History Commons^™

Scandalous By Profession: Opera In Eighteenth-Century Europe, Felicity Moran

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Opera, as one of the most important art forms of the eighteenth century, bequeathed to its singers a strong position of prestige. And yet, a stigma of social disreputability hung over these same performers. This article examines that paradox first by looking at the importance of opera in the cultural centers of Naples, Paris, and London. From this foundation follows a closer study of the origins of stage performers, and from there, an examination of the on and off-stage behavior of opera singers in the eighteenth century that contributed to the negative image they projected onto society. Finally, the article …

The Dieppe Raid: Avoidable Disaster Or Lesson In Amphibious Assault?, Jennifer Munson

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

During World War II, the allied forces mounted an amphibious assault on the occupied French coastal town of Dieppe. Since its execution, the raid on Dieppe has become a very controversial topic. The operation had an abundance of flaws that caused many casualties. This paper analyzes both issues and who, if anyone, should have been held responsible.

Why Hannibal Lost The Second Punic War, Ho Yee Lam

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

In the Second Punic War, Hannibal planned to feed his army with the Roman grain supply, turn Italian cities against Rome, and seek reinforcements from any enemy of Rome. However, although Hannibalic tactics were ingenious in a short-term war, they were unsuitable for a long-term campaign. Unable to conquer mighty Rome, his plans backfired—especially in Spain and eventually in Africa, where Roman victories led to Carthage’s ultimate and total defeat. His ally, geography, turned into his enemy, because the war lasted far longer than he predicted and the Romans were able to use the great distance between Hannibal and his …

Creating Killers: Stalin's Great Purge And The Red Army's Fate In The Great Patriotic War, Max Abramson

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This history of the Red Army as an institution is frequently described in terms of its proximity to the Stalinist purges. Especially in wartime, the strategic deployment of terror begs the question of whether it was an effective motivational technique compared to other methods of non-coercive motivation such as propaganda or awards of medals. Examining various case studies and memoirs, it becomes clear that terror tended to reduce morale and group cohesion, while positive motivators were far more effective at ensuring an effective fighting force. When the Red Army soldiers feared being caught in the net of terror, they were …

Aggression Or Desperation: Reevaluating The Soviet Motivations For Invading Afghanistan, Kyle Sallee

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The pervading historical viewpoint of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 has centered on the notion of Soviet expansionism and aggression. Yet recently declassified Soviet documents offer new insights into the motivations for the invasion and necessitate the review of existing historic accounts of the Russo-Afghan War. Utilizing declassified Politburo memos, secret Soviet letters and telegrams, and news reports, this essay sheds light on the heated debate amongst the Soviet intelligentsia over its Afghanistan policy and questions the Western interpretations and responses to the invasion.

Scandal: Public Reactions To Two Famous Affairs In History, Caroline Nowlin

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The way in which we react to scandals reveals fundamental truths about us as a society, allowing us a new lens with which to critique the world around us. This is as true today as it was in 18th-century France and 19th-century England, when the Diamond Necklace Affair and the Queen Caroline Affair wreaked havoc on the social and political climate in their respective countries. The public’s response to each of these scandals exposed deep-set frustrations and discontent with their leaders, government, and society.

Rounsevelle Wildman: The Lone Ethnographer, Wen Li Teng

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Rounsevelle Wildman (1864 – 1901), the United States Consul at Singapore, published a series of magazine articles documenting his experiences in the Malay Archipelago from 1893 to 1897. These articles, published in several travel-related magazines, feature Wildman’s observations of the Malay Archipelago and its varied peoples. The ethnographic perspective in these writings may be analyzed using Renato Rosaldo’s Lone Ethnographer concept, as presented in Culture & Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis. This tripartite model concerns the ethnographic process, the role of ethnography in imperialism, and the relationship between the ethnographer and natives. Evaluating Wildman’s articles with this model, one …

"Why, If Things Are So Good, Are They So Bad?" Magnitogorsk, Stalin’S Five-Year Plan, And American Engineers, 1928–1932, Landen J. Kleisinger

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This article focuses on Magnitogorsk, the Magnetic Mountain, the practical and symbolic crux of Stalin’s Five-Year Plan. To Stalin, the Magnetic Mountain and the instant industrial city of Magnitogorsk would help materialize the radical dream of the Soviet Union and eventually save it from invaders from the west. American involvement in early Soviet technological expansion has been historically hidden and ignored by American’s and Soviet’s alike. This article argues that while Stalin called for industrial expansion to outstrip the West, paradoxically it was Western engineers that made his progress possible.

Home On The Range: The Impact Of The Cattle Trails On Indian Territory, Paul Roland

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This paper addresses how the cattle trails affected the Native American tribes in Indian Territory. There has been a plethora of research done on finding the cattle trails, life as a cowboy, and the economics of the cattle trade, but precious little is said about its impact on the Indians, whose land the trails went through. This paper examines the role of cattle in tribes prior to relocation, how the Five Civilized/Eastern Tribes utilized cattle and interacted with early cattle trails, and how the Western Plains Tribes reacted to cattle trails moving westward. The cattle trails provided for a new …

A Mermaid’S Tale: The Evolution Of The Representation Of Mermaids In Popular Culture, Melissa Jones

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This paper traces the evolution of the representation of mermaids throughout history through an examination of the portrayals of mermaids in literature, oral tradition, paintings, plays, art, movies, logos, and other forms of popular culture.

Codifying Discrimination: The Status Of Women, Slaves And Freedmen In The Ancient Near East, Graham Dunbar

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Graham Dunbar is a sophomore at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. As a history major, he is particularly interested in the history of the US foreign policy. He is currently a writing tutor at St Norbert’s Writing Center and hopes to pursue postgraduate education.

A City Of Feuds: Competitive Spirit, Architecture, And Brunelleschi’S Individual Renaissance In Florence, Landen Kleisinger

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Landen J. Kleisinger is a student of History at the University of Regina. After graduation, He plans to pursue graduate study in Soviet technological history.

Grant, Hailey Molloy

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Hailey Molloy is a junior history major at Georgia Southern University (Armstrong Campus). Originally from Augusta, she moved to Savannah to pursue her love of history. Her area of interest is Civil War.

"Chinaman" And The Constitution: The Development Of Federal Power Over Immigration In 19th- Century United States, Raymond Yang

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Raymond Yang is currently a fourth-year political science and economics student at University of California, Merced. His research interest focuses on 19th century American and East Asian legal history. He plans to attend law school after graduation.

Division And Unity: The History And Historiography Of The Pennsylvania Constitution, Wen Li Teng

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Wen Li Teng is pursuing a double major in History and Political Science at the University of Chicago.

A War That Never Ends: Internal Conflicts, External Interventions, And The Civil Wars In Afghanistan, Chang-Dae David Hyun

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Chang-Dae David Hyun received his H.B.A with a concentration in political science from the University of Toronto in 2017. He was a Winner of Kathleen & William Davis Scholarship and Saul & Lois Rae Scholarship at the University College. He received a full scholarship from the Tsinghua University of China during the summer of 2017. He was a former sergeant from the Republic of Korea Air Force (2007-2010).

The Woman As Outcast: An Examination Of Miaoshan In The Precious Scroll Of Incense Mountain In Light Of Choice, Risk, And Martyrdom, Lianna Arcelay

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Lianna Arcelay is a third-year student in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia. She studies Comparative Literature, and is working toward a minor in Spanish. She desires to pursue an MA and a PhD in Comparative Literature; she is also interested in teaching children English in a Hispanophone or Francophone country post-graduation. Lianna has been interested in the field of Ecocriticism, and in works that critique humans’ relationship with the nonhuman environment, or natural world. She also possesses a light penchant for existentialist, absurdist, and dystopian literature.

Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage From Africa To American Diaspora., John R. Legg

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the Author:

John R. Legg holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Middle Georgia State University and is currently awaiting admission decisions from eight graduate programs. He plans to continue studying the transformative events of Native Americans during the era of the Civil War and period of Reconstruction, with emphasis on the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. With his love of photography within a historical realm, he self-published his first book, Images of the Historic Southeast: The Carolinas, with Dr. Niels Eichhorn, and is currently co-authoring a book with Dr. Carol Willcox Melton titled, Through a Siberian Lens: A …

Age Of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, And Faith In The New China., Payton Dison

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Payton Jay Dison hails from Henry County, Georgia and is currently pursuing a B.A. in English with a focus on professional communication. He is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and interested in video games, soccer, and studying other languages.

Justification By Heaven: A Comparative Analysis Of Political Legitimacy In Confucianism And Mohism, Sung Min Kim

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Sung Min Kim attends UIUC (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) as a double major in History and East Asian Languages and Cultures. His field of interest is the history of early China from the Eastern Zhou to Han Dynasty.

“I Will Rise Again”: The Life And Legacy Of The U.S.S. Monitor, Declan Riley Kunkel

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

About the author:

Declan Riley Kunkel is an award winning writer, author, and consultant. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Declan writes about history, politics, and philosophy. He is pursing a degree in history at Yale.