History Commons^™

May Roundtable: Introduction

Human Rights & Human Welfare

An annotation of:

“The Politics of Naming: Genocide, Civil War, Insurgency” by Mahmood Mamdani. London Review of Books. March 8, 2007.

The Moral Vocabulary Of Violence, David L. G. Rice

Human Rights & Human Welfare

What is at stake in labeling a particular incidence of large-scale violence “genocide”? Mahmood Mamdani rightly argues that “genocide” is an insufficient description of the conflict in Darfur. I would suggest that the problematic nature of that terminology goes back to its inception after World War II. Activists have inherited the concept of “genocide” from a particular historical moment. Now, “ genocide” carries unique moral weight in the discourse of international politics. When violence against civilians has been widely accepted as a necessary outcome of the preservation of peace, activists find it necessary to imagine a worse evil than the …

The Return Of Moral Equivalence, J. Peter Pham

Human Rights & Human Welfare

During the latter stages of the Cold War, one school of ethical analysis, ultimately labeled as “moral equivalence” by the late Jeane Kirkpatrick, measured Western liberal democracies against utopian standards in a radical critique which redefined the political discourse, erasing distinctions between the Soviet Union and its satellites on the one hand and the United States and its allies on the other.

Feminism Divided: Feminists For Life Of America And The National Organization For Women, Monique Daley

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

“The Little Black Dress Of Scandals”: The Significance Of The Profumo Affair, Leslie Bourgeois

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Controversy No Matter The Colors: The Confederate Battle Flag And Southern Identity, Matthew C. Juneau

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

An Unlikely Alliance : The Generals Who Won The American Revolution, Patrick Michael Elgin

Master's Theses

Seventy-seven men were asked to serve as Generals during the Revolutionary War by the Continental Congress. These men came from such disparate backgrounds that it may seem surprising that they could unite in such a dangerous venture as a rebellion against Great Britain. This thesis explores the military history of the Revolutionary War through the framework of these seventy-seven men by providing biographical sketches of each and drawing from these sketches to create a list of factors which affected their service in the war. Specifically, the thesis focuses on where these men came from, how they earned a livelihood, and …

Putting On The Armor Of The Lord : The Role Of Virginia Methodists During The Civil War, Margaret Diane Turman Kidd

Master's Theses

This thesis covers the involvement and influence of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Virginia during the Civil War. Because the Methodists were the largest religious denomination in the South at the onset of the war, the Church was in a position to offer support and to shape the opinions of the Confederate people. Using sermons, religious tracts, newspapers, and letters, this study demonstrates that the majority of the Church supported the Confederacy and its aims. It begins with a brief overview of Methodism in the United States and the Schism of 1844 and then explores the interaction of the …

Le Donne Di Dante: An Historical Study Of Female Characters In The Divine Comedy, Brooke L. Carey

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis explores the characterizations of women in Dante’s Divine Comedy and uses this information to assess Dante’s opinion of women, including their behaviors, traits, and roles in society. It approaches The Comedy from a specific historical angle and requires a basic knowledge of the poem in order to understand some of the references. The entire text incorporates historical sources and evidence to support these interpretations of women in The Comedy, as they demonstrate why and how Dante might have characterized women in the way he did. Many of the arguments are supported by the Summa Theologica of Thomas …

Presentment Of Englishry At The Eyre Of Kent, 1313, Lydia Stamato

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The development of the common law in medievalEnglandwas one of the most important forces driving the unification of the kingdom. Law was not always applied uniformly, however. In 1313 a panel of royal justices was sent to thecountyofKentto record crimes, collect fines, and see that justice had been served. The justices informed the people ofKentthat they would be allowed to keep their unique customs. One custom the people claimed was that they did not present the English ancestry of slain individuals, a practice which had a complex history and relationship with the murder fine. To validate this claim, the people …

The Rise And Fall Of Elizabethan Theatre, Erin M. Mclaughlin

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The emergence of plays and the theatre as a commercial industry in Englandpeaked during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. However, during this time numerous laws were passed which threatened the existence of this increasingly popular form of entertainment. The Rise and Fall of Elizabethan Theatre brings together the social, political and economic situations of early modernEngland and highlights the effects each had on the emerging theatre scene.

Through evaluation of primary sources and the works of theatre historians, The Rise and Fall of Elizabethan Theatre attempts to chart the reasons for the mixed reception towards playgoing in Elizabethan England. …

The Social And Civic Impacts Of Robert Winship Woodruff In The City Of Atlanta During The 1960s, Andrew Land

All Theses

Robert Winship Woodruff was born December 6, 1889, and died March 7, 1985. For more than sixty-two years he headed the Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Woodruff amassed a tremendous fortune and was for years the richest man in Georgia and one of the wealthiest in the South. His wealth made him extremely powerful in political circles, and he came to dominate the city of Atlanta in a way unlike any other private citizen in any other comparable American city of the time. Though he never held elected or appointed political office, Woodruff controlled all major policy decisions made …

A Struggle For Survival And Recognition: The Catawba Nation, 1840-1860, Timothy Fenlon

All Theses

like all americans, the native peoples were swept into the crucible that was the civil war. although under no obligation to participate in that conflagration, many indian tribes joined one side, some even both factions. the catawba peoples of south carolina were among these, fully committing to the confederacy. that seemingly contradictory response in the light of their treatment by south carolina is the subject of this thesis.

Progressivism And The Mission Field: Church Of The Brethren Women Missionaries In Shanxi, China, 1908-1951, Carol Longenecker

All Theses

This thesis examines the attitudes and activities of Church of the Brethren women missionaries in Shanxi, China, between 1908 and 1951, focusing on evangelism, 'woman's work' programs, education, and relief work. This thesis presents the mission field as an expression of changing gender roles in the Church of the Brethren. In sum, Brethren women missionaries in Shanxi embodied both conservative and progressive ideologies and ultimately moved in a progressive direction, seeking growth, flexibility, and accommodation in their mission endeavor. The expansion of the Church of the Brethren mission field and the denomination's geographic and cultural boundaries has implications for the …

'What Do We Get From Pakistan?' Major Shifts In U.S.-Pakistan Relations 1947-1982, Russell Williams

All Theses

ABSTRACT
This thesis examines two crucial periods in the history of U.S.-Pakistan relations and how American policy makers' strategic thinking about Pakistan shaped the course of relations. Following the Korean War and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the United States invested heavily in the military forces of Pakistan. During both periods, it was widely held that the Soviet Union endeavored to threaten the Middle East and gain an outlet onto Indian Ocean. American planners believed that because of Pakistan's strategic location, it would be essential to preventing Soviet expansion in the region. In many ways, U.S. thinking in both periods …

Here There Be Dragons: The Korean War And American Military Response In The Cold War, Amanda Sweeney

All Theses

Starting in June 1950, the Korean War marked the beginning of a new era of warfare. The first limited war to take place in the nuclear age amid increasing Cold War tensions, Korea raised numerous questions of how the U.S. would interact with the Soviet Union in the new international climate. In this climate, both sides strove to maintain the world's balance of power. Small shifts in that balance, such as in Korea, assumed great importance, forcing the U.S. to act in areas not previously considered vital.
Despite the need for a firm response, U.S. actions in Korea were tempered …

Female Curiosities: Sarah Bernhardt, Rachilde And The Use Of Spectacle In The Gaining Of Fame In Late Nineteenth-Century France, Amy Marie Harris

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the late nineteenth century rapid modernization, the liberalization of the press and theatre, as well as the proliferation of photography brought about the impetus for the development of a celebrity-driven mass media. Two women who would come to fame during this era, Sarah Bernhardt and Rachilde, utilized these innovations to create spectacular public personas which emphasized each woman's idiosyncrasies while confounding notions of gender. With her dramatic performances, extravagant publicity stunts and countless world tours Bernhardt became synonymous with the promise of progress in late-nineteenth century France; while Rachilde utilized the mass media in order to create a bizarre …

Music, The Non-Governmental Actor Changing Political Policy: Have We Failed The Power Of Music?, Alex Hershey

Senior Honors Projects

Music, the Non-Governmental Actor Changing Political Policy: Have We Failed the Power of Music? People learn that making music as well as listening to it frees them from the toil and tedium of a life dominated by the privileged and the powerful. Music means trouble for those who would own and control it as they perpetuate injustice and suffering. – Mat Callahan It is believed that the pen is mightier than the sword, but is the guitar playing vocalist, a beatnik, mightier than the M-16 machinegun and an American political oligarchy? To find the answer to this question we must …

Newport Restoration Foundation’S Historic Houses Of “The Point”, Jennifer Lalli

Senior Honors Projects

The Newport Restoration Foundation was established in 1968 to acquire and restore eighteenth century residences in order to preserve the rapidly deteriorating but nonetheless rich architectural heritage of Newport. The foundation embarked on a fifteen year restoration project that renewed historically significant neighborhoods, once the home to sea captains, cabinetmakers and merchants that had become rundown and dilapidated. Doris Duke stepped in at a time when there was much political pressure to update and modernize. The purpose of my project is to create a study guide that could be used in a middle school or high school classroom to teach …

Architects And Foot Soldiers: The Catholic Influence Within The New Christian Right, Mary C. Martinez

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

After the 1980 presidential election, the New Christian Right (NCR) became a political force that could no longer be ignored. Since the early 1980s the political agenda of the NCR has expanded beyond culture war issues. Currently the NCR addresses several international issues such as, human trafficking, the spread of HIV, and religious persecution. Since the NCR is one of many political forces that presently influences policy makers, it’s become crucial for the public to possess a good understanding of what the NCR is, and grasp what lies behind its intersecting religious dynamics.

Unfortunately, much of the American public as …

Neither Peasants Nor Frenchmen: Racialization, Immigration, And Industrialization In The Franco-American Community Of Manchester, New Hampshire, 1880-1930, Kevin Finefrock

History Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Insuring Mr. Booster, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

They call them revenue streams. You can fish in them but there are no fish to be caught, at least the kind that has gills and fins. Some athletic directors have nightmares in which the streams dry up. Others have dreams in which they discover new streams where no one has fished before. This is the Athletic Director's wet dream.

Missing The Point, Colin Thomas-Jensen

Human Rights & Human Welfare

“What would happen if we thought of Darfur as we do of Iraq, as a place with a history and politics—a messy politics of insurgency and counterinsurgency?” (§4). This is the most telling question posed by Professor Mahmood Mamdani in “The Politics of Naming: Genocide, Civil War, Insurgency.” The implication is that the growing public demand for strong international action—military or otherwise—to halt the atrocities in Darfur is somehow unwarranted because people have failed to understand that the systematic crimes against humanity committed against civilians in Darfur (and indeed Iraq) are an inevitability of “the messy politics of insurgency and …

Politics Of Naming And Politics Of Responsibility, Rhoda Howard-Hassmann

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Mahmood Mamdani is right to complain that the American—and international—public is unaware of the political complexity of the Darfur conflict. He is also right to point out that selective or inconsistent uses of the terms “genocide,” “civil war,” and “insurgency” can mask covert, or even overt, political agendas. His comparison of Darfur to Iraq is telling. And he is right to point out that even with the best of humanitarian intentions, the presentation of a simplified version of Darfur, in which “Arabs” persecute “Africans,” can play into the “war on terror,” insofar as, in the minds of at least some …

Culture, Community, And Class In The Bavarian Marriage Process, 1789-1849: Leonhard Büttner, Margaretha Weiss, And Their Illegitimate Children, F. Warren Bittner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The marriage process for the poor in nineteenth-century Bavaria involved a delicate interplay between cultural bias, economic constraint, the prejudice of social rank, and the will to power in the peasant community by those who controlled marriage. This study follows Leonhard Büttner and his fiancée, Margaretha Weiss. Leonhard was a day laborer who had few marriage options due to his poverty and low social status. The insanity of Margaretha's father restricted her marriage choices. Cultural, financial, and legal limits prevented the couple from marrying, and they chose to have children out of wedlock in 1812 and 1816.

The dating traditions …

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: May 2007, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2007

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from May 11 and 25, 2006.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: May 2007, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2007

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates from May 2007.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Breaking The Wedding Vows: Woman-Centered Critiques Of Marriage, 1963-1982, John Spiers

All Theses

This thesis explores woman-centered critiques of marriage during the period of second-wave feminism from 1963 to 1982. It explores the social and cultural, economic, sexual, and legal critiques of marriage that feminists posed and the messages about marriage that filtered down into a collection of popular magazines geared specifically to a female audience. It argues that feminists, operating through intersecting and diverging motives, interests, and agendas, posed numerous and wide-ranging critiques of marriage as a personal relationship and politicized institution. It asserts that while popular women's magazines were affected by the claims of feminists, these magazines generally remained conservative in …

Before The Seizure Of Power: American And British Press Coverage Of National Socialism, 1922 To 1933, Andrew Henson

All Theses

This thesis focuses on the coverage of the National Socialist movement by the American and British press in the period from 1922 to 1933. Two major newspapers from both the United States and Great Britain were reviewed, as were several magazines and periodicals from those years. The nature of the coverage, as well as its accuracy, was the primary concern of this work. For the most part, the Anglo-American press emphasized the most visible political activities of the National Socialists and especially the prominent role of Adolf Hitler. American and British journalists addressed the violent, aggressive nature of the movement …

Vernita Lee-Knight

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.