Political History Commons^™

Reopening The Fair Gate, Toshihiro Tanioka

History Theses & Dissertations

On July 27, 1952, the Congress of the United States of America passed, over President Harry s. Truman's veto, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, more commonly known as the McCarran-Walter Act. The act codified almost all existing laws relative to immigration and naturalization and newly incorporated more strict exclusion provisions.

This paper analyzes the legislative process from the passage of the act in 1952 to its major revision in 1965. The paper analyzes that the act was a mere reaffirmation of the pre-war immigration policy and thus not reappraisal or reformation in the drastically changed world milieu. The …

Virginia In Transition: The 1961 Democratic Primary, Thomas Carter Evans

History Theses & Dissertations

The year 1961 marked a turning point in Virginia politics. Two years had elapsed since the General Assembly had abandoned its policy of massive resistance to school integration. In the aftermath of that crisis the Byrd Organization found itself decided between moderates and members of the "Old Guard." In the 1961 Democratic primary Lieutenant-Governor A. E. S. Stephens, a moderate, vied with Attorney General Albertis S. Harrison, the choice of the Byrd Organization, for the gubernatorial nomination. Stephens charged that. the aged leaders of the Organization were too reactionary to lead the state in the 1960s. Harrison reaffirmed the Organization's …

Symbol Of American Discontent: The Selective Service During The Vietnam War, Jean B. Todd

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents an intensive study of the nature and scope of the Selective Service System in an effort to analyze the system that became the focal point of growing discontent with the Vietnam War. The primary objective is to determine whether the Selective Service System equitably executed its congressionally mandated objective of raising military manpower. In order to ascertain whether the System operated with balance and fairness, its structure and procedures are examined. The study of the Selective Service System's structure 'necessitated an analysis of the characteristics and backgrounds of both administrators and those who met the System's quotas …

General John Henry Winder's Administration Of Martial Law In Richmond, 1862-1864, John Michael Cobb

History Theses & Dissertations

General John Henry Winder enforced martial law in the Confederate capital in Richmond from the winter of 1862 .to the spring of 1864. Winder's Richmond was plagued with lawlessness, disloyalty, and espionage. He was an experienced and capable commander who enforced his summary orders diligently. But Winder's regime only succeeded in managing the city for brief periods. The complex problems he confronted probably were insurmountable; by the end of his administration Richmond remained in turmoil. Several factors were responsible for this: numerous people were willing to risk prison to participate in the lucrative liquor trade, the basis for much of …

The Effect Of The Revolution On Norfolk Politics, Mary C. Chrysostomides

History Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to determine whether the Revolution had a revolutionary effect on Norfolk as measured by changes in the wealth and occupation of common councilmen, the nature of politics, and the formal structure of the government of the borough. The politics, politicians, and governmental structure of Norfolk twenty years before the Revolution were compared to the politics, politicians, and governmental structure twenty years after the Revolution. The data for the study were drawn from damage claims, newspapers, wills, probate records, tax records, personal papers, travel accounts, petitions submitted to the General Assembly, statutes and ordinances, and other public records. …

A Study Of Federalist Motivation In The Virginia Ratifying Convention Of 1788, Rosemarie Yoder

History Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to discover the Federalists' motivation for ratification of the Constitution in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788. Thirteen Federalist delegates were selected as representative of that group. Their backgrounds, previous voting records, and the areas they represented were studied to ascertain their motives in endorsement of the Constitution. The debates that took place at the Virginia Ratifying Convention, the delegates' correspondence, and public statements were also studied to affix motivation.

Although it was found that individual differences in motivation existed, as a group, the Virginia Federalists were motivated primarily not by economic considerations but by their desire …

The Shenandoah National Park: Its Impact On A Mountain People, Scott Shelton

History Theses & Dissertations

The creation of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia during the 193Os profoundly affected the lives of hundreds of mountain people who had eked out an existence to the region for generations. While removing these people naturally caused inconveniences and disrupted a way of life, the positive results outweighed the negative. Higher standards of living generally accompanied the change, and few former residents expressed discontent over their new way of life.

This removal of the mountaineers was simply one of many episodes in American history where the federal government has played a role in moving people, thereby changing their lifestyle. …

Kazakh Nationalism In The Gorbachev Era, Steven O'Neal Sabol

History Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to survey specific manifestations of Kazakh nationalism in the Gorbachev era and ask what provoked a seemingly cooperative people to exert their nationalist sentiment. The two principal forms examined are the passage of the Kazakh Language Law in 1989, and the emergence of informal groups and alternative political parties in Kazakhstan.

The nationalism that was expressed by Kazakhs in the Gorbachev era was a resumption of the nationalism that was suspended or suppressed during seventy years of Soviet rule. The December 1986 demonstration in Alma-Ata irreparably altered ethnic relations in the republic and …

The 1969 Democratic Party Gubernatorial Primary: A Watershed In Virginia Political History, Patrick Anthony Parr

History Theses & Dissertations

In Virginia, the Democratic Party primacy, since its inception in 1905, was tantamount to election as every party nominee won the general election. During the 1969 Democratic party gubernatorial primary, however, bitter intra-party rivalry between the conservative, moderate, and liberal factions coupled with the conflicting personalities of the three gubernatorial candidates, William C. Battle, Henry E. Howell, Jr., and Fred G. Pollard, left the party badly divided. Ultimately, the party's gubernatorial nominee, William C. Battle, failed to harmonize the three conflicting factions and, therefore, lost in the election to the Republican candidate, A. Linwood Holton. The 1969 primary also witnessed …

Rum, Romanism, And Virginia Democrats: The Party Leaders And The Campaign Of 1928, James R. Sweeney

History Faculty Publications

The 1928 presidential election posed problems for Virginia Democrats, who were traditionally Protestant and prohibitionist. New Yorker Al Smith's nomination split Virginia's party, allowing Republican Herbert C. Hoover to win by a healthy majority. Led by a Methodist Bishop James Cannon, Jr., Virginians who opposed Smith, a Roman Catholic, cited his link with Tammany Hall and his views on prohibition legislations as justifications to vote against him. State party leaders Harry Byrd, Carter Glass, Louis Joffe, and John Garland Pollard mounted a party loyalty campaign for Smith, but the election's central issue was whether or not a candidate's religion merited …

The Banker's Briar Patch: The American Banker's Association And The Glass-Owen Bill Of 1913, Robert Drake Scull

History Theses & Dissertations

In order to compete with the British in international finance, leading bankers in the United States began to agitate for a central bank and "elastic" currency at least as early as 1905. Although the Panic of 1907 helped stir interest in banking reform, the political climate was so prejudiced against the banking profession that it became necessary for ABA spokesmen to condemn publicly the proposed legislation in order to insure that it would be passed. Privately, these same bankers worked closely with Woodrow Wilson and helped elect him president in 1912. Wilson returned the favor with the Federal Reserve Act …

The Irish Land Question 1848-1870, Sara A. Coski

History Theses & Dissertations

This is a study of the Irish Land Question and the evolution of British policy aimed at solving it. In 1848 Parliament proposed legislation strictly in keeping with current ideas of laissez-faire, yet by 1870 they passed an act which totally reversed this policy.

This change in British policy was due to the combination of two forces. First the progressive ideas of Liberal Prime Minister, William E. Gladstone, and second, the violent Fenian atrocities that made the British more receptive to radical ideas. The Irish Land Act of 1870 represented a turning point in British policy toward Ireland as …

Dr. Félix-Roland Moumié And The Revolution In French Cameroon, 1948-1960, Gregory Kurt Glassner

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the life of Dr. Felix-Roland Moumie and his political movement, the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC). An early nationalist in French West Africa, Moumie fought for the independence of his country within the French colonial system, at the United Nations and through a lengthy guerrilla war. Moumie and the UPC will be examined in the context of other African movements, the decolonization of Africa and the United Nations Trusteeship system.

A Different Light: Jefferson Views Henry, 1759-1784, Thomas Wesley Redman

History Theses & Dissertations

This work studies the relations of Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson in the period of'759 to 1780. The study reveals that Jefferson's denunciations of Henry, in his letters, were a product of his perceptions of Henry. Those perceptions were forged in their personal and political associations after 1759, and those perceptions were essentially complete by the end of 1784.

Jefferson perceived Henry as both a personal opportunist and a political opportunist. Jefferson stressed Henry's anti-intellectualism, as well as the contrast between his oratorical skills and his lack of analytical skills. Jefferson also asserted that Henry was avaricious and obsessed with …

American Perceptions Of Chinese Communism 1945-1950, Edward C. O'Dowd

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the images of the Chinese Communists which were held by career Foreign Service Officers in China, non-career diplomats in China and the decision-making elite in Washington during the period of time from 1945 to 1950. The study centers on the questions of the tractability of the Chinese Communists to negotiations and the connection of the Chinese Communists to the Soviets. The study uses several propositions of social psychology to explain the differing images and the resulting effect on Sino-American relations.

Edmund Burke: Representative Of Bristol And New York Agent, Mary Ellen Ferratt Yoder

History Theses & Dissertations

Edmund Burke, the eighteenth-century philosopher and politician, participated as a member of the Marquis of Rockingham's political faction, as a member of England's Parliament for Bristol from 1774 to 1780 and as an agent for the colony of New York from 1771 to 1775. The purpose of this inquiry is to describe the relations between these two cities, Burke's motivations, his rationalization of his convictions and his prior allegiance to his patron in dealing with his constituencies during his ten years in service to these two cities. As a leader Burke was contradictory and inconsistent following Rockingham's leadership or independently …

The Piedmont Railroad: A Reflection Of Confederate Railroad Policy, David Maurice Self

History Theses & Dissertations

Confederate railroad policies had a disruptive effect on the final outcome of the war for the South. This thesis endeavors to examine the history of the construction of the Piedmont Railroad as it reflected Confederate railroad policy during the American Civil War. The work is devoted specifically to a study of the obstacles confronting the construction of the Piedmont Railroad from its inception to its completion. One finds throughout this period a fluctuating Confederate policy concerning its railroads and no permanent. official agency to coordinate its affairs. The Piedmont Railroad was to be a vital part of the system of …

The Effect Of The French Revolution On Charles James Fox And The Direction Of British Politics, 1789-1794, Robert Breckenridge Daughtrey

History Theses & Dissertations

The incidence of the French Revolution in 1789 had a disruptive effect on the Whig party. Prior to the Revolution, the Whig party had been a unified group of politicians under the spiritual and intellectual guidance of Charles James Fox. This thesis endeavors to examine how the French Revolution caused the collapse of the Whig party during the years 1789- 1794. The work is devoted specifically to a study of the role of Charles James Fox during this period of British political history. One finds that throughout the years 1789-1794 Fox worked unceasingly to preserve party unity. During this time, …

Sir Robert Peel, 1846-1850: Unwilling Leader Of A Splinter Party, Donald A. Kerr

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the last four years (1846-1850) of the life of Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister of England. Peel was one of the great political figures in England during the 1800s, a leader of the Conservative Party for more than fifteen years, and the leading political figure in the successful fight to repeal the Corn Laws in 1846.

Following the defeat of his government in 1846 however, he declined to provide further leadership either to the party or to the small group of his close followers known as the Peelites. The effects of Peel's continued presence …

Republican Ideology And American Diplomats: The Roles Of John Jay And James Monroe, Helen Kello Hill

History Theses & Dissertations

Republican ideology is the basis of a case study of the diplomatic careers of John Jay and James Monroe. Both men were committed to a republican form of government but each perceived it differently. Likewise they viewed diplomacy and the role oi a diplomat differently. In establishing the republicanism oi both Jay and Monroe extensive use was made of their private and public correspondence. Through these letters it becomes apparent that Monroe's republican commitment fed his incipient paranoid personality in that he constantly looked homeward for approval. On the other hand, John Jay's elitist perspective did not lead him to …

Revolt In Virginia: Harry Byrd And The 1952 Presidential Election, James R. Sweeney

History Faculty Publications

When Senator Harry F. Byrd, longtime opponent of the policies of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, decided to support Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower for the Presidency in 1952, he weakened the Democratic Party in Virginia and set off a political revolt in that state that lasted for a quarter century. Based on newspaper accounts and on primary material in the University of Virginia; 40 notes.

The Problem Of Social Change As Seen In The Life And Work Of Jean Jaurès And George Sorel, Frances Boyce Glover

History Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the place of the thought of Jean Jaures and Georges Sorel in the continuum of the French revolutionary search for a social and political order that would protect individual liberty and guarantee justices Biographical sketches, showing the influences that helped to shape the thought of Jaures and Sorel are followed by an analysis of their concepts of liberty and justice as the motivation for change, The major aspects of the works and careers of each are studied to determine how consistent they were. There was an underlying consistency in their thought. Both …

The German Communist Struggle 1918-1923, Steven Ross Thulin

History Theses & Dissertations

This paper examines the formation and development of the German Communist movement during the first critical years of the Weimar Republic. Concentrating on leadership as the decisive factor, it traces the origins of German Communism from indigenous revolutionary Marxists in the Spartakan hierarchy and discusses the division of the KPD between conflicting Luxemburg and Liebknecht traditions. A leadership crisis characterized the KPD after the deaths of its prominent veteran leaders, leading to competition with Bolshevik presti.ge and a growing disadvantage for individual German party chiefs. Paul Levi in particular led the KPD to its highest point in 1921 within the …

U.S. Security Policy In Postwar Japan; The Making Of A Cold War Ally, Thomas James Hehman

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the role of American policy makers in the transformation of Japan from a defeated, disarmed enemy to a Cold War ally on the path to rearmament during the Allied Occupation (1945-1952). The original Occupation goals of disarmament and demilitarization for Japan were embodied in Article IX of the American-sponsored Japanese Constitution of 1947. These goals were unilaterally discarded. 'by American policy makers as the Cold War developed and U,S. security policy in Asia dictated that Japan be rehabilitated as an ally. Douglas MacArthur presided over the Occupation of Japan almost in its entirety, and …

Benjamin Butler And The Bureau Of Negro Affairs In Tidewater, Virginia, 1861-1865, Steven Frank Petrine

History Theses & Dissertations

The subject of this paper is the development of govern­mental policies toward the freedmen especially labor policies and the establishment of schools and relief programs for the freedmen in the tidewater area of Virginia during the Civil War. The first extensive school system for the freedmen was launched in this area, and it was in this area in November, 1863 that General Benjamin F. Butler created a central authority for the administration of Freedmen's Affairs. Government farms were also established in the area for those freedmen needing care and guidance while those deemed capable of managing their own plots were …

The Buchanan Administration And The Closing Of The African Slave Trade, 1859-1861, David Earl Buckingham

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

Imre Nagy And The First Phase Of The Hungarian Revolution, William B. Liverman

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an analysis of the relationship between the national communists and "Moscow emigres" in the government of Hungary, between the Hungarian government and that of the Soviet Union, and between the Hungarian government and the various insurgent groups in Budapest and the Hungarian provinces immediately preceding and during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. An attempt is made to evaluate the effect of each of these forces on the course of revolution and its final outcome. The study is based on traditional sources and on interviews with leading figures involved in the revolution.

Mob Violence In Prerevolutionary Norfolk, Virginia, Edward A. Smyth

History Theses & Dissertations

This study examines mob violence in pre-Revolutionary Norfolk, Virginia. Four chronologically distinct mob incidents are considered: the Arundel riot of 1762, the Stamp Act riot of 1766, the impressment riot of 1767, and the smallpox riots of 1768-1769. Emphasis is placed on the identification of mob participants and the motives for their involvement. Quantitative methods are used to assess the degree of participation by influential Norfolk residents in mass violence.

Statistical evidence reveals that an unusually large number of rioters were influential Norfolkians. Motivation for their participation is attributed to English Parliamentary decrees and the growing economic and political influence …

Northerners In The Reconstruction Of Hampton, Virginia, 1865-1870, Gladys A. Blair

History Theses & Dissertations

The 1870 census for Hampton, Virginia indicated that out of the 8,303 total population, 176 were foreign born and 672 came from states other than Virginia. A logical explanation for the presence of the large number of northerners is that they were carpetbaggers who had come South after the war to take advantage of the prostrate southerners. This paper analyzes the Yankee population in Hampton, Virginia in the period following the Civil War. It discusses the origins of the northerners, their reasons for coming to Hampton, their occupations, the Hampton political situation, and the impact the northerners made on the …

The Emergence Of The Jacksonians: Rhode Island, A Case Study, 1827-31, James Michael Callow

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.