Political History Commons^™

Robespierre: A Self-Destructed Revolutionary, Sophie M. Johnson

Young Historians Conference

The French Revolution’s infamously radical Reign of Terror rallied revolutionaries and quelled dissenters, all under the justification that the “republic of virtue” mandated protection. The Terror’s enigmatic Jacobin figurehead, Maximilien Robespierre, undeniably embodied the Enlightenment, egalitarian thought that provoked the revolution in 1789. Nonetheless, his resolute view of virtue and tyrannical tendencies debased a 1792 republic already overcome by factionalism and unnecessary bloodshed. His extreme rhetoric and public unpopularity only further blackened his image, raising the question of his legitimacy to his colleagues and fellow Jacobins. This paper asserts that while Robespierre acted in the name of the “Republic,” his …

Katanga Secession: The Growth And Manipulation Of Ethnic Associations, Hannah L. Mohtadi

Young Historians Conference

The Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains one of the most minerally rich regions in the world, leading to many political and social interferences by foreign powers hoping to secure a part of the wealth. Following decades of oppressive colonial rule, the Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, sparking a violent political shift and allowing a secessionist movement to take place in Katanga. While it is commonly held that foreign powers manipulated indigenous leaders in order to remain a powerful source within the community, this assertion is inaccurate. Although external powers undoubtedly shaped …

Post-Partition Sikh Immigrant Experiences In The United States, Athamjit Singh Dhaddey

History

The project titled, "Post-Partition Sikh Immigrant Experiences in the United States," begins to explore the different factors that contributed to the migration of Sikhs to the United States. Beginning during the first decade of the 1900s, Sikhs began to migrate to the United States for a variety of reasons. It wasn't until the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 that we began to see these numbers increase dramatically. The main primary sources in this paper are oral histories from three of those immigrants during that time. With their stories, we are able to dive deeper into the different experiences …

Keith Haring: Silence = Death, Nellie Jalalian

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The American aids crisis is one of the most important epidemics of the contemporary world, yet many americans do not know the severity of the crisis or the true lasting effects on recent society. In my project I will go over personal accounts of individuals directly affected by the illness, like famed artist Keith Haring, to give it a more human perspective. I will also reflect on the art that was created at the time, and how that was reflective on the people affected. Aids is an immunodeficiency virus that has been proven difficult to diagnose in the early on …

The Casualties Of U.S. Grand Strategy: Korean Exclusion From The San Francisco Peace Treaty And The Pacific Pact, Syrus Jin

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

From August 1945 to September 1951, the United States had a unique opportunity to define and frame how it would approach its foreign relations in the Asia-Pacific region. As the dominant power in the Pacific after World War II and claiming direct authority over vanquished Japan, the United States had the liberty to design its own post-war vision for the entire region. Until 1951, American State Department diplomats and government planners, attempted—ultimately unsuccessfully—to harmonize the competing motivations of lingering World War II multilateralist idealism and Cold War geopolitics in a postcolonial, postwar world. This thesis examines U.S.-Korean relations in context …

The Rhode Island Earned Income Tax Credit: History And Analysis, Andrew Boardman

Senior Honors Projects

This paper offers a comprehensive political history of the Rhode Island Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and an analysis of Rhode Island EITC recipients. It explores the history of the Rhode Island EITC, an income subsidy available to low-income workers, from its introduction in 1975 through 2018. It details the forces behind expansions and reforms and the effects of those changes. It also analyzes microdata to construct a profile of current EITC recipients. This paper concludes that the Rhode Island EITC has historically been viewed as both a poverty alleviation program and an incentive for labor market work. The Rhode …

The Farmers’ Federation: Regional Racial Mythologies As Agricultural Capital, Jama Mcmurtery Grove

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1927, the Farmers’ Federation agricultural cooperative in Western North Carolina launched an organization to solicit funds from wealthy donors. The money raised through philanthropic campaigns enabled the cooperative to fund large-scale agricultural projects, which helped members navigate the dramatic agricultural transformations of the early twentieth century. Although the cooperative advocated a progressive program of business-minded, scientific farming, its leadership modified programs to reflect farmer members’ limited resources and the realities of mountain production. As a result, the co-op provided a crucial bridge between white farmers and new methods of agricultural production that reached deep into peoples’ familial and productive …

Remaking Of A Modern Islamic Turkey, Ayҫa Korkutan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis engages the work of Reinhart Koselleck and in particular his notion of historical time(s) in an effort to understand how the scholarly and popular historiography with regard to Turkey’s Ottoman past have changed since the foundation of the Republic. Focusing especially on the present representations of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876-1909), a contentious figure who is increasingly recognized to be the face of the Ottoman Empire, it attempts to provide fragments from the newly emerging narrative of history which reimagines contemporary Turkey as a nation in a continuous dialogue with its Islamic past and possible futures.

Art And War: Republican Propaganda Of The Spanish Civil War, Jason Manrique

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis focuses on propaganda used by the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to gain support for their cause and win the war. It focuses on three forms of media: cinema, posters and photography, and it is divided into an introduction, three separate chapters, and a conclusion. In them I provide a historical context on the II Republic and the Civil War and analyze the effectiveness of concrete artworks to propagate the Republican message.

'We Are Abolitionizing The West': The Union Army And The Implementation Of Federal Emancipation Policy, 1861–1865, Scott Ackerman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project provides a new history of the implementation of federal emancipation policy by the Union armies during the Civil War. It examines five geographic regions occupied by the Union army—the Mississippi River Valley, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, and Kentucky—focusing on the activities of officials whom I term the “middle managers” of federal emancipation policy. Though often overlooked by historians, officers such as Union army Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas, Commissioner for the United States Colored Troops George Stearns, and Major William Sidell were specifically designated by the Lincoln administration to superintend the implementation of emancipation policy in …

Resistance To Statism In Frontier Era Upper East Tennessee, 1760-1820, Casey Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes efforts among frontier settlers of Upper East Tennessee to resist particular elements of state-craft from the 1750s until 1820. Building on the work of James C. Scott, this study suggests that some residents of the area may have resisted acceding to what they considered the negative aspects of residing within state sovereignty. These included, taxation, land enclosure, organized religion, and regulation of economic activity. Analyzing from outside the lens of the state, this study attempts to explore why organized government remained largely ineffective and widely disregarded in the Upper East Tennessee region even as governance rapidly and …

The Forgotten Comrades: Leftist Women, Palestinians, And The Jordanian Communist Party, 1936–1957, Fadi H. Kafeety

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Middle East in the 1950s was the site of major contestation for popular support and power. In Jordan, a militant anti-imperialist movement emerged with a platform centered around expelling British forces and abrogating the Anglo-Jordanian treaty. In the struggle between monarchism and republicanism, the Jordanian Communist Party and Ba’ath Party were the catalyzing anti-imperial forces in the first decade of Jordan’s nominal independence. Despite having a militant core of feminists within their ranks, women of the Jordanian Communist Party—who were instrumental in politicizing and radicalizing the first phase of the Jordanian Women’s Movement—have been systematically erased from this critical …

Cosmopolitan Democracy: Re-Evaluation Of Globalization And World Economic System, Muhammad Dalhatu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines cosmopolitan democracy theory as a method of addressing the problems of globalization. I begin by introducing the concept of “cosmopolitan democracy.” I then proceed to discuss contemporary political climate and its relation to critiques of globalization. Finally, I conclude by examining the elaborations of cosmopolitan democracy by various theorists as a way of addressing these problems. Chapter 1 introduces the work of David Held who introduced the concept in his book, Cosmopolitan Democracy and the Global Order: Reflections on the 20^th Anniversary of Kant’s “Perpetual Peace.” Cosmopolitan democracy refers to global governance through democratic theory. Held …

Casualties Of War? Refining The Civilian-Military Dichotomy In World War I, Eric Grube

Madison Historical Review

Throughout the First World War, newspapers around the world mocked the British state for its lavish spending on captured German officers kept at Donington Hall, a refurbished English estate. Why was this camp such a controversial space of perceived decadence? I argue that its comforts seemed to linger from an earlier era, one in which military men exuded genteel civility as integral to their supposedly heroic service. The British state essentially enabled such treatment, and the public decried this space for sustaining the anachronism of aristocratic privilege in the face of a globalized total war. However, the German inmates expected …

Oral Argument Tactics On The Supreme Court Bench: A Comparative Analysis Of Verbal Tools Used By Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, And Gorsuch, Corinne Cichowicz

Politics Honors Papers

Oral argument scholars like Adam Feldman have categorized the Supreme Court justices’ behavior during oral argument using the approach-based method, labeling each as one-sided, even-handed, or restrained. This approach is too narrowly constructed. Scholars sometimes categorize justices in terms of the tools they use, which include questions, hypotheticals, declarations, interruptions, tone of voice, and silence (Feldman 2018a). Neither of these methods alone produce a nuanced analysis of each justice’s actions during an individual case or across a Term. As the Court’s composition and dynamics are continuously changing, scholarship on oral argument needs to adapt to …

Two Poems: Stop Time Before; Forsaken Ones, Ánh-Hoa Thị Nguyễn

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This creative work features two poems: Stop Time Before; Forsaken Ones

Medicine Infected By Politics: The American Occupation Of Haiti, 1915-1934, Cooper Scherr

Helene Lafrance Library Undergraduate Research Award

This article discusses the impact that politics and social beliefs have on the humanitarian goals of medicine, using the American occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) as a backdrop. First, the article explains how the United States intervened in Haiti in order to maintain its political hegemony in the Caribbean, develop Haiti as a new market for American investors, and civilize the supposedly "backwards" Haiti. Previously, historians have recognized the important role that medicine played during the occupation, but this article highlights how U.S. political, economic, and cultural motives distorted the practice of medicine in Haiti. For instance, from 1915-1922, the Americans …

Don't Delete That Tweet: Federal And Presidential Records In The Age Of Social Media, Gabriel M. A. Elorreaga

St. Mary's Law Journal

Statutes governing preservation of presidential records must be adapted to accommodate presidents’ evolving use of social media accounts. The Freedom of Information Act is meant to promote government transparency, and subjects governmental agencies to information requests from members of the public. However, as it relates to social media records, the problem is one of volume; are the means of preservation currently in place able to adequately address the vast amount of records created by a President’s use of social media? This Comment argues that they are not, although they do provide a useful basis for how to adapt record preservation …

Women Of The War: Female Espionage Agents For The Confederacy, Sarah Stellhorn

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Although historians have frequently examined the role of women on the home front during the Civil War, women who contributed to the cause in more direct ways, such as espionage, are often neglected. An in-depth examination of specific females spying for the Confederacy, such as Rose O’Neal Greenhow and Belle Boyd, proves that their actions, both remarkable and uncharacteristic of women at the time, had a direct impact on the war. A vast network of spies and smugglers existed not only in the southern and border states but also throughout the North, even in Washington D.C. itself. This network was …

A Once And Future Queen: Jackie Kennedy And Her Kingdom, Alyssa J. Windsor

Honors College Theses

The Kennedy Camelot was important to the American people and how we now come to view families in the White House. Jacqueline Kennedy was perhaps one of the most important characters in this story that was tragically interrupted. A historical figure not fully developed, Jackie single handedly created the beloved Camelot era and changed the way we view twentieth century America. Taking a deeper look into the private life of the most popular First Lady in American history in relation to the political rollercoaster that was the 1960s, new conclusions can be drawn about the Kennedy’s Camelot and who truly …

Genocide Masquerading: The Politics Of The Sharpeville Massacre And Soweto Uprising, Jessica P. Forsee

Honors College Theses

Apartheid South Africa represented a paradox as a US ally and human rights pariah. “Genocide Masquerading” uncovers the implications of US foreign policy on the rise and decline of apartheid, looking specifically at the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the 1976 Soweto Uprising. By comparing Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, and Carter foreign policy responses, this thesis creates a comparative analysis of how effective, or ineffective, the United States was during pivotal moments in apartheid history. This thesis will not only expand on the developing South African literature but add to the conversation of international aid, diplomacy practices, and North-South relationships.

The Effect Of The American Presidency On The Behavior Of American Citizens: A Glimpse Into How Donald Trump Has Affected The Behavior Of The American Population, Carter Elliott

Student Scholar Showcase

Using data from a Gallup Poll conducted in 2018, and data from recent major events within the United States, I argue that the President of the United States has a significant impact on the overall behavior of American Citizens. In the two years since Donald Trump has taken office many things have taken place in America that have not been previously seen in the last several decades, or ever. I examine case studies such as The Unite the Right Rally, The 2017 Women’s March on Washington, media viewership and approval, voter turn-out rates, and hate crimes, which support the hypothesis …

A Modern-Day Review Of The Fort Pillow Massacre - Act Of War Or Genocide, Austin Valentine, Austin Valentine

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

On April 13^th, 1864 Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked Union held Fort Pillow in western Tennessee. The event would later be known as the Fort Pillow Massacre where a number of African American soldiers were killed while trying to surrender to Confederate forces.

Forrest was one who had not been a graduate of a military academy, nor had any military experience. He had simply been a Memphis slave trader turned Confederate sympathizer who enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army on June 14^th of 1861. However, he eventually financed and organized his own cavalry …

Nick Martin's Communism, Dylan Bagley, Matthew Kenwood

Cold War Lives

This project examines the life and career of Hungarian-born athlete Nick Martin. It explores the opportunities available to Martin via his success as an Olympic athlete.

Communism, Post-Communism, Sport, And Patriotism In 1980s-1990s Hungary, Sarah Johns, Morgana Olbrich

Cold War Lives

We will argue that Communism left long lasting effects on the ways in which patriotism was perceived and executed through labor. Specifically we will look into the ways in which laborers, namely athletes, both intentionally and unintentionally used their work to gain privileges.

How Politics Can Shape Sports And The Athletes Who Perform: A Case Study Of Hungarian Gymnastics During The Cold War, Julia Adams, Corinne Cichowicz

Cold War Lives

The purpose of the project is to juxtapose how politics and government structure shape the world of sports, as well as the progress of individual sports, with the isolation of athletes from the political realities of their respective nations. We assert that contemporary politics is directly reflected in the sports community through the way athletes interact and the ways other nations perceive athletes’ treatment. We argue that around the Hungarian Revolution, Eastern countries like Hungary attempted to perform their strength by giving privileges that allowed athletes to excel while western nations like the United States focused on fostering their savior …

Inclusivity In Higher Education Core Curricula: Cultivating Justice In The Classroom, Joanna Timmerman

CIE Essay Writing Contest

No abstract provided.

Religion, Politics, And The "Virgin Queen", Ellen Long, Kyle Thompson

Posters

This paper will analyze Elizabeth I’s political style and the effects on it by both religion and influential men in the “Virgin Queen’s” council. Her relationships with Mary Tudor and Mary, Queen of Scots, and their religion, affected her politics and how her Protestantism clashed with these two Catholic monarchs. Comparing Mary Tudor’s forceful assertion of Catholicism in her reign to Elizabeth’s approach to Protestant dissenters will demon­strate religion’s role in their politics. I will also analyze the aspect of religion on Elizabeth’s and Mary Stuart’s dual claims to the English throne. Elizabeth Jenkins’s work, Elizabeth the Great, explores all …

Review Of The Revolution Of '28: Al Smith, American Progressivism, And The Coming Of The New Deal, Robert A. Slayton

History Faculty Articles and Research

A review of Robert Chiles' The Revolution of '28: Al Smith, American Progressivism, and the Coming of the New Deal.

Interpretations Of Bloody Mary's Use Of Religion And Politics, Morgan Myers, Kyle Thompson

Posters

This paper looks at the political style of Mary Tudor and examines how her upbringing and gender influenced her policies and ultimately whether she was an effective leader. Religion was paramount during her reign, and heavily affected Mary’s policies. Her actions resulted in the nickname, “Bloody Mary”; this paper discusses if this is a valid name for her and overall how the Protestant Reformation impacted her time as queen. I will examine the extent to which Mary was influenced by men in her life and how they and her gender impacted her reign. David Loades wrote, “The Reign of Mary …