to determine how and why windmills became an important symbol representing the Texas Plains. Methodology used included analysis of scientific information to explore the geography of Texas, which demonstrated why windmills were needed in West Texas. Critical analysis of journals and books were performed to determine the history of the introduction and evolving use of windmills …

The Formation Of The American League In Baseball; Changes In American Society And Culture That Contributed To The Demand For More Baseball In The Late 19th Century, Shawn M. Smith

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The second professional major league (the American League) in baseball came about in response to the demand for more baseball entertainment due to the increased amount of leisure time Americans had in the late-19th century as society started the shift from an agricultural based lifestyle to a culture who worked predominantly in factory work.

The culture and society of the day changed drastically due to changing economic conditions of the time period. Due to monumental changes in industry, the vast majority of the population had shifted from working in an agrarian society to working in factories as a result of …

Histography: Gerald Ford And The Pardon Of Nixon, Joshua Longmire Phd

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the annals of American political discourse, President Gerald Ford's decision on September 8, 1974, to grant his predecessor, Richard Nixon, a presidential pardon emerges as a watershed moment. This act insulated Nixon—who was deeply entangled in the intricate web of the Watergate scandal—from prospective criminal prosecution. It represented a significant departure from the anticipated legal processes, especially in the immediate aftermath of Ford's unexpected elevation to the presidency following Nixon's precipitous resignation amidst impending impeachment. This essay seeks to navigate the evolving historiographical landscape of Ford's pardon. It delineates the trajectory from initial critiques to the multifaceted discourses of …

In Victory And In Infamy: An Examination Of America’S Revolutionary Struggle Through The Parallel Careers Of Colonel Peter Gansevoort And Major General Benedict Arnold, Wyatt Golden

Senior Honors Theses

The parallel careers of Peter Gansevoort and Benedict Arnold in Washington’s Continental Army during the American Revolution highlight the important role played by Washington’s junior officers in the success of the Revolutionary effort, while emphasizing the personal relationships forged in the crucible of that war. As their commands intersected in the crucial campaign seasons of 1776, 1777, and 1780, Gansevoort and Arnold developed a close personal relationship as each individually, with the aid of the other, played key roles in the retreats, victories, and betrayals that defined each of those respective campaigns. By examining Gansevoort’s largely forgotten career, an entirely …

Linda Morris, Linda G. Morris B.S.

We Are NIH Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

History’S Unsung Hero: Examining Oscar Dunn And African American History Through A Graphical Novel, Nefertari Yancie

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies curriculum is at the center of heated debates in U. S. politics. Conservative politicians seek to limit what student are taught about the experiences of people of color who have been oppressed or subjected to racist policies and treatment throughout American history. Whitewashing history denies students the chance to examine history in its fullness as they are unable to analyze the voices and experiences of all people whose stories have contributed to the American story. In this article, the author explores how graphic novels may be used to teach African American history. Specifically, the author discusses how activities …

The Grizzly, April 17, 2025, Kate Horan, Grace Olivo, Claudia Tracy, Renee Washart, Ashley Adam, Nathaniel Nerone, Emily Veasey, Jesse Cherone, Erin Ewing

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Denim Day: UC Peer Advocates • Myrin Makeover • Out of the Darkness Campus Walk • Sisters Helping Sisters • Fun Home Comes to Lenfest Theatre Stage • Party Culture: A Dying Breed? • Bears' Softball Looks to End Season on a High Note • Women's Lacrosse Confident Amidst Playoff Push