History Commons^™

"The Most Glorious War Recorded In The British Annals”: Portugal In British Figurations Of The Peninsular War, Manuela MourãO

English Faculty Publications

[First paragraph]

“THE MOST GLORIOUS WAR RECORDED IN THE BRITISH ANNALS,” AS ROBERT Southey described it in the dedication of his History of the Peninsular War,1 the conflict that brought together Portugal, Spain, and Britain against Napoleon’s armies between 1807 and 1814 was a dominant preoccupation of the British public in general, and of the first generation of Romantics in particular.2 Many critics have shown the extent to which the Iberian uprising against the tyranny of Napoleon galvanized the British people, united the British nation, and afforded Southey, Wordsworth, and Coleridge a renewed opportunity to sympathize with the cause of …

A Thirst For Empire: How Tea Shaped The Modern World, Jane T. Merritt

History Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) In A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World, Erika Rappaport, specialist in British consumer culture, explores the influ- ence of the quintessential English beverage on the rise of mass markets and British identity. Drawing from a variety of research tradi- tions, including recent commodity studies, the author argues that tea was both a product of and a producer of empire. The commercial success of tea created powerful corporate entities with imperial ties, such as the English East India Company and Lipton’s. But, it was the practice of drinking tea that defined and transformed “Britishness.” …

Confrontations With Colonialism: Resistance, Revivalism And Reform Under British Rule In Sri Lanka 1796-1920, Vol 1, C. R. De Silva

History Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) In one of the most challenging and thought-provoking history books published in Sri Lanka in the last decade, P. V. J. Jayasekera has used a wide variety of sources to challenge a number of existing interpretations relating to Sri Lanka under British colonial rule in the nineteenth century. While the book is based partly on his own doctoral dissertation completed in 1970, in Jayasekera’s own words “The scope and the foci of the original study have been substantially changed” (p. ix) in view of new theoretical approaches in the study of colonial history and the debates on history …

The Role Of Agricultural And Land Policies In The Failure Of The British Mandate For Palestine, Beth Ann Lynk

History Theses & Dissertations

This study follows the thread of chronic land loss for small and subsistence Arab farmers in Palestine and the key solution repeatedly advocated by the British of intensive agriculture and how it routinely failed only to fuel increased tensions and violence between Arabs and Jews contributing to the reversal of the goal of a unified Palestine under the Mandate. A variety of primary and secondary sources were used to identify the main social patterns and laws during the Ottoman Empire which set up the dynamic of agricultural debt leading to land sales to Jewish immigrants. This pattern is then traced …

The Mediterranean Apprenticeship Of British Slavery, By Gustav Ungerer. Madrid: Editorial Verbum, 2008 (Book Review), Imtiaz Habib

English Faculty Publications

The article reviews the book "The Mediterranean Apprenticeship of British Slavery," by Gustav Ungerer.

Racial Impersonation On The Elizabethan Stage: The Case Of Shakespeare Playing Aaron, Imtiaz Habib

English Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the implications of playwright William Shakespeare performing racial roles himself, such as Aaron in "Titus Andronicus." Several plays are discussed, including "Titus Andronicus," "The Merchant of Venice," and "Othello." The SHAXICON database, which compiles the text of Shakespeare's plays, is the primary source of evidence to suggest Shakespeare acted in his plays. Information about race relations in Great Britain's society during Shakespeare's time is also given.

The Interaction Of Domestic Politics And English Naval Operations During The Civil War And Interregnum, 1642-1660, Don P. Crowson

History Theses & Dissertations

The interaction of domestic politics and the English Navy during the Civil Wars and the following interregnum is analyzed. The period of interest is during the reign of Charles I (1646-1649); the Commonwealth (1649-1653), when the government functioned essentially as a republic; and the Protectorate, (1653-1660), when the executive function was performed first by Oliver Cromwell and then by his son, Richard Cromwell. A brief description of the immediate preceding years is included to establish the political climate of the time.

The major events with political implications are considered in detail. They are: (1) the struggle between Parliament and the …

Eighteenth-Century British Circulating Libraries And Cultural Book History, Edward Jacobs

English Faculty Publications

Circulating library catalogs offer one of the most revealing views available of book publishing and reading in eighteenth-century Britain, since those catalogs and the libraries they document were put together by book traders whose livelihood depended upon giving an unprecedentedly wide range of British readers the books they wanted. Of course, the perspective on eighteenth-century British book culture provided by their catalogs is nowhere near as comprehensive as the Eighteenth-Century Short Title Catalog (ESTC) or the recently published first volume of The English Novel 1770– 1829: A Bibliographical Survey of Prose Fiction Published in the British Isles (TEN), which “seeks …

Court, Clients And Kingship: A Study Of Royal Executive Style During The Reign Of James I, Nick Jon Ziegler

History Theses & Dissertations

The thesis explores James Stuart's distinct style of kingship as a self-proclaimed absolute monarch whose writings, speeches and public image belied his intention to rule moderately for the welfare of his subjects. The king's reign is analyzed with regard to his ideas on monarchy and government, ecclesiastical policies, problems with clientage, relations with favourites and court culture. Both in Scotland and England, James' writings reveal his static approach to governing key institutions of church and state. The Jacobean court served as the locus of state political power as well as royal patronage, thus drawing many suitors for public offices and …

One Mistress And No Master: Elizabeth I And Her Use Of Public Personas To Gain And Maintain Power, Michael J. Davye

History Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the evolution of the personas that Elizabeth used to gain, hold, and wield power during her reign as Queen of England. These personas were most likely conscious constructs created to deal with the problems Elizabeth faced as ruler of England. She had been bastardized by her father, Henry VIII, and, therefore, was considered by many to have no legitimate claim to the throne. But this problem was almost insignificant in contrast to the problems she faced trying to assert her authority as a female monarch. Elizabeth realized the prevailing wisdom of the …

Partnership Of Necessity: The Anglo-American Intelligence Relationship From 1921 To 1942, H. Douglas Brooks Iii

History Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the period between the two world wars, Great Britain and the United States were embroiled in an imperialistic rivalry focused heavily in East Asia. The strong sense of competition and mistrust between the navies of the two nations hindered the development of close cooperation as war became imminent in the late 1930s. This state of affairs encompassed every aspect of naval operations, including signal intelligence whose officials sought to forge a working relationship beneficial to both countries in the opening days of the Second world War. Old prejudices and outdated perceptions of national interest were difficult to overcome even …

A Previously Unremarked Circulating Library: John Roson And The Role Of Circulating-Library Proprietors As Publishers In Eighteenth-Century Britain, Edward Jacobs

English Faculty Publications

The entry in The Eighteenth-Century Short Title Catalogue on CD ROM2 for The History of Miss Dorinda Catsby and Miss Emilia Faulkner (London: printed and sold by S. Bladon, 1772) notes that it contains between volumes one and two an advertisement for the catalog of John Roson's circulating library. However, Roson's library is not included in the lists of known English circulating libraries compiled by Hilda Hamlyn and by Paul Kaufman, and evidently no actual copy of a Roson catalog has survived. Still, merely the advertisement for this catalog tells us much about Roson's library business, and the discovery that …

Political Interference In Military Operations During The Anglo-Zulu War Of 1879, Thomas Max Lansford

History Theses & Dissertations

This work examines the degree and effect of the reluctant cooperation of the British government and its colonial agencies with the British army during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. While it is clear that there was no civilian conspiracy to interfere with the army, it is also clear that several of the policies of the government and its colonial agencies hindered army operations. The study is based on the War Office narrative of military operations, on Colonial and War Office correspondence, and on the memoirs and diaries of several participants.

British Foreign Policy And The Crimean War A Study In Uncoordinated Diplomacy, Ronald W. Kennedy

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of British Crimean War diplomacy. Under analysis is the pre-war era (1844-1853) and the war years (1854-1856). Intense diplomatic negotiations were in progress during most of the period immediately preceding and during the Crimean War. The diplomatic efforts to avoid war as well as negotiations to resolve the conflict were protracted and extremely complex.

This study is designed to examine British policy by focusing on what often characterized British efforts prior to, and during, the Crimean War: uncoordinated diplomacy. Although the British clearly wanted to avoid this war and to hasten its conclusion once fighting …

Literary Visions Of Edward Ii And Isabella Of France, Dana L. Sample

Institute for the Humanities Theses

The historical Edward II and Isabella of France do not always resemble the literary Edward and Isabella. Chronicles written after their deaths produced romances about their lives that to this day have colored historical scholarship. Other literature in the form of plays and novels have also been responsible for nurturing legends about Edward and Isabella. This thesis examines first the contemporary chronicles and government records in order to establish some facts about the ill-fated king and queen; then it analyzes the romances and the media that produced them, in an effort to test their reliability. Although some of the legends …

Reform And Democracy: British And American Reactions To The French Revolution, 1789-1801, Martha Lingua Wheless

History Theses & Dissertations

The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 had a profound effect on the countries of the western world. In Great Britain and America initial reaction to the Revolution was overwhelmingly positive, but as the events in France became increasingly violent opinions began to diverge. This thesis examines the diverse popular reactions to the French Revolution in both Great Britain and America. The role played by the governments of these nations in shaping public opinion is considered, as are the effects of the populaces' reactions on the government's policies, which culminated in the suppression of the parliamentary reform movement in …

The Public Record Office: A Study Of The Creation Of The Office And The Construction Of Its Fireproof Repository, Kathryn A. Miller

History Theses & Dissertations

At the beginning of the nineteenth century Britain's public records were scattered among more than fifty depositories which were overcrowded, unorganized, neglected, and ill-suited to record preservation. The British government was not sympathetic to the condition or the importance of the records. How then did the British government become involved in creating the Public Record Office and building its first fireproof repository? This study takes the form of a chronology based extensively on the records of the Public Record Office, the Office of Works, and the British Sessional Papers.

Although the creation of the Public Record Office was part of …

Charles M. Davies (1828-1910): Cleric, Writer, Educator, Spiritualist, Thomas M. Costa

History Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Emancipation & Renewal: English Catholicism In The Nineteenth Century, Cheryl E. Yielding

History Theses & Dissertations

English Catholics faced great difficulties and divisions in the nineteenth century. The chief problems were obtaining civil rights and the right to provide their children with a religious education, prejudice, the restoration of the hierarchy for more efficient government, and the split between Ultramontanes and Liberals. The influx of Irish added to these problems.

This thesis is concerned only with the English Catholics and those Irish Catholics living in England. The "Irish Question" is not dealt with, as the Irish Catholics had different problems and needs than their English brethren. The major emphasis is the prejudice encountered by English Catholics …

The Effect Of The French Revolution On Charles James Fox And The Direction Of British Politics, 1789-1794, Robert Breckenridge Daughtrey

History Theses & Dissertations

The incidence of the French Revolution in 1789 had a disruptive effect on the Whig party. Prior to the Revolution, the Whig party had been a unified group of politicians under the spiritual and intellectual guidance of Charles James Fox. This thesis endeavors to examine how the French Revolution caused the collapse of the Whig party during the years 1789- 1794. The work is devoted specifically to a study of the role of Charles James Fox during this period of British political history. One finds that throughout the years 1789-1794 Fox worked unceasingly to preserve party unity. During this time, …

The United States Great Britain And The Status Of Thailand (Siam), 1940-1946, Peter Goodwin

History Theses & Dissertations

This paper traces the changes in the attitudes and policies of the United States towards the Southeast Asian country of Thailand during the Second World War. From a position of indifference the United States assumed an active role in the emergence of Thailand as a sovereign nation at the conclusion of the war, encouraging pro-American factions and opposing a traditional power of the area, Great Britain.

The emphasis of the paper is on the different attitudes held by Britain and the United States and the efforts to reconcile them. The British expected recompense by the Thais for allying themselves with …

The Norman Conquest In English Historical Thought, Ann Gutting Mercer

History Theses & Dissertations

Each chapter in British historiography has produced a diversity of opinion concerning the impact of the Norman Conquest (twelfth century contemporary, Tudor, Stuart, nineteenth century, twentieth century). The closer one comes to modern times the broader and more heated the controversies become. This paper discusses the appropriate works of the prominent historians from each major period. The question is asked: Was the Norman succession merely one event in the constitutional development of England or did it transform the English way of life?

The Christian Socialist Movement In England, 1848-1854, Elizabeth Burton Morley

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

The Creole Affair: Climax Of The British-American Fugitive Slave Controversy, 1831-1842, Alice Lee Anderson

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

Britain And The Free Trade Area Negotiations Of 1956-1958, George Y. Ballentine

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

The Changing Attitudes Towards The Jews Of England 1066-1660, Bernard Glassman

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.