History Commons^™

His 242.C301 – Contemporary European History From The Global South / Third World Perspective, Soheil Asefi

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus for HIS 242: Contemporary European History builds on a course taught in Lehman College’s History Department in 2025 and has been revised for Fall 2027. It approaches European history from the French Revolution to the present through Global South perspectives, emphasizing empire, class struggle, migration, anti-colonial movements, gender, and sexuality. Combining primary sources, scholarship, digital archives, and multimedia, the course encourages historical analysis through discussion and student presentations. Developed through the Open Knowledge Fellowship, this Zero Textbook Cost syllabus brings together open educational resources, open-access materials, and CUNY library resources.

Chief Doublehead Lecture Correspondence From Maurice Pruitt And Henry C. Richards, 1973, Maurice Pruitt, Henry Grady Richards

Correspondence

Correspondence from Maurice Pruitt to William Lindsey McDonald and from Henry Grady Richards to Maurice Pruitt. The correspondence is concerned with a recorded lecture that Pruitt produced on Chief Doublehead.

Wesleyan Archives Correspondence From Director Maurine Maness, May 16, 1975, Maurine Maness

Correspondence

Correspondence from Maurine Maness, the director of the Wesleyan Archives and Museum, previously located at the University of North Alabama to William L. McDonald. Maness discusses McDonald's donations to the archives as well as his assistance in aiding research inquiries on Center Star, Alabama.

Florence Bicentennial Commission Correspondence From Chair Maurine Maness, May 27, 1976, Maurine Maness

Correspondence

Correspondence from the Chair of the Florence, Alabama Bicentennial Commission thanking William L. McDonald for the role he played in publicizing Bicentennial Week.

Gift Of Histories Of The Churches In Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin & Winston Counties To Wesleyan Archives, July 16, 1976, Maurine Maness

Correspondence

Correspondence from Maurine Maness, director of the Wesleyan Archives and Museum thanking William L. McDonald for his donation of the histories of the churches in Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, and Winston counties. The correspondence also includes a copy of the archival accessioning record.

Larimore Home Historical Marker (Mars Hill Bible School) Correspondence, Aug. 25, 1976, Jack Wilhelm

Correspondence

Correspondence from Jack Wilhelm, president of Mars Hill Bible School, thanking William L. McDonald and the Florence Historical Board for their contributions to the historical marker at the Larimore Home on their campus. A portion of McDonald's speech from the historical marker dedication is also included.

The Larimore Home historical marker can be viewed here.

Congratulatory Correspondence After Becoming A Colonel, April 1977, Ina Mae Abramson, Henry Abramson, Henry Grady Richards, Gladys Threet, Carrol Threet

Correspondence

Correspondence congratulating William Lindsey McDonald's achievement of the rank of Colonel in the US Army Reserves.

East Florence Historical District On Alabama Register Of Landmarks & Heritage From Alabama Historical Commission, 1977, W. Warner Floyd

Correspondence

Correspondence acknowledging that the East Florence, Alabama Historic District in Lauderdale County was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Forks Of Cypress Correspondence, June 1977, Waring Sherwood

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Waring Sherwood with a reply concerning a book about the Forks of Cypress, the residence of the James Jackson and a Lauderdale County, Alabama historic site. Sherwood was the author of the book, The Story of James Jackson at the Forks, while McDonald provided the introduction.

Story Publication Correspondence To Lisa Chandler, Feb. 9, 1977, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Lisa Chandler concerning the publication of his fiction in her story collection. The included additional file is a March 8, 1977, reply from Lisa Chandler that discusses her and McDonald's shared literary interests.

Forks Of Cypress Correspondence From Waring Sherwood With Article From The Nov. 14, 1978, Memphis Press-Scimitar, Pg. 5, Waring Sherwood

Correspondence

Correspondence from Waring Sherwood to William Lindsey McDonald about Sherwood's book on local history The Story of James Jackson at the Forks. The book discusses the history of the Forks of Cypress in Lauderdale County, Alabama and the James Jackson family that inhabited it.

Waring also included an article from page five of the November 14, 1978, Memphis Press-Scimitar, which references his career and offers a summary of the publication.

Correspondence On '''Daddies At Graduation'' And "A Nurse In Uniform" To Dean Of Nursing Frenesi Wilson, 4.25.1979, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Dr. Frenesi Wilson, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of North Alabama. Within the correspondence, McDonald addresses two compositions, "Daddies at Graduation" and "A Nurse in Uniform," that he wrote regarding his daughter, Nancy Buttram's graduation from UNA's nursing program. The articles can be accessed in the digital collection of the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions here.

''Paths In The Brier Patch'' Correspondence From Waring Sherwood, June 25, 1979, Warring Sherwood

Correspondence

Correspondence from Waring Sherwood to William Lindsey McDonald discussing McDonald's publication, Paths in the Brier Patch. The publication is slightly different than the majority of McDonald's works in that has personal nostalgia rather than a primary focus on local history.

The manuscripts of Paths in the Brier Patch are available for viewing by appointment at UNA archives. Click here to view their space in the digital finding aid of the archives' physical collection..

Dred Scott Article Correspondence From Walter Ehrlich, Associate Professor Of History At University Of Missouri – St. Louis, May 23, 1980, Walter Ehrlich

Correspondence

Correspondence from Walter Ehrlich, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Missouri-St. Louis, to William Lindsey McDonald concerning McDonald's paper on Dred Scott's time in Florence, Alabama.

McDonald's paper, with implemented feedback from Ehrlich, is accessible in the research articles section of the William Lindsey McDonald Digital Collection.

Thank You For Usar General Officer Candidacy Reference To Congressman Ronnie Flippo, Dec. 2, 1980, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Honorable Ronnie Flippo, US Congressman, thanking him for his nomination for an assignment to the US Army Reserve General Officer position.

Colonel William L. McDonald remained a participant in the US Army reserve for much of his career.

Striking Tools Of Indigenous North America: Rethinking Their Representations In Media, Literature, And Collection Systems, Wesley Martin

University Research

The striking tool as a concept has existed since time immemorial. Once Europeans began colonizing the North American continent, Indigenous striking tools became conflated with the word “tomahawk.” The meaning of tomahawks and other striking tools is distorted in history, because western scholars and artists saw them from a limited worldview. This distortion made its way into archaeological reports, museum displays, and digital collections’ metadata. Some typologies that collectors and museum staff make for tomahawks continue to limit how the public may see them. Professionals working in the material culture fields should consider how this occurs. This article demonstrates these …

Why Nevada Leaves So Much Federal Money Behind, The Lincy Institute

Lincy Institute Events

The Lincy Institute presents new research examining the history, politics, and policies that have caused Nevada to fare so poorly in accessing federal resources for decades and offer recommendations for how Nevada can more effectively interface with federal agencies to reverse this history. The event also features a panel discussion with nonprofit and former state and local government leaders.

Panel

Moderator — David Damore, Executive Director, The Lincy Institute

Panelists — Michael Brown, Fellow, The Lincy Institute — Lisa Corrado, Executive Director, Nevada Nonprofits — Miles Dickson, Chief Executive Officer, Nevada GrantLab — Yvanna Cancela, Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative …

Larimore House Correspondence To Al Cultural Resources Preservation Trust Fund, 5.7.2000, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to the director of the Alabama Cultural Resources and Preservation Trust Fund concerning support for a grant to renovate, restore and repair the historic Larimore House in Florence, Alabama.

The historical marker for the Larimore Home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, can be accessed here.

Origin Of The Town Of Florence Correspondence To Mayor Eddie Frost, 11.30.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Mayor Eddie Frost of the City of Florence concerning the March 12, 1818, origins of Florence, Alabama. Within the letter, McDonald proposes that the city logo be changed to reflect the establishment of the city by the Cypress Land Company.

Trail Of Tears Correspondence From Southwest Us Dept. Of Interior, 2.9.1994, John Harely

Correspondence

Correspondence issued by the National Park Service Southwest Region to William L. McDonald concerning his collaboration with Richard Sheridan of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council. The correspondence also includes an enclosed itinerary of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council Field Trip held on March 3, 1994.

Wildwood Park Area Correspondence To Mary Alyson Prude, 8.7.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mary Alyson Prude concerning the history of Wildwood Park and the surround vicinity in Florence, Alabama.

The pdf is faded and difficult to read, so it has been transcribed below.

August 7, 1993

Miss Mary Alyson Prude

426 Robinhood Drive

Florence, Alabama 35630

Dear Mary Alyson:

Please forgive an old man who finds it more and more difficult to hear. And I feel terrible for not recognizing you until after we had talked over the telephone. It then hit me: You are Joel and Jayne's beautiful young daughter. I am so sorry. Your entire …

Suggested Historical Headlines For Times Daily, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

A list of suggested historical headlines of the Shoals, Alabama compiled by William Lindsey McDonald for the Times Daily.

The document is faded and difficult to read, so it has been transcribed below.

Suggested Historical Headlines for Times Daily

Probable Date (+/- days): Historical Event Described

May 10, 1915: Congressional visit to Muscle Shoals for feasibility study of construction of Wilson and Wheeler Dams

April 1918: Work begins on Wilson Dam

Dec. 3-5, 1921: Henry Ford and Thomas Edison visit Florence

Dec. 9, 1921: Florence Times ran account of Ford's visit

Nov. 10, 1898: Muscle Shoals Canal opens for navigation …

Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church To Jean Meyer, 1.26.1990, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mrs. Jean Meyer regarding the history of the Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church, originally located on the Old Jackson Highway in St. Florine, Lauderdale County, Alabama. The Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1865 after the Civil War resulted in a split of the original congregants of the Hopewell Methodist Episcopal Church.

Sunken Trace Sign Correspondence To Johnny Sims, 8.6.1999, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Jonny Sims, a ranger of the Natchez Trace Parkway, concerning the interpretative sign at Sunken Trace located at mile marker 350.8. Within the correspondence, McDonald proposes that the verbiage be adjusted to be more respectful of the early Native American inhabitants of the area. He also highlights another instance in which National Park signage was changed at the George Colbert parking area and home site.

The current historical markers for the Sunken Trace and Colbert's Stand are accessible on the historical marker database.

"Colorful Characters" In Florence History To Martha Murphy, 7.17.2000, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Martha Murphy of city hall concerning "colorful characters" that inhabited Florence, Alabama. The Florence inhabitants mentioned include Professor Augustus Provskoski, a graduate of four German universities who taught ancient and modern classics at Florence Wesleyan University; Miss Jem Weakley, an eccentric daughter of prominent citizens; Thomas Sigismund "T.S." Stribling, a Florence Teachers College alum and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work was controversial within the local public; and Mrs. Kate Nelson, a brothel keeper connected with various local legends.

Donation Of The William Lindsey Mcdonald Papers To Collier Library Archives, Dec. 2005, William L. Mcdonald, G. Garry Warren

Correspondence

Correspondence between William L. McDonald and Dr. Garry Warren, Dean of Information Technologies at the University of North Alabama, discussing the donation of the William Lindsey McDonald Collection, an expansive body of "rare books, magazines, wills, deeds, diaries, notes of interviews, and a wealth of early photographs," to the Collier Library Archives.

Challenging The Consensus: Labor Struggle, Worker Experience, And Presidential Intervention At The Mary-Leila Textile Mill During World War Ii A Scholarly Interpretation Of A Newly Discovered Textile Mill Archive, 1930s–1940s, Alix Hunsucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Four sealed wooden crates discovered in the rafters of the Mary-Leila Textile Mill in Greensboro, Georgia, provide the evidentiary foundation for this dissertation and reveal a previously unavailable history of southern textile labor, industrial paternalism, unionization, and federal intervention. Sealed in 1946 and hidden from ordinary circulation for more than half a century, the cache contains legal correspondence, telegrams, wage records, contracts, photographs, architectural materials, and documentation connecting this small rural Georgia mill to a much larger regional labor dispute and the expanding authority of the federal government during World War II. Combined with oral histories, local government records, census …

Building A Defense Economy: World War Ii, Federal Investment, And Georgia’S Economic Transformation, 1940-1965, William Heath Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how World War II transformed Georgia’s economy from a predominately rural, agricultural economy into a more diversified economy increasingly tied to federal investment, military activity, industrial production, transportation, and commerce. It argues that wartime mobilization accelerated this transformation by directing federal funds into military installations, defense industries, infrastructure, and public services while drawing workers into expanding centers of employment. Using federal records, census data, military publications, corporate reports, newspapers, and oral histories, the study examines Fort Benning, Robins Field, Camp Toccoa, Bell Aircraft, the Brunswick Shipyards, Delta Air Lines, and The Coca-Cola Company. These cases show how …

Florence Renaissance Faire Correspondence, From Eddie Frost, 9.28.1994, Eddie Frost

Correspondence

Correspondence from Eddie Frost, Mayor of the City of Florence, Alabama, to William Lindsey McDonald, city historian, concerning Vice-Mayor of Florence, Italy Signore Giovanni Pallanpi's visit to the 1994 Alabama Renaissance Faire.

Forks Of Cypress Archaeological Excavation To James Jackson, 7.16.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to James Jackson concerning archaeological excavation near a cabin at the Forks of Cypress.