History Commons^™

Who Killed Lucio Blanco? Border Incursions & Sovereignty Along The Rio Grande, Jaime L. Alvarez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The assassination of Lucio Blanco along the banks of the Rio Grande in 1922 was not an isolated episode of political violence but the culmination of nearly a century-old practice of contested sovereignty, border incursions, and lack of law enforcement. This dissertation thus examines the borderlands of Texas and Mexico from the nineteenth century through the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Within this time frame, this dissertation demonstrates that the international boundary functioned less as a fixed division between two sovereign states and more as a political gray zone in which authority, identity, violence, and political power were continually negotiated. …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in  the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather  than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship  rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they  were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of  citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded  Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

Separatism In Early Mexico, 1821-1846, Raul Ayala

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project considers factors that contributed to Mexico’s territorial losses prior to the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. While Manifest Destiny indeed resulted in the largest loss of territory for Mexico, my research considers secessionism in considering alternative trajectories to Mexico’s territorial integrity in this time period. It becomes clear that multiple factors come into play other than American Manifest Destiny that spelled the inevitable separation of such states from the young Mexican Republic, including Yucatan, the Republic of the Rio Grande, Texas, and California. Previous works of scholarship, notably David Weber’s The Mexican Frontier, have been consulted in this …

‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’: The Religious And Political Missions Of The American-Catholic Military Chaplaincy During The Mexican-American War, Daniel Thomas Louis Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The historical community has neglected to deeply analyze the American-Catholic military chaplaincy in the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848. With exceptions, most historians, who have discussed this chaplaincy, have run the spectrum of dedicating an entire chapter to a few sentences on it. “‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’” offers a first, in-depth monograph of this chaplaincy. “‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’” argues that the political mission from President James K. Polk to the chaplaincy, which was to help reconcile Americans and Mexicans, did not truly suffer the failure or the mediocrity that certain historians have portrayed it to be. Instead of analyzing the chaplaincy’s …

Chasing The Enslaved, Not Justice: Rangers Of Oppression, Mackenzie Arendall

Posters - 2026

01. Introduction: Rangers Policed & Profited in Slavery The Underground Railroad did not lead only north. It also led south into Mexico, where slavery had been abolished since 1829. Enslaved Texans risked the perilous journey, hundreds of miles, across unforgiving terrain. Even more dangerous than the harsh elements were the slavecatchers. Enslavers offered generous bounties, advertised in newspapers, for the recapture of their human “property.” Among the slavecatchers profiting from and policing slavery were many members of the infamous Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers have been commemorated for heroism on the western frontier and honored for upholding the law and …

Windmills As Symbols Of Economic Development And Progress In West Texas From 1860 To 2011, Stacy Taylor

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The outline of a windmill against the sky is a popular image of Texas found on many forms of media including illustrations, photographs, and other print media. How did the image of a windmill become symbolic to Texas? The purpose of this paper is to determine how and why windmills became an important symbol representing the Texas Plains. Methodology used included analysis of scientific information to explore the geography of Texas, which demonstrated why windmills were needed in West Texas. Critical analysis of journals and books were performed to determine the history of the introduction and evolving use of windmills …

Houston Nationalism: The Life And Politics Of United States Senator Sam Houston, Jeremy Ager Pedigo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sam Houston had a long and distinguished career in public service, gaining the most notoriety as General of the Texas Army and President of the Republic of Texas. However, he served in the United States Senate longer than any other position he held. This dissertation examines the impact of his life events and political ideology on the decisions and actions he undertook as a Senator, culminating in the proposal of a new ideology called “Houston Nationalism.” This belief system was based on three principles; nationalism, engagement, and recognition, which are defined throughout the study. Nationalism represents Houston’s support for the …

Guide To The Gwendoline Y. Fortune Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

The Gwendoline Y. Fortune Collection contains a set of 13 compact discs of classical music recordings curated by Fortune in 1997; each disc has a unique theme. The music was collected and produced for broadcast on local radio stations.

Good Samaritans: Applications Of Social Christianity By Southern Baptists During The Early Twentieth Century, Alyson Marie Fagan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the early twentieth century, the Social Gospel movement sought to spur Christians to serve their neighbors through social and political reform, often through ecumenical groups. However, Southern Baptists remained distant from this movement because they were weary of the liberal Christianity expressed by Social Gospel leaders that appeared to replace the power of the Gospel with acts of service. Instead, the Southern Baptist Convention formally addressed social reforms and civic engagement by creating the Social Service Commission and Committee on Civic Righteousness. These groups expressed the need to reform the home and advocated civic engagement while remaining true to …

We Are Better For Having Survived: Tejanas In World War Ii, Ashleigh Champagne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The contributions of women during World War II were significant to the Allies’ success. Women in the United States took on responsibilities that were typically not within their traditional roles. Latinas also impacted the war efforts, and their contributions have garnered less attention. Specifically focusing on the Mexican American women in Texas, this paper uses oral histories from archives located in Texas colleges, universities, and public libraries to highlight the ways these Tejanas were essential to society during wartime, how it challenged their traditional and cultural identity, and how that change inspired them to organize to fight for their communities …

The Necessary Bargain: How Texas Education Utilized President Johnson’S Elementary And Secondary Education Act, 1965-1970, Kade L. Kahanek

Madison Historical Review

President Lyndon Johnson announced his “War on Poverty” campaign at the State of the Union Address in January 1964. Johnson’s address acknowledged that United States citizens suffered from poverty in many regions and enclosed a plan to relieve poverty in America. President Johnson’s administration administered “Great Society” programs under education, healthcare, and the job corps to help ease the burdening symptoms of poverty. It has been long debated whether Johnson’s policies to improve America’s society have succeeded, but many fail to recognize that his education plan was the centerpiece and perhaps not an instant cure to poverty; instead, something concrete …

The Lone Star On Relief: The Story Of The Texas Federal Writers' Project, 1935-1943, Michael William Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

My academic interest in the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) began in 1993. I have been interested in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from the time I was in my middle school years listening to stories from my grandmother. As a result, I grew up feeling that the WPA represented a part of a remarkable time and was a fascinating attempt by the far-away national government to help ordinary people in Texas struck down by the Great Depression. While conducting research on my master’s thesis, I met an archivist at the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina who …

This Liquid Road Of Motion: The Interstate 35 Corridor Transformation, 1950-1995, Carl Friesenhahn

History - All Scholarship

This project examines the creation and renovation of Interstate 35 in Texas through the lens of cultural history and societal analysis. It begins with the highway’s formulation and predecessors, ending with the passage and immediate impact of NAFTA following over two decades of disillusionment. In this paper, the road is not solely viewed through the lens of state interests. Local and national concerns and powers balanced Texan interests in the course of the road’s creation and are therefore investigated in conversation with each other. This paper contends that the creation of Interstate 35 in Texas took a patchwork of state …

At Any And All Hazards: Manifest Destiny, The Monroe Doctrine, And The Balance Of Power In North America, Keith Thomas Ressa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Contrary to the beliefs of New Left historians seeking to revive the once discredited theory that American territorial expansion was driven by a motivation to expand the institution of slavery, a position that I have dubbed the Neo-Abolitionist view, rather that Manifest Destiny developed as an early national security strategy and primitive strategic doctrine, what might be termed in today’s vernacular as a kind of preemptive threat displacement theory. That is, early on in the history of the Republic, many American statesmen believed that the most effective means of preventing a “balance of power” geopolitical system from being established in …

Birth Of A Narrative: Santa Anna Satanized On The Silver Screen, Eddie Anthony Paniagua Jr.

Capstone Projects

“Birth of a Narrative” is a documentary project looking at the history of how former President of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna, has been depicted in movies, television shows, and other visual media in the United States. American film producers have used the power of motion pictures to create a racialized narrative villainizing Antonio López de Santa Anna and Mexicans so as to aggrandize expansionists bent on eliminating or subordinating Tejanos. Films like “Birth of Texas: Martyrs of the Alamo” by DW Griffith and “The Alamo” by John Wayne pulled no punches as they project racial stereotypes of Latinos …

Obenchain, William Alexander, 1841-1916 (Sc 3664), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid, typescript and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3664. Letter, 2 February 1874, of William A. Obenchain, Dallas, Texas, to A. G. Hobson, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The “Civil Engineer and Real Estate Agent” reports on a purchase of land in Dallas, outlines a plan for developing “our grounds” as building lots, and discusses the economic outlook for Dallas. Includes a deed, 19 December 1873, to Hobson’s son Joseph V. Hobson of lands in Dallas County, Texas, reciting that payment was made through Obenchain as his agent.

Law Library Blog (June 2022): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

El Ritmo Del Westside: Exploring The Musical Landscape Of San Antonio’S Historic Westside, Valeria Alderete

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The westside of San Antonio, Texas fostered a uniquely diverse musical landscape throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, demonstrating the results of cross-cultural exchanges reflected in music. From Conjunto and Ranchera music, to R&B and Jazz, a wide range of music genres was celebrated in the historic westside, eventually shaping the birth of the area’s own Westside Sound, which remains a staple in many Chicano communities to date. Despite the cultural significance and rich history, the historic westside’s musical past remains widely unknown, often overshadowed by research and documentation surrounding the area’s violent history with gang networks and crime.

Committed to …

Camp Wolters: A History Of The Us Army's Relationship With Mineral Wells, Texas, Stacy E. Croushorn

History Theses - Archive

This thesis documents the Army's contributions to the town of Mineral Wells, Texas by locating the army camp of Camp Wolters there during WWII.

Constructing An Interpretive Master Plan For The Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site, Alysha M. Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site is owned and operated by the Texas Historical Commission. Interpretation of the site spans the 1864-1940 period and includes stories of groups that once met there for social events, including the United Confederate Veterans. In recent years, the Confederate Reunion Grounds has seen a decline in visitation as well as a reduction in staff. This capstone project focuses on creating an interpretive master plan to accommodate the change. This interpretive master plan aims to address the changes that have occurred over the past seven years and set staff goals and objectives.

Bryant-Thomson Family Papers (Sc 3636), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3636. Miscellaneous papers of the Bryant and Thomson families of Fayette County, Kentucky: agreement for the sale of land; lease; power of attorney to act on the sale of lands in Texas; and prescription for medicinal liquor.

German And Mexican Music In Central Texas: Historical Connections And Present Possibilities, Amy Aline Beckman

Masters Theses

German and Mexican music have a shared musical ancestry due to immigrants interacting since the late 1800s in central Texas. Comparing these genres reveals both commonalities and distinctions regarding style, orchestration, and thematic material. The differences between the genres create cultural boundaries reflecting nationalism that sometimes reinforces racial tension, while the commonalities are opportunities for empathy and open-mindedness through the globalization that occurs from shared musical experiences. While the historical connections between Germans and Mexicans in Central Texas are well-documented, the present-day status and effects of these connections have not been researched thoroughly. This project builds cultural profiles of both …

The 1930s: The Decade That Changed Tyler., Vicki Betts

Presentations and Publications

A photographic look at Tyler and the changes brought about by the East Texas Oil Boom.

From Revolution To Rejection: Tejanos And The Road To The Civil War, Alexandra Leonor

Student Research

The relationship between white Anglo-Southerner settlers and Mexican people in Texas directly impacted the participation of Mexican Americans in the American Civil War. This relationship was one of equal participation in the Texas Revolution; afterward, the racist discrimination of Anglo settlers led to Mexican people withdrawing from military service during the Mexican-American War, though they held important roles in the Texas Republic. During the Civil War, Mexican people largely fought for the Confederacy in an effort to earn respect and equality and avoid the Anglo settlers’ racism and violence. The race-based class system brought from the United States by the …

1862 Minutes Of The Commissioners Court, Vicki Betts

Presentations and Publications

Transcription of the 1862 minutes of the Smith County Commissioners Court, including safety concerns, county currency, provisions to allow encamped soldiers to vote, and assistance to soldiers’ families.

Bullet-Proof Boll Weevil: The History Of Boll Weevil Eradication, Evan A. Berg

Theses and Dissertations

Farmers and entomologists have all experimented with various methods to find the best way to defeat the United States' boll weevil. The techniques themselves, while expansive, can be examined within the scope of the years that they were used. This provides an exciting insight into how cotton pest management became more complex as the decades moved on and revealed how the science of cotton pest management evolved to deal with the boll weevil and other future cotton threats.

Ledgers Of The W.T. Carter And Brother Lumber Company: An Archival Processing Project, Christopher Cameron Cotton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The W.T. Carter and Brother Lumber Company began in 1898 and operated until 1968 when it was sold to the U.S. Plywood Corporation. The Polk County, Texas company harvested longleaf pine during a crucial period of development for the Texas economy. The lumber industry was the state’s first large scale commercial enterprise not dependent on farming and provided a model for future extractive industries in the state. The W.T. Carter and Brother Lumber Company town of Camden, Texas exemplifies rural implementations of the company town system in the Texas lumber industry. This public history thesis provides a brief history of …

Lesson Plan, 5th Grade, Johana Reséndez

Symposium Summer 2021

TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills): 6A, 6E

Lesson objective(s): 1. Student will research origin of name. 2. Student write “All about Me” in journal. 3. Student will create a book all their information.

Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs: Students will be able to utilize dictionary, pictures and work in pairs.

Early Photography In East Texas: An Exhibition, Jacob Austin Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Stone Fort Museum is a steward for much of the historical and cultural character of East Texas. A new exhibition, such as the “Early Photography in East Texas” project is in part representative of these same social values. The exhibition serves to look at East Texas specifically as a microcosm of the social ramifications of the introduction of photography. The museum presents this project as a commentary and celebration of the culture of the region while being objective enough to discuss both the high points and the low points. The thesis project itself displays the best and most current …