History Commons^™

An Education In Hate: The “Granite Foundation” Of Adolf Hitler’S Antisemitism In Vienna, Madeleine M. Neiman

Student Publications

Adolf Hitler’s formative years in Vienna, from roughly 1907 to 1913, fundamentally shaped his antisemitism and provided the foundation of a worldview that later caused immense tragedy for European Jews. Combined with a study of Viennese culture and society, the first-hand accounts of Adolf Hitler and his former friends, August Kubizek and Reinhold Hanisch, reveal how Hitler’s vicious antisemitic convictions developed through his devotion to Richard Wagner and his rejection of Viennese “Jewish” Modernism; his admiration of political role models, Georg Ritter von Schönerer and Dr. Karl Lueger; his adoption of the rhetoric and dogma disseminated by antisemitic newspapers and …

New Developments In Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Arden M. Scheetz

Student Publications

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, is a form of treatment based on the inhalation of 100% pure oxygen while subjected to closed chamber or room at pressures greater than sea level (1 atmosphere, ATA) (Howell et al., 2018; Kocaman, 2020). HBOT is administered through either a mono-place chamber or a multi-place chamber. Mono-place chambers are pressurized with oxygen and are equipped to handle a single person at a time. Multi-place chambers, on the other hand, can accommodate up to 20 people at a time, including medical personnel and intubated patients. These chambers are pressurized with air, and pure oxygen is …

The Physiology Of The Circadian Rhythm, Jessica S. Ken-Kwofie

Student Publications

This paper discusses the importance and origin of the Circadian Rhythm. First recorded by Jean Jacque d’Ortous de Mairan in 1729, the Circadian Rhythm is understood to be a fundamental biological system that is tailored to Earth’s axis. Having impacts on peripheral organs, sleep patterns, and hormonal balances, this process influences almost every aspect of the human body and several other mammals. Focusing on the Circadian Rhythm is vital to further understanding the “clock-like” patterns of the human body and future research and development of treatments could be the solution to current detrimental diseases and disorders.

David Alfaro Siqueiros And “Los Vehículos De La Pintura Dialéctico-Subversiva:” Four Principles To Create Revolutionary Artwork, Joy Zanghi

Student Publications

As one of the most distinguished Mexican muralists, David Alfaro Siqueiros played an important role in Mexican political and artistic history in the twentieth century. Despite the violence that took place in the first half of 1900s in Mexico, art flourished during this period. Inspired by the democratization that characterized the revolution, political art became common during the early twentieth century, and as Mexicans grappled with post-revolutionary identities, many artists, including Siqueiros, turned to communism as the way forward. In his speech “Los vehículos de la pintura dialéctico-subversiva,” delivered in 1932, Siqueiros delineated how to meld revolutionary ideology with the …

The Weight Of The Spring: "The Unbearable Lightness Of Being" And The Fate Of The Prague Spring, Thea J. Toocheck

Student Publications

Two of the many watershed events Czechoslovakia experienced in the twentieth century were the 1968 Prague Spring and the Warsaw Pact Invasion, which determined the course of the nation for the next twenty years. Czech author Milan Kundera experienced these events firsthand and recounted a narrative of the events in his 1984 novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Today, the novel remains an important work for its representation of the Spring and its philosophical discussion of the purpose of human life. Over the last fifty years, the Prague Spring has been represented by a variety of sources as a time …

Women’S Advocate Or Racist Hypocrite: Gertrud Scholtz-Klink And The Contradictions Of Women In Nazi Ideology, Mary C. S. Frasier

Student Publications

The Reichsfrauenführerin, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, led the National Socialist Women’s League from 1934 until she went into hiding in 1945. During her career in the Nazi Party, she created a female focused sector of the party that promoted pronatalist propaganda, discouraged women from engaging in politics, and urged women to only perform gender-suitable work. In contradiction to her message, Scholtz-Klink was the highest-ranking female political figure and a divorcee, who regularly chose her political career with the Nazi Party over her duties in the private sphere. Although she had little to no political power in the inner circle because of her …

The Challenge Of E. Pluribus Unum: Waterfront Workers During The Civil War In Buffalo, New York, Anthony E. Gil

History Theses

This work is pioneering in that it opens discussion and historical inquiry into events of civil unrest in the U.S., both during the Civil War and in 1860s Buffalo, New York. It is the position of this study that events of early civil unrest are boiling points in the development of our great melting pot. Indeed, the more historians explore and understand these moments in American history, the easier it is to see profound epochs relative to America's growing pains. And, although there are many epochs that tell the story of those growing pains, "The Challenge of E. Pluribus Unum: …

Enslaved Rebellion And Abolitionist Imperialism In Britain’S Atlantic World, 1807-1884, Lewis Eliot

Theses and Dissertations

In 1807, the British Empire ended its legal involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. The relationship between slavery and imperialism had defined British American imperialism for the preceding three centuries and the end of legal British transatlantic slave trading dramatically altered the Empire’s connection to human bondage. As a result, new debates about slavery dominated the first three decades of the nineteenth century. At the same time, enslaved Africans in Britain’s West Indian colonies perpetually resisted their enslavement and in so doing forcefully inserted themselves into metropolitan abolitionist discourse. Upon the ending of British slavery in 1834, imperial officials used …

Carpets As Signifiers Of Historical Change: The Azerbaijani Carpet Industry From The Mid-Nineteenth To Late Twentieth Century, Jill Boggs

Senior Theses

The Azerbaijani carpet industry, long recognized as an important piece of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage, transformed dramatically between the mid-nineteenth and twentieth centuries in response to political, economic, and social changes that took place under the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. During this period, the carpet industry began to use modern weaving techniques and materials, favored factory production over traditional hand-woven designs, and created pieces for exportation rather than personal or community use. These developments contribute to two historical schools that view the Soviet Union as either a prison of nations, stifling non-Russian cultures, or a nursery of ethnic identities, …

Memorialization Of J. Marion Sims In Columbia, South Carolina, Nicole Chandonnet

Senior Theses

The Heritage Act in South Carolina prevents the General Assembly from changing historic names of buildings and removing war memorials from the statehouse grounds without a supermajority. This highly controversial bill prohibits altering the landscape of the state and ensures a permanent place for white supremacy. The Repeal the Heritage Act coalition formed in 2020 to challenge this legislation, and this thesis examines one of its most recent targets: the memorialization of J. Marion Sims in Columbia. To this end, this thesis studies the South Carolina Medical Association’s Journal from 1910-1940 to study the legacy of Sims and why he …

John Holladay Latané And American Diplomatic History In The Era Of The Lost Cause, Scott Dranginis

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the impact of the Lost Cause on the writings and ideas of John Holladay Latané, an American historian of foreign policy who was born in Staunton, Virginia in 1869, and died in 1932. Latané had ties to several prominent southern individuals and institutions throughout his life, such as Captain William Latané (his uncle) and Johns Hopkins University, which he both attended (both as an undergraduate and graduate student) and taught at. With this background in mind, a study of Latané’s stances reveals how the Lost Cause ideology intersected with analysis of foreign policy in the early twentieth …

Izaokas (Isaac), William L. Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Izaokas (Isaac), directed by Jurgis Matulevicius.

The Return: Life After Isis, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Return: Life After ISIS (2021), directed by Alba Sotorra Clua.

The Grizzly, April 1, 2021, Simra Mariam, Claude Wolfer, Rosalia Murphy, Alissa Diguglielmo, Ava Compagnoni, Julia Paiano, Griffin Banks, Dominic Nattle

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Reflections on Trans Day of Visibility • Spring Sports Return! • Advice to a College Underclassman: "Keep an Open Mind" • Omega Chi • The Rotaract Club • Opinion: For Better or Worse? A Review of Zack Snyder's "Justice League"; The Perfect Streaming Service • Hope is Still There • The Hidden Opponent

Legal Services Needs Assessment For Rio Grande Valley Residents In Texas: A Comprehensive T3 Report, Amber Baylor, Nandita Chaudhuri, Luz E. Herrera, Felipe Hinojosa

Faculty Scholarship

This report presents the findings of a legal needs assessment and oral history project that was simultaneously undertaken from August 2019 to September 2020 in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. The purpose of the research is to provide a detailed discussion about access to legal information and to document the pertinent legal needs in the Rio Grande Valley. The project documented respondents’ perceptions of the area’s legal assets and needs.

The report captured information from more than 600 individuals who participated in surveys, focus groups, and interviews to create an overview of the historic legal-resource environment that exists …

Pecan Grove Review Digital Archive, Cristal Rose Mendez

Capstone Projects

I created a digital archive for the Pecan Grove Review, a literary magazine published by St. Mary’s University. This project digitized the collection of nineteen issues, dating back to 1996, making the magazine accessible to the public. Powered by Omeka-S, this site will also include future issues of the Pecan Grove Review, historical information related to the magazine, and can be used to collect writing submissions and volunteer applications.

Lafayette Walker: Not A Republican Lapdog, But A Pitmaster, Joseph R. Vasquez

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

Lafayette Walker (1822 – 1902), an enslaved black man in Tennessee before the Civil War, became a soldier for the Union in 1861. After the war, he was regarded as a political activist, as a community leader capable of controlling who the next mayor of San Antonio would become, blacksmith, and a “barbecue artist.” The argument here does not lie in what exactly his bbq tasted like or what a black man was doing identifying as a republican. The argument goes much deeper and shows that he did not care he was black or a slave, but instead he showed …

From Poet To Activist: Sarojini Naidu And Her Battles Against Colonial Oppression And Misogyny In 20th-Century India, Madisyn Staggs

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Sarojini Naidu was a prominent poet and activist during the early twentieth century, yet few have ever heard her name. A child prodigy turned romantic poet, she shocked the world with her words and used her growing fame to advocate for Indian independence alongside famous nationalist Mahatma Gandhi. Her fluidity as a poet helped her captivate international audiences, and her charisma moved the masses to support her causes. Fighting for nationalism, she never forgot about her sisters, and Indian women still celebrate Naidu today for her impact as a feminist. Naidu’s poetic mastery, her charisma as an orator, and her …

Uprooting Medievalism: Ya And The Future Of Fantasy, Zoe Phillips

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis looks at the development of the young adult neo-medieval fantasy genre, measuring famous works from the Medieval period against works such as Tolkien's, to examine the impact of female protagonists and female authors on the genre and readers alike as neo-medieval fantasy continues to gain in popularity. Works examined include: Beowulf, Lanval, Le Roman de Silence, The Hobbit, Uprooted, and The Hero and the Crown.

Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (2021), directed by Emily Kunstler.

Progressive Era Black Midwives And Healthcare In San Antonio, 1892-1920, Gloria Edwards

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

An African American midwife was a revered woman who was seen as a wise and knowledgeable person in her respective community, an essential healthcare worker long before the term was ever conceived. For many, a midwife was the only healthcare option for maternity care and would remain so into the mid-20th century, decades after the growing professionalization of the medical field discredited their work. These developments were especially pronounced in progressive-era San Antonio, Texas, where African Americans did not have the option to use a professional healthcare facility. Black women, then, most of whom suffered from poverty and discrimination, were …

Music Hears No Color, Nicholas Laurel

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

Growing up on the westside of San Antonio off of Rounds Street, my friends and I played basketball at Ojeda Park nearby. Across the creek from the park sat an old, funky blue building. Some nights we would pass by this blue dome-shaped building and hear the roars of a crowd yelling and cheering for their favorite luchador. From time to time this mysterious blue building hosted outdoor wrestling matches on the weekends. You would have never imagined that this building had been a place where racial barriers were broken down. It was a place where local law enforcement and …

Separate Showing Times, Elyse Rose Echevarria

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

Nowadays, when you go to watch a movie, it does not matter who you are, what you are, or especially what skin color you are. You can walk into a movie theatre, buy a ticket, and go watch your movie. Unfortunately, this was not the case for all movie theatres in the first half of the twentieth century. San Antonio theatres were segregated throughout in this era, which encouraged segregation throughout the city. Segregation occurred in many places, but who could have thought that segregation could have occurred at family-oriented places such as the Majestic Theatre, the Rex Theatre, and …

George E. Banister, Casandra Gutierrez

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

Whenever we think about African American history, we put our focus straight to slavery or the civil rights era, though it is much more than that. African American history in San Antonio has impacted the city’s business and economics, education, religion, migration, and foodways. Regarding foodways, I chose to research the life of George Banister, an African American man who became a well-known fraternalist and chef from working at the Argyle Hotel for over 30 years. George Banister used his expertise as a chef to offer support to the education system, church, social clubs, and actively integrating Black foodways into …

One Man’S Fight Was A Fight For All: The Story Of I.H. “Sporty” Harvey And His Battle Outside The Ring, Ryann D. Garza

Methods of Historical Research: Spring 2021 (Archived)

The Story of I.H. “Sporty” Harvey And His Battle Outside The Ring

The Legal Question Of Being An "Anglo-Indian": Race, Identity, And Law In Colonial India, Vishwajeet Deshmukh

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

From colonial times to modern-day independent India, mixed-race groups have struggled to find their existence in a legal context. The East India Company to the British Empire witnessed a change in attitude towards the mixed-race group also known as Eurasians and Anglo-Indians. Through the course of this article, the author reflects how the legal definition of Anglo-Indians was changed and interpreted according to the British when the group posed a threat to the security of the Empire. This changing attitude was reflected through a series of regulations and legislation passed by the British Empire which has classified the group as …

Inside The Eugenics Quarterly: American Eugenicists And The Birth Control Movement In 1929, Meg Spaulding

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This essay uses issues of the Eugenics Quarterly from 1929 to examine the ways in which the eugenics and the birth control movements overlapped and, ultimately, used each other for their own gain. The articles about birth control in the Eugenics Quarterly show that eugenicists were grappling with whether or not birth control would help or hinder their cause. Overall, they saw birth control as a helpful factor for their eugenics principles. Similarly, the birth control movement used the authority and reputability of eugenic scientists to bolster their own mission.

A Failure Masked As A Succeeding War Effort: The Vietnam War, Willow Hasson

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This paper investigates how and why the U.S. government hid the reality of the failures of the Vietnam War from the public. In reviewing historical newspapers published during the spring and summer of 1965 alongside formerly classified government documents written at the same time, a clear picture of deception is painted. Even after the press discovered the reality of the failures of the war and shared it with the public, the government continued its war effort because of the entrenched post-World War II belief in American exceptionalism. Overall, the government hid proof that American soldiers were not wanted, that the …

A Privileged Equality: The Divisive Ideals Of Christine De Pizan And White Feminists, Emilee Gu

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Christine de Pizan was one of the most prolific woman writers of the Middle Ages and her work serves as an early example of feminism. This paper aims at analyzing Christine’s feminism through the Epistre Au Dieu D’Amours, Christine’s letter to Jean de Montreuil, and her letter to Gontier Col. By comparing Christine’s ideas with some representative examples of “white feminism” from the “Second Wave,” I argue that despite Christine’s contributions in sparking feminist ideas, she created a proto-feminist work that excludes those who do not fit into her ideal of “good women.” Christine’s feminism, which operates at the expense …

The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, And Capital Punishment, Richard Martin

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This is a review of The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment, authored by Eric W. Rise.