History Commons^™

Trip To The Dominican Republic, Fred Richter

Library Events and Exhibits

Dr. Fred Richter, Emeritus Professor of Literature, presented Love Works: Adventures in the Dominican Republic. His slides showed his work on behalf of education and families during several trips to the Dominican Republic.

Salvaging Print: Letterhead In Post-Industrial Urban America, Nancy Sharon Collins

The Mid-America Print Council Conference

This panel will explore the link between today’s small press movement and the formal aspects of commercial printing during the American 20th century. Panelists include Christine Medley , Philip Gattuso, and Nancy Bernardo.

Using as its primary example letterhead from defunct companies in Detroit, and secondarily, specimens of business and legal letterhead from other urban centers of the industrial United States, this panel will examine and discuss: What did letterhead represent to 20th century printers in local markets such as Detroit? What is the significance of printed letterhead, and stationery, to the art of small press printing in post-industrial cities …

Digitally Mapping The Growth Of The Railroads In The United States, Michael Weaver

Yale Day of Data

As part of my dissertation, I creating digital maps of the extent of the railways in the United States during the late 19th century (1880 to 1910) on a yearly basis. While other researchers have created digital maps of the railways in approximately 10-year intervals, this misses out on the rapid change in the railways in the interim. These previous digitization attempts have relied on using detailed maps created of the railways at a given time. But accurate maps were not made on a yearly basis and only exist for roughly every 10 years. However, during the 19th century, people …

Emw 2014: Healing, Medicine, And Jews In The Early Modern World, Northwestern University, Evanston And Spertus Institute, Chicago

Early Modern Workshop: Resources in Jewish History

Early modern healing and medicine continued medieval traditions and were simultaneously transformed as a result of radical scientific, religious, and social changes. Early modern scholars, pharmacists, medical doctors, and popular healers advanced significant arguments that drew from and shaped new understandings of human nature and subsequently altered the interactions between healing, religion, and society. Such changes afford a unique opportunity to discuss forms of Jewish interaction with Christian and Muslim societies and developments within Jewish learned and popular culture. They also engage and test the limits of new topics and methodologies employed in early modern studies, enriching the evaluation of …

A Foray Into Library Digital Publishing: The British Virginia Project At Virginia Commonwealth University, Kevin Farley

Charleston Library Conference

The British Virginia project involves a collaboration between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Libraries and faculty members in the departments of English and History at VCU, with the project led by Dr. Joshua Eckhardt (English). As of April 25, 2013, the project has published its first title: an online edition of a sermon preached to the Virginia Company by William Symonds. To ensure the success of this project, a number of details required careful planning, including library outreach, IT involvement, and digital publishing protocols. Our example has deepened a move toward a dynamic and creative digital environment for researchers across campus. …

2014 Printed Program

Colloquium Schedules

No abstract provided.

The Globalization Of Maternal Healthcare In Western Africa, Maura T. Magistrali

Celebration

Maternal healthcare is one of the most important global issues in today’s world, reflected in its inclusion in the Millennium Development Goals. Globalization, through increased acceleration and movement, has improved maternal healthcare in Western Africa, as observed through the spread of Westernized medicines and treatments and improved technology in prenatal and obstetric care. Another remarkable effect of globalization is the hybridity manifested in both women’s healthcare choices and in the pluralistic training of midwives. However, the same forces of movement and exchange can also bring negative consequences, visible through health-access inequalities, brain drain, and the exploitation West African countries.

The Effects Of American Involvement In Northern Uganda's Conflict With The Lord's Resistance Army, Karen J. Norris

Celebration

This project explores the impact of American governmental and non-governmental actors in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) conflict in northern Uganda and southern Sudan, particularly the U.S. military, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It also examines the efficacy of these various forms of intervention, specifically the deployment of U.S. Special Forces tracking the LRA, and the initiation of various soldier reintegration, governance, and sustainability programs organized by USAID and NGOs such as Invisible Children. Additionally, this project seeks to uncover underlying geopolitical objectives, such as gaining alliances in the 'Global War on Terror' …

Argentina's 2001 Default: Foreign Policy Considerations And Consequences, Joshua K. Alley

Celebration

Argentina’s 2001 default was at the time the largest in history, with the Peronist government of Adolfo Rodriguez Saa declaring a cessation of payments on over 80 billion dollars in government bonds. Historically, the political science and economics literatures have emphasized the economic considerations surrounding the decision to default. Recent literature has explored the political motivations for default, but there has been little scholarship on the possible political consequences of default. Some authors have emphasized that default can have important audience costs for leaders, but other issues have been left unexplored. However, it is clear that Argentina’s 2001 default had …

Spark Across The Ages': Freya Von Moltke In The Memory Of The German Resistance To National Socialism, Sarah E. Hayes

Celebration

Freya von Moltke was a member of the Kreisau Circle, a German resistance group to Nazism that was active from 1940-1944. Although the group's existence was uncovered in the wake of the July Plot in 1944, von Moltke became highly influential in preserving the history of the Circle until her death in 2010. This paper will examine the role of von Moltke in the German collective memory today due to her exemplification of the values of the Berlin Republic.

Desert Fog: The Disappearing Memory Of The Herero Genocide, Elizabeth S. Topolosky

Celebration

This paper examines why certain human-created traumas, especially genocides, are forgotten while others become established topics of public and intellectual discourse. The Herero Genocide in German West-Africa of 1904 to 1907 serves as the main example of these "forgotten traumas." In particular this paper focuses on the time period of the genocide, the progress of technology at this time, and the identity of the victims as possible reasons for the "weakness" of the memory of this event.

University Scholar Series: Ruma Chopra, Ruma Chopra

University Scholar Series

Choosing Sides: Loyalists in Revolutionary America

On April 30, 2014, Dr. Ruma Chopra spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Interim Provost Andy Feinstein at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. In this talk, Dr. Chopra discusses colonial resistance to the American Revolution. Dr. Chopra’s book, Choosing Sides: Loyalists in Revolutionary America, details arguments given by America’s original colonists, including slaves and Native Americans, against the formation of the United States. Even hundreds of years into America’s existence, these arguments are echoed and championed both within and beyond our borders. Dr. Chopra is an Associate Professor in …

Language As A Tool: The Use Of Arabic In Spain Under Islamic Rule, Madeline B. Hauenstein

Young Historians Conference

Beginning in 755 the Islamic rulers of Spain attempted to establish a culture of coexistence between the Jews, Christians and Muslims where the oppositional religions were able to unify for socio-economic benefit. The Arabic language proved to be the most significant factor in creating this unity as it was used to monitor trade, developments in the sciences and the preservation of philosophical developments from Greco-Roman antiquity.

The Contributions Of St. Cyprian: Perspectives On Epidemiology And Early Christianity, Iris M. Smith

Young Historians Conference

The Plague of 251 was nicknamed the Plague of Cyprian because of St. Cyprian of Carthage’s recordings of the epidemic. In Cyprian’s treatise ‘On Mortality’ he depicts the symptoms of the disease and offers advice to Christians on how to proceed. Cyprian offers valuable insights to the students of history by depicting a reliable account of the plague so as to build accounts of epidemiology, and as an abstract concept, Cyprian illustrates the moral battles surrounding fatality of early Christians. Records of the Plague of 251 are helpful to epidemiologists, and Cyprian's consolation tactics explain the emotions of early Christians …

Aristotle's Common Good: A Historical Analysis Of Aristotle's Politics, Connor D. Reising

Young Historians Conference

After studying societal structure in Ancient Athens, Aristotle compiled his research into a comprehensive work on government. Though he focuses on three different types of government and their citizen composition, Aristotle captures the preservation of the "common good" within each. This is the value that government should provide citizens with the ability to live well. Though historians still debate the detailed meaning behind Aristotle's words, this central theme is recognized as his key teaching on societal structure. His ideas stemmed from his home in Greece, but his influence can be seen in societies throughout the rest of world history.

Copernicus’ Role In The Scientific Revolution: Philosophical Merits And Influence On Later Scientists, Jonathan Huston

Young Historians Conference

Nicolaus Copernicus' publication of De Revolutionibus Orbium Coesltium marks the beginning of a revolution in the field of astronomy and physics. Within 150 years, a heliocentric system became almost universally accepted in the scientific community. Copernicus’ model was significant not because it of its scientific merit, but because of its ideological appeal to scientists during the 16th through 18th century. This paper explores the philosophical foundations of Copernicus' model, and examines his influence in later work of four significant astronomers and physicists, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton.

An Investigation Into Zionism’S Inner Leadership, Zia L. Klocke

Young Historians Conference

This is a thorough investigation of Zionism’s inner leadership and specifically Herzl’s leadership and success or failure as a political leader. Zionism is a well known and widespread movement that speaks volumes to many people but the leadership during many time periods has been quite lacking. Thus the motivation to further delve into the historical problems with the Zionist movement but even more of a narrow spectrum in respects to Theodor Herzl himself. Through his whole political career, this investigation will inspect what went wrong.

To assess this character and his politics, this paper will go through the general and …

The Nuremberg Trials And Crimes Against Humanity, Katie A. Welgan

Young Historians Conference

The London Charter, signed in August 1945 by Allied leaders to establish the International Military Tribunal, included a seemingly novel category of wartime wrongdoing in the charges against Nazi leaders—crimes against humanity. Although condemned by some as ex post facto law ungrounded in legal precedent, this codified prohibition of destructive action taken by a government against its own citizens was a culmination of humanitarian theory which began in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War. Codified law protecting noncombatants developed during the following centuries, yet the violent excesses of World War I and the failure of the subsequent Leipzig trials …

An Assessment Of Ho Chi Minh’S Strategies For Gaining Support In The Vietnamese Revolution, Madeline Fraser

Young Historians Conference

Despite Americans’ awareness of Vietnam in the context of America’s crusade against communism, little attention is paid to Ho Chi Minh as a national revolutionary in the creation of an independent Vietnam. This paper addresses Ho Chi Minh’s tactics for inciting a revolutionary spirit in the Vietnamese people, particularly his blending of communism and nationalism. Although Ho was characterized as a fervent communist in the West, an examination of his strategies reveals a man who recognized the need to diversify his platform. Ho not only employed nationalistic propaganda, but also adopted fragments of varying political ideologies and appealed to the …

Aristotle's Rhetoric: The Power Of Words And The Continued Relevance Of Persuasion, Claire Floyd-Lapp

Young Historians Conference

A critical work in the field of persuasion—Aristotle essentially established the discipline—Rhetoric offers historians a framework by which to study the subject’s history. In his text, Aristotle argues what successful rhetoric entails, for what purposes rhetoric should be used, and what effective rhetoricians do. Aristotle’s Rhetoric speaks to the power of words and has remained relevant since its publication. Rhetoric offers writers and speakers a foundation from which to build their arguments. Although the perceived importance of persuasion has faded since Aristotle’s time, we still use words, and many scholars encourage the reclamation of rhetoric.

Upholding The Monroe Doctrine: American Foreign Policy In The 1954 Guatemalan Coup D'Etat, Nadjalisse C. Reynolds-Lallement

Young Historians Conference

During the Cold War era, the US developed resentment toward the democratically elected government of Guatemala due to fears of Soviet influence in Latin America and liberal reforms orchestrated by President Arbenz that limited the interference of large American corporations in the Guatemalan economy. In keeping with a long history of imperialistic foreign policy, this distrust resulted in the Eisenhower administration and the CIA conspiring to overthrow the Arbenz administration and setting up a new Guatemalan government designed to be more sympathetic to American interests.

Fair Trial In A Sensationalist Society: Charles Manson And The Tate-Labianca Trial, Jamie L. Cannady

Young Historians Conference

The American legal system was created to ensure each citizen a fair and impartial administration of justice. Charles Manson, notorious criminal and leader of the Manson Family, faced one of the most sensationalistic and dramatized trials in all of United States history. This study views Manson's trial under these promised civil liberties, scrutinizing how Manson and his followers were not given the right to fair trial as secured under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Through many contemptuous actions by the court and media, the accused Family members were sentenced to death without an unbiased and lawful verdict.

Alexander's Empire, Sema Hasan

Young Historians Conference

Alexander the Great is known for creating one of the world’s largest empires but, many are not familiar with the people "behind the scenes" who contributed to his success. This paper examines the role of women in Alexander’s rise to power and their influence in his political campaign. In the cutthroat world of Macedonian politics, it was Alexander’s mother who played a crucial part in establishing her son as king, and used all available tools including murder and deception to do so. Despite the fact that women had little opportunity to become rulers themselves, their involvement in Alexander’s reign was …

Riveting Rosie's Riveting Struggles: Women Shipyard Workers In Wwii, Stephanie Lippincott

Young Historians Conference

The women workers of WWII are generally portrayed as strong, happy, independent women sporting colorful bandanas and cocky grins, yet this manicured Rosie-the-Riveter image is a far cry from capturing the experiences of the average woman laborer on the home front. An examination the Kaiser shipyards in Portland and Vancouver makes it evident that women workers faced a plethora of obstacles and stressors in the workplace, only to find themselves booted back into the position of housewife at the end of the war.

The Most Godless Region Of The World: Atheism In East Germany, Sophie L. Goddyn

Young Historians Conference

With a population of 52.1% presently identifying as atheists, East Germany ranks as the most atheistic region of the world. This anomaly can be explained through the economic lenses of supply-side theory and demand-side theory when analyzing the changes instated by the Communist Party during the life of the German Democratic Republic, from 1945 to 1989. Through a process of secularization and religious oppression, the Communist Party lessened the supply of religious goods in East Germany. On the other hand, it also minimized religious demand by providing secular alternatives to traditional religious practices, and institutionalizing anti-religious sentiment. These actions combined …

Griswold V. Connecticut: A Study Of Resistance To Sexual Revolution In Connecticut, 1961, Natalie Pearson

Young Historians Conference

In 1965, the last remaining anticontraceptive law in the United States was made unconstitutional in Griswold v. Connecticut. Despite widespread acceptance of the use of contraceptives, Connecticut legislatures put up incredible resistance to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and subsequent demand that the statute--outlawing individual use of contraceptives--be removed. This paper asserts Connecticut's foundation as a haven for Protestant values as the reason for this determined resistance to the acceptance of contraceptives.

The Power Of The People In Influencing The British Government: The Kindertransport, Sophia Cantwell

Young Historians Conference

The Kindertransport was a program implemented by Britain throughout Europe during World War II to save thousands of persecuted Jewish children. While the British Parliament ultimately passed the movement as a bill and allowed it, the credit and work behind the movement belongs to the Quakers and various Jewish figures of authority in Britain. This paper explores the birth of this movement, its successes and struggles, and its lasting impact on the world today. Without the determination of a few willing people, thousands of lives would have perished during World War II.

The Catholic Church: Shaping The Roles Of Medieval Women, Ashley N. Just

Young Historians Conference

The paradoxical modern expectation for women to remain virgins while simultaneously being sexual objects for men to enjoy as they please is a result of the ideology of the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe. Christian doctrine at this time presented an image of women as inherently weak and prone to sexual sin as a result of Eve's Original Sin. This weakness then led to the expectation that women would remain chaste and subservient, which in turn inhibited the power and influence women possessed Medieval society. Many of the issues modern feminism fights to remedy result from these historical Christian ideas.

Ideology In Stone: Re-Interpreting The Architecture Of Albert Speer For Contemporary Germany, Anna Rice, Allison Maleska

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Many buildings built under the reign of Adolf Hitler with the purpose to aid the Nazi party’s political and ideological agenda are still in existence and located throughout present-day Germany. During a 2014 faculty-led MSU Study Abroad Tour, student investigators collected data about the work of Albert Speer. Speer, an infamous architect of these times, played a key role in the development of many structures important to the Nazi party. Speer’s intent was not only to influence the people of his time; he was planning the impact the buildings would have for generations to come. This poster will present how …

The Sound Of The Silence: Music In World War Ii Concentration Camps, Jacob A. Tudor

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Music was a constant and crucial component of everyday life in World War II concentration camps. In the concentration camps, there were many genres of music performed and written by victims of German brutality. The Germans used the power of music in the concentration camps as a way to degrade and torture the victims. On the other hand, World War II concentration camp victims used music as a response of the perception to the reality of daily life. It was also used as a coping mechanism and a way to provide the strength to survive on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, …