History Commons^™

"Love And Reading": An Oral History Of Albion's Big Read, Akaiia Ridley

Historic Preservation Final Projects

No abstract provided.

"The End Of Learning Is Gracious Living": A Centennial Of Life In Mary Trowbridge Hall, Kalmazoo College, Hunter Lorain Magrum

Historic Preservation Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back At The Last Fifty Years, Ypsilanti Bicentennial Commission's History Subcommittee, John Mccurdy, Editor, Bill Nickels, Editor, Evan Milan, Editor, Sarah Zawacki, Editor

University Archives Book Collection

In commemoration of their city's bicentennial, the people of Ypsilanti look back on the dramatic changes that the last fifty years brought to this small town in southeastern Michigan. Drawing on archival research, published sources, and personal recollections, Ypsilanti Histories explores the government, educational institutions, businesses, community organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals that have defined Ypsilanti since 1973.

As befits the rich diversity of the community, Ypsilanti Histories captures a range of experiences. It explores the controversies that have rocked the city from the university mascot to school consolidation, while also celebrating the city's oldest African American civic organization and the …

Linus Babcock, Oral History Interview, 2022, Cellach Allen

COVID-19 Oral Histories

In October and November of 2022, You Li's Journalism 313 students conducted oral history interviews with one another to document the student experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this interview, EMU undergraduate Linus Babcock describes the early days of COVID, the initial shutdown of the university and the experience of moving back home with family and siblings.

The National Register Of Historic Places Nomination Process For The Dow House (Ypsilanti Historical Society) Ypsilanti, Mi, Tim Sabo

Historic Preservation Final Projects

No abstract provided.

The Contributions Of Edward A. Pollard's The Lost Cause To The Myth Of The Lost Cause, Justin F. Krasnoff

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Edward A. Pollard’s The Lost Cause first appeared in 1866. Although it established the Myth of the Lost Cause, it was widely read, not as myth, but as history, especially in the South. Then, after 1900, it was largely forgotten. However, starting in the early 1970s, historians began to investigate the Myth of the Lost Cause as a myth. Pollard’s name and the title of his book finally came up again, but usually just in passing. Except for occasionally getting credit for coining the term “the Lost Cause,” his contributions and popularity remained largely ignored. The purpose of this thesis …

Agricultural And Settlement Patterns Of New France In The Seventeenth And Eighteenth Centuries, Katherine St. Amand

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498): Fashioning Of A Prophet And A New Jerusalem In Late Fifteenth-Century Florence, Ann Christiansen Remp

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) was a Dominican mendicant of the fifteenth century who fashioned himself as a prophet. Although there were many prophets in Italy, this study argued that Savonarola primarily emulated the biblical prophets of the Old Testament. Analysis of Savonarola’s discourse was based on electronic or print translations of his sermons and other writings. War, violence, corruption of the Church, and changing forms of government led to a fear among Florentine that drove them to seek prophets. The study followed Savonarola’s early preaching, call to prophesy, self-representation as a prophet, and the height of his acceptance as a prophet …

The Trajectory Of Male Homosexuality In Nazism, Goral Bhatt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Nazism redefined gender and sexual politics for society during the twentieth century, which determined the trajectory of male homosexuality under the Third Reich. While the party did not actively promote homosexuality, early Nazism valued hypermasculinity and homosocial relationships. Right-wing veterans of the First World War were attracted to the Nazi paramilitary unit, Sturmabteilung (SA), led by Ernst Röhm, a well-known gay man. The SA leaders promoted close male bonds among the members, which led to homoerotic relationships. If homoerotism was permitted within the early Nazi Party, why was there a steady decline in the treatment of gay men under the …

A Métis Wife's Tale: Race, Womanhood, And Adaptation To Settler Colonialism In The Diaries Of Mary Hobart Williams, Rachael Schnurr

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As the War of 1812 drew to a stalemate, the American government began the process of state formation in the "Old Northwest," which put political, economic, and cultural pressures on the indigenous population. Among the Anishinaabeg, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, and other Native inhabitants, however, were fifty-three communities of mixed ancestry produced by the fur trade: the Great Lakes Metis. This project looks at the ways the Metis of Green Bay adapted to the pressures of settler colonialism through the nineteenth century. In particular, it uses the diaries of a French-Menominee woman named Mary Hobart Williams to identify examples of "survivance, "or …

Contested Civic Space: The Piazza Della Signoria In Medicean Florence, Joanne Wisely

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The heart of civic life in Renaissance Florence was an open square called the Piazza della Signoria. The piazza was the site of debates, executions, and power struggles, making it the most contested space in the city. Florentines held tremendous pride in their republic and often commissioned sculptural works to represent their civic values, displaying them publicly in the piazza. This research examines the shifting messages of sculptural works in the Piazza della Signoria during three distinct periods: from the piazza's creation in 1300 until 1494; from the expulsion of the Medici in 1494 until their return in 1512; and …

Student Activism At Eastern Michigan University 1961-1970, Philip J. Kotwick

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Phoenician Funerary Masks And Pendant/Head Beads: A Feature Analysis And Catalogue, Alexandria Miller

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In this thesis, I examine 31 artifacts within the frame of an in-the-works catalogue that aims to eventually provide an in-depth survey of funerary masks and beads found at Levantine sites, particularly in/at/from Phoenician contexts. The basic catalogue system is outlined, which works to compile known Phoenician masks and head beads that, along with other related objects in the future, could be organized into a single diverse collection. These artifacts are then further broken down by a feature analysis looking to identify and record potential patterns and common stylistic traits among them. The facial feature analysis includes and records the …

Charles Horton Cooley And The Social Gospel Influence, Taylor Emerson Styes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Charles Horton Cooley was one of the fundamental American intellectuals of the early twentieth century, primarily due to his social theories that involved the connection between individuals and society. This thesis demonstrates this connection with the influence of the Social Gospel movement as a basis for Cooley’s evolving social organization theories that remained important for the next generation of sociologists. The last stage of this thesis examines the transition away from the Social Gospel influence through Cooley’s organic social process, while Cooley retained parallels with the Social Gospel.

The American Phantasmagoria: The Rise Of Spiritualism In Nineteenth-Century America, Daniel Bowlin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Spiritualism, or the belief in spirit communications through mediums, was a movement in the nineteenth century which gained popularity within America. This thesis aims to widen the scope of spiritualism’s historiography by exploring spiritualists’ lives to reveal a more complex answer to why this movement gained a large following in antebellum America. The stories of spiritualists show that spiritualism rose in nineteenth century America because the culture placed death in the periphery, leaving certain Americans unresolved and therefore looking to the Victorian death culture for closure from a lost relationship. Additionally, spiritualists saw the muddled religious system as proof of …

Para Los Hijos Y Nuestro Futuro: Reconceptualizing Costa Rican Identity Through The Civil War, Amberlyn Britt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

After the 1948 Civil War, Costa Rican people redefined their society and democracy, and created a nation that, unlike many others in the region, was able to withstand pressures toward corruption and violence. By examining personal narratives, this study observes how various groups such as Costa Rican men, women, and Afro-West Indians related to the nation‟s traditions of democracy and its identity of exceptionalism. In 1948, Costa Ricans fought against a government that they viewed as corrupt and oppressive to secure a better future for not only themselves, but for all of Costa Rica.

Gis Analysis Of The Mid-Nineteenth Century Emigration Of The Old Lutherans From Prussia, Joel Seewald

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Old Lutherans constituted fewer than 20% of the Germans who emigrated from Prussia between 1835 and 1854. In this study, more than 483 cities and villages of origin of 6,911 Old Lutherans were mapped. These origins were in the central provinces of Brandenburg, Pomerania, Posen, Saxony, and Silesia. More emigrants came from Pomerania overall and during every time period except 1849-54. The areas with the most emigrants were north central Pomerania, northern Brandenburg, southeast Brandenburg, and western Silesia. Emigrant destinations were primarily America and Australia. American destinations included New York, Wisconsin, and Texas, but the state that many went …

Women Rising: The American Revolution And Evangelical Thought, Roxanne Reinhardt

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This project explores the events leading up to the American Revolution such as the Great Awakening and the Seven Years War through the works of Hannah Heaton and Esther Edwards Burr's diaries, as well as Sarah Osborn's writing. Thus, by looking at the religious views of women during this time, this paper explains the trend of revivalist and evangelical uprisings and the religious break from authority for marginalized members of society. This paper argues that female evangelicals found religion and prayer an active way to participate and promote themselves in the American Revolution.

The Crucible Of Christendom: Roman Catholicism And The Reign Of Franz Joseph, Joseph P. Aninos

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This project proposes lo analyze the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A careful examination of the Emperor and the Roman Catholic Church reveals the important roles that both had within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This paper argues that the Catholic Church was a vital part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was promoted heavily by Emperor Franz Joseph.

Volunteering To Lead: Combat Affairs That Shaped The Command Philosophy Of Major Rufus R. Dawes, U.S.A. And Captain James Cooper Nisbet, C.S.A. (1861-1862), Trace Brusco

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The frequently disorganized command structure which dictated American Civil War battles often resulted in direction of military strategy being passed over into the junior officer ranks. These volunteer leaders fought directly with the regular volunteer soldier that filled the ranks of both Union and Confederate armies. In exchange for their position amongst the common volunteer, the junior officers shared the same dangers in combat as their subordinates. In this study, junior officers Rufus Dawes and James Cooper Nisbet serve as the focus of a study that reveals what attributes contributed to the success and failures of command. Dawes, who served …

An Historical Analysis Of Women’S Emergence Into Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership: Eastern Michigan University, A Case Study, Cheyenne Luzynski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The implementation of Title IX has increased women’s participation rates in intercollegiate athletics tenfold, yet women’s representation in athletic leadership remains marginal compared to men. As such, the purpose of this study was to understand the social construction of gender as it relates to intercollegiate athletic leadership at Eastern Michigan University. The study explored the history of sporting activities as a mechanism to shape and perpetuate masculine and feminine culture. These values (i.e, competitiveness and cooperativeness) were institutionalized in higher education as sex-segregated physical education and athletic functions. This historical case study applied organizational and institutional theory analyzing the institutional, …

Women In Early Christianity: Pagan Precedence And Evangelical Acceptance, Cherokee Gonzalez

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

"Our Renown Is Not Yours" The American Militia In The War Of 1812, Adam Franti

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis examines the role of the American militia during the War of 1812. Focusing on the words of the participants themselves , this thesis uses primary sourcde material to attempt to reconstruct the actions of the militia during a small number of highly dramatic moments in the first campaigns of the conflict. Secondary sources are used to broaden the scope of the research and bring to light elements of social and cultural history and explore the meaningfulness of the militia both as an institution of top-down construction and as one of bottom-up construction. The study determines that the popularity …

A Look Into Union And Confederate Cavalry: A Comparative Study Of The Michigan Cavalry Brigade And Ector’S Brigade, James Middleditch

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This comparative study explores the use of cavalry by the Union armed forces and Confederate armed forces during the American Civil War. This study examines the Michigan Cavalry Brigade and Ector’s Brigade of dismounted cavalry. The examination took a look at factors including weapons and equipment, leadership, tactics and strategy, casualties, and campaign performances. This study argues that, the Michigan Cavalry Brigade was able to demonstrate the Union’s superiority over the Confederacy when compared to Ector’s Brigade. Results of the comparative study showed that the Michigan Cavalry Brigade was able to display the Union’s dominance by acquiring small arms that …

Fear And (Non) Fiction: Agrarian Anxiety In “The Colour Out Of Space”, Antonio Barroso

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This literary and sociological study examines H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space” alongside New England agricultural societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as their members faced socio-political change. Anxieties expressed in the short story reflect fears of communities facing erasure at the hands of a reservoir project. Patterns of historical American rural communities facing destruction in the name of progress as well as modern communities facing similar threats show the endurance of Lovecraft’s specific brand of fear.

The United States And Irregular Warfare 1899-2011, Justin Wike

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

After the United States fought irregular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the amount of scholarship on the topic of counterinsurgency and guerilla warfare grew at a fast pace. Much of this scholarship has focused on a single conflict, or on several recent conflicts. This thesis took a different approach and looked at United States involvement in these irregular conflicts from the Philippine-American War onward through the lens of paternalism and the military strategies and tactics employed by the United States. The Philippine-American War was the first war the United States waged to maintain its overseas empire. This war would set …

Shifting Landscapes: Christian Apologetics And The Gradual Restriction Of Dhimmi Social Religious Liberties From The Arab-Muslim Conquests To The Abbasid Era, Michael J. Rozek

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This historical research study explores the changes of conquered Christians’ social-religious liberties from the first interactions between Christians and Arab-Muslims during the conquests c. A.D. 630 through the the ‘Abbasid era c. A.D. 850. Examining the development of Christian apologetic interaction over time and its effect within Muslim communities, apologetic dialogue and disputation generated a serious concern of apostasy in the Islamic Empire in which later Islamic legal scholars particularly emphasized and restricted Christian apologetics and evangelical actions in universal Islamic law codes, altering Christian social-religious living. This thesis suggests that Christian social-religious liberties did not immediately begin in conflict …

Fighting For Liberty In An Unequal Society: African American Military Service In The American Revolution And The Path Towards Citizenship, Jason G. Storey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Since the colonization of the New World, Africans and African Americans have played a pivotal role in armed conflicts. Military service for enslaved and free black men often converted into additional liberties, including manumission and a rise in social status. Despite opportunities to gain freedom and additional rights, only a select few received such chances. Blacks that did serve were still considered to be inferior and of a lower social status than their white counterparts. With the arrival of American Revolution, a new found importance was given to the service of black soldiers, and more than 5,000 black men served …

They Throw Pebbles In Our Garden: Women And Consumerism In The Soviet Union From Lenin To Khrushchev, Lyudmila Austin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

My work provides a background to gender equality in the Soviet Union from its inception, the nascent Lenin era, the autocratic Stalin era and it culminates with a focus on the Khrushchev regime. My work demonstrates that although the Khrushchev era sought to ameliorate women's double burden of work and domestic care, significant gains, in the form of economic independence and gender parity, were never achieved. My research reveals that the Khrushchev era, in an attempt to peacefully compete with the West, condoned traditional gender norms and encouraged feminine aestheticism. My research illustrates how the Post-Stalin era, which became more …

Refinement And Architecture In Early Ypsilanti, Lynda Mccarron

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this work is to examine refinement and architecture in nineteenth-century America with a focus on rural areas and Ypsilanti, Michigan in particular. The research utilized consists of an analysis of primary and secondary sources. Included among the primary sources are architectural style books such as those by Andrew Jackson Downing, pioneer writings such as those of Caroline Kirkland and Solon Robinson, historical buildings, and probate record inventories of Washtenaw County. Ypsilantians did not assume the genteel refinement that developed in the nineteenth century. They instead modified gentility to become a form of respectability that suited their needs. …