Social History Commons^™

"Nuestra Herencia, Nuestra Historia – Our Heritage, Our History" Preserving Hispanic Heritage Month At St. Mary’S University, Barbara Ortiz

Capstone Projects

This project aims to initiate the preservation for culturally significant events of Hispanic Heritage Month at St. Mary’s University through collection, documentation and archival efforts. By capturing events, speeches, performances, and exhibits, I plan to create a lasting historical record that highlights the contributions and experiences of Hispanic students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Digital Commons will serve as the primary archive and research space, providing a valuable and accessible resource for future generations, fostering understanding, appreciation, and celebration of Hispanic heritage within the St. Mary’s and Westside San Antonio community.

Res Historica, Volume 4, Lynneth Miller Renberg Phd, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta

Res Historica

The 2025 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg, Samuel Sanders, and Julia Ackerman. The cover art for this volume is an open access image.

“A Wonderful World?”: C&S’S Georgia Plan, Urban Renewal, And Historic Preservation In Savannah, Augusta, And Macon, J. Mark Souther

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ursinus Magazine, Spring 2025, Robyn E. Hannigan, Steve Thomas, Jennifer L. Post-Whisted, Brad Drexler, Alyssa Kratz, Connor Donohue

Ursinus Magazine, 1995–Present

Students named campus sustainability champions • It's On Us grant awarded • APEX to redefine the student journey • Trustee appointments • New academic offerings • Scholarships awarded for study abroad • Gordon Ramsay spotted at Cafe 2020 • Voices soar in the Big Easy • Exploring the world • New graduate partnerships • Ursinus joins Cost Transparency initiative • Ursinus voted a 2025 "Philly Favorite" • Alumni Awards celebrate outstanding achievement • Class of 2025 embracing joy and awe • Faculty research • Defender of the deep • Delivering a dream • Where art meets architecture • The new …

Crusading Against Vice In The Progressive Era: American Anti-Profanity Leagues And Their Legacy, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era in the United States, the rise of Anti-Profanity Leagues—such as those led by Roland D. Sawyer and Arthur S. Colborne—mirrored a growing national moral sentiment against profanity that aligned with broader ideals of social reform and public virtue. These leagues responded to widespread concerns about the perceived erosion of public decency and sought to promote “clean speech” through grassroots organizing, religious engagement, and civic advocacy. This paper situates the Anti-Profanity Leagues within the larger framework of Progressive Era moral reform movements, including temperance, anti-vice campaigns, and social purity efforts. Drawing on period newspapers, archival materials, and …

The Semantics Of Sin: Profanity, Reform, And Cultural Authority In Progressive America, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

During the Progressive Era, language reform movements such as the Anti-Profanity League sought to regulate everyday speech as part of broader efforts to preserve public morality and cultural identity. This paper examines the rhetorical strategies and cultural assumptions underpinning the anti-profanity crusade, focusing especially on Reverend Roland D. Sawyer’s leadership. Using historical sources including league literature, newspaper accounts, personal letters, organizational records, and sermons, it argues that profanity was framed not merely as a religious or moral failure but as a threat to social cohesion, character, and national values. Efforts to suppress swearing reveal how language functioned as a marker …

Crusading Against Vice: American Anti-Profanity Leagues And Their Legacy, Evan J. Christensen

Roland D. Sawyer Scholarship Papers

This presentation examines the rise of American Anti-Profanity Leagues during the Progressive Era, with particular focus on the efforts of Roland Sawyer and Arthur Colborne. These leagues sought to eliminate profanity from public and private life, using printed materials, pledge campaigns, public speeches, and media outreach to promote “clean speech” as a moral imperative. Drawing on archival research, including the Roland D. Sawyer Papers housed at the UNH Library, as well as digital newspaper databases, this project investigates how profanity was framed as a threat to civic virtue, and how anti-profanity activism mirrored the goals and methods of other Progressive-Era …

Lincoln, Slavery, And Race: Tracking Change Over Time, Charles C. Clow-Levesque

GLI MA in American History Student Works

Abraham Lincoln's views on African slavery and race changed over time.

Defying Conscription: The Social, Political, And Military Consequences Of Draft Evasion In The Union And Confederacy, Orlando R. Pagan

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This research paper examines draft evasion during the American Civil War as a reflection of deep social, economic, and political divides within the Union and Confederacy. It argues that draft resistance stemmed not from individual cowardice but structural inequalities and resentment among the poor and working class. Wealthy citizens could evade service through legal mechanisms like commutation fees, fueling the perception of the war as a “rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.”

Drawing on primary and secondary sources from scholars like David Williams and Stephanie McCurry, the paper analyzes events such as the New York City Draft Riots …

We Are The War: The Evolution Of Black Military Service In The Department Of The South, Richard P. Condon

GLI MA in American History Student Works

During the waning months of 1861 a joint operation between the United States Army and Navy forced wealthy white planters and Confederate troops from the Sea Islands of South Carolina. The Battle of Port Royal Sound, better known as the day of the “Big Gun Shoot” by the local enslaved population, marked the beginning of a new era; the transition from a slave society to a free one. Within months the liberating army expanded their footprint in the Deep South, moving inland toward the port cities of Charleston and Savannah. Limited access to additional troops, however, necessitated the recruitment of …

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1860-1862 The Effects Of Military Occupation On Unionist And Secessionist Convictions, Riley P. Bogema

GLI MA in American History Student Works

Local histories of Civil War occupation provide a human face to the larger history of the American Civil War. The interactions between citizens and outside occupiers furnishes greater clarity and revelations on the human cost of conflict. It also presents greater evidence, either supportive or not, on broader arguments expressed in scholarly works on the Civil War. This work examines how prior attitudes towards the Unionism and secessionism were provoked during the process of military occupation. It argues that in the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the citizens’ allegiances and relationships were challenged by the occupation of both Union and Confederate …

The Overlooked Civil Rights Movement In South Carolina, Brooks R. Hammett

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This paper examines the overlooked but critical role of South Carolina in the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the contributions of student-led activism, landmark legal cases, and influential grassroots leaders. Focusing on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Claflin University, Allen University, Benedict College, South Carolina State University, and the Avery Institute, the study explores how students catalyzed local movements through sit-ins, marches, and organized protests. It also investigates the legal and social ramifications of desegregation efforts following Brown v. Board of Education, including the resistance from public institutions and the emergence of segregation academies. Key civil rights events—such as …

Hidden Gems In The Cops/Metro Archival Collection, Qiuying Chen

Posters - 2025

This student poster was created for the 5th annual Research Showcase at St. Mary's University. From the poster:

University of Texas in San Antonio’s Special Collections has boxes upon boxes of COPS/Metro archival records which include rarely-known stories including these about a United Nations award, nationwide documentaries, and an inspiring bishop. In this project, it is my goal to uncover these special memories.

Piecing Together The Past: Documenting The Philanthropic History Of Lincoln’S Arts And Culture, Audrey L. Ellis

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project explores the creation of a book chapter discussing the history of philanthropy in Lincoln, Nebraska, focusing on its impact on arts and culture. The chapter will be published in Fall 2025 by the Lincoln Community Foundation. By documenting philanthropy in the arts and culture spaces, this book and chapter hope to inspire further giving by showcasing the benefit that has been reaped through giving. Through research of public records and a series of interviews, this chapter examines Lincoln’s key donors and arts organizations from the mid-19th century to the present. This project explores the process and key takeaways …

A Quarter Century Of Scholarship: Trends In The St Mary’S Law Scholar’S Journal, Trenton Boudreaux

Capstone Projects

This project catalogs the trends of the articles published in The Scholar: St Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice. Over its 25-year history, The Scholar has published 26 volumes discussing issues related specifically to minority and social justice issues. The project catalogs the topics covered in the volumes, and explores this data for historical trends. The project posts these results on the St. Mary’s Law School History page and provides historical context for some of the topics covered. This information provides a valuable resource for researchers into The Scholar as a publication.

Getting Engaged: Public Engagement Quiz For “Unity In Action” At Saaacam, Terry Pohl

Capstone Projects

I developed the Getting Engaged Capstone Project in partnership with the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) and their new Museum. The primary purpose of this project is to provide the “Unity in Action,” room, the first exhibit in the final hall of the SAAACAM Museum, with materials to support its cause. This project is dedicated to doing virtually what the “Unity in Action” room is trying to do in person – to send the audience out into the world with a tangible project they can participate in that will help create positive change in the community …

A City Divided: Norfolk, Virginia And Public Higher Education In The Era Of Desegregation, John Edward Wiley V

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the 1978 suggested merger of predominantly white Old Dominion University and historically Black Norfolk State College (now Norfolk State University), two neighboring public higher education institutions. That year the Federal Department of Housing, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and the Office for Civil Rights (ORC) claimed that the two universities offered nine duplicative degree programs. According to HEW and the OCR, this duplication was a violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in all public institutions receiving federal aid. The duplication also represented the last vestiges of Jim Crow segregation in the …

La Música Que Nos Une: Prácticas Y Expresiones Musicales Rurales De Tracidión Oral, Rosa Delia Acosta León, Ana Betina Morgante Combariza, Manuel Fernando Merchán Bernal, Juan Manuel Urrego Laurin

Ciencias Sociales, Humanidades y Ciencias Políticas

La Música que nos une surge como una herramienta de mediación cultural concebido como producto del proyecto de investigación Etnomusicología de expresiones musicales rurales de tradición oral cundinamarquesas como elementos de educación y cultura, desarrollado por el programa de Música de la Universidad de Cundinamarca. Su propósito es reconocer y preservar las prácticas musicales de los artistas regionales, así como sus historias de vida para contribuir a la preservación de la identidad cultural de las nuevas generaciones de la región. establecer conexiones significativas entre el material recopilado durante el trabajo de campo, enfocado en las prácticas musicales. de los artistas …

Katharine Drexel And The Sisters Who Shared Her Vision, Annie Huey

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Laboratories Of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call From Behind The Lines, Neal Allen, Philip Pfeiffer

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Making A Way Out Of No Way, Walter W. Hill Jr.

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, March 27, 2025, Kate Horan, Renee Washart, Xazlee Carroll-Smith, Caitlin Cunnane, Emily Veasey, Adam Denn, Jesse Cherone

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Stand Up for Science Rally • Parlee Center Receives $3.2 Million Gift • Nowruz, the Persian New Year Celebration • Ritter Refresh • Breaking Biology Barriers • Opinion: "Who Are You, the Fashion Police?" • Wonderful Winter Stars! • Baseball's Successful Spring

The Ravine Of Memory: Babyn Yar Between The Holocaust And The Great Patriotic War, Shay A. Pilnik

Purdue University Press Books

The Nazis and their collaborators buried over 100,000 victims at Babyn Yar, a ravine in modern-day Ukraine. Most of the individuals were Jewish, making this area one of the most infamous mass murder sites in history. The Ravine of Memory starts when the travesty ends, telling the story of the ravine’s memory and forgetting in Soviet literature and culture—in Russian as well as in Yiddish. This book challenges the prevailing binary conceptions of Babyn Yar as exclusively a Holocaust or a “Great Patriotic War” story. It is neither the exclusive product of Soviet censorship nor individual dissidents. Babyn Yar is …

المعتقدات الشعبية الفلسطينية حول مزارات الأشجار المقدسة ودورها في الاستشفاء حتى مطلع القرن العشرين - دراسة تاريخية تراثية, عامر أحمد عبد الله القبج

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال إلى تسليط الضوء على المعتقدات الشعبية والطقوس المرتبطة بمعالجة الأمراض والوقاية منها، بوساطة مزارات الأشجار المقدسة في فلسطين حتى مطلع القرن العشرين. فاشتمل على تأصيل ميثولوجي لظاهرة الأشجار المقدسة، من حيث أصلها ومدلولات مصطلحاتها، وعالميتها، وعلاقتها بالاستشفاء، ثم تناول بشكل موسع الطقوس التي مارسها الفلسطيني للتخلص من الأمراض، بالاعتماد على القوة الروحية والمادية التي وفرتها له تلك الأشجار. وأفاد البحث من عديد من المصادر التاريخية العربية والأجنبية، وفي مقدمتها كتابات الرحالة والجغرافيين والإثنوغرافيين المعاصرين لفترة موضوعه. واتكأ على المنهج التاريخي الوصفي والتحليلي. وأظهرت نتائجه أن الاستشفاء بالأشجار المقدسة ظاهرة عالمية وجدت لها حيزا في فلسطين؛ امتدادا للموروث الديني …

The Grizzly, March 6, 2025, Kate Horan, Jesse Cherone, Ashley Adam, Nathaniel Nerone, Saher Khan, Sidney Belleroche, Adam Denn

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Bears' Basketball Season Comes to an End • Tidbits About Title IX • Bears Together Strong • Saher on the Modern Rainbow Scare • Fundamentals • Opinions: Ranking Dining Options on Campus • Gymnastics Looks to Finish Strong! • Women's Wrestling Ready to Rumble

Carter County Veterans, Rhonda Sparks P'Simer, Kaitlyn P'Simer

County Histories of Kentucky

Veterans in the Sparks, Tackett, Roak, and P'Simer families in Carter County, Kentucky.

P'Simer Genealogy, Kaitlyn P'Simer

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of the P'Simer family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Anarcho-Syndicalism In The Negaunee Branch Of The Finnish Socialist Association, Michael P. Selwa

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

Socialism reached a prominence as a movement in the United States during the early 20th century. Fueled by the machinations of industrial capitalism and labor reform, many workers, immigrants, and other individuals would arrive to the precepts of socialism, a political movement avowing to shirk the constraints of capitalism on the proletariat. Specifically, the question of why and how labor unions should function in a socialist society was a central tenet of debate within the faction of the American Socialist Party. The central question of this article is to examine why anarcho-syndicalists argued against traditional socialist reformist arguments in the …

Making Waves: Depression Era Violent Crime In The Upper Peninsula And The United States, Zoe Jancek

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

The Great Depression overlaps with several other important historical eras, all of which had their own impact on crime. This study looks at stressors throughout the decade of the Great Depression to attempt to understand how they affect people and therefore, how they affect the amount of violent crimes committed in both a broad and specific sense. Using statistics and historical accounts, this research analyzes topics such as culture, mental and physical health, substance abuse, gangs, and the effects of Prohibition. The fluctuations can be attributed to economic, social, and cultural factors such as Prohibition and the rise of organized …

The March Of The Naples Soldier: A Look Into The Spanish Flu Pandemic 1918-1920, Javier Pena Reyes

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

This paper dives into the memory of Spanish Influenza from 1918 to 1920. It will analyze and deconstruct the fear caused or absent during that time and later in the records and literature. The comparison of the time of the Spanish Flu will be contrasted with the memory of the time period with the including of Pale Horse, Pale Rider, which was written in 1939. It will compare these two times and conclude with the recent COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021.

It was November 2019, and reports of a new respiratory disease from Wuhan, China, began to trickle …