United States History Commons^™

Iii.A.2 Displacement & Barriers To Home Ownership, Kim Rostan, Bria Harper, Jim Neighbors, Mark Byrnes

Crafting Democratic Futures

This document explains how systemic racism and discriminatory policies from the Civil War & Reconstruction period through the 20th century prevented African Americans in Spartanburg from building wealth through land ownership and home equity. It details barriers such as Black Codes, sharecropping, convict leasing, exclusion from New Deal programs, discriminatory housing policies, and urban renewal projects that displaced Black neighborhoods without providing equitable opportunities for economic advancement.

Iii.B.2 Educational Barriers, Kim Rostan, Bria Harper, Rylee Jorgensen

Crafting Democratic Futures

The document examines how historical segregation and systemic racism have shaped educational disparities in Spartanburg County, highlighting persistent inequities in school resources, teacher pay, and student outcomes. It concludes that these historical barriers continue to influence academic performance and post-secondary enrollment, with schools serving more diverse populations often facing lower proficiency rates despite high graduation rates.

Iii.F.2 Safety And Security, Kimberly Rostan, Bria Harper, Jim Neighbors

Crafting Democratic Futures

The document details the persistent and systemic violence against Black people in Spartanburg County from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights era, highlighting the role of groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Red Shirts in enforcing white supremacy through terror, intimidation, and murder. It emphasizes that this continuous threat of violence created lasting psychological trauma and served as a major barrier to economic and social progress for Black communities.

Healing Communities With Police Divestment: Seeking Abolition Through Transformative Reform And Community-Government Collaboration, Jessica E. Gillson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concerns about the efficacy and sustainability of the U.S. carceral system have persisted throughout the country’s history, recently fueling renewed activism and bipartisan calls for reform. However, proposed solutions remain divisive. This thesis first defines the current status of our prison systems, then explores collaborative alternatives to incarceration and policing that support communities and break cycles of incarceration.

Focusing on partnerships among local governments, community organizations, justice-involved individuals, and law enforcement, this study examines holistic approaches to crime prevention, reentry, and reintegration. Using an interdisciplinary framework incorporating restorative justice, community resilience, and systems theory, it investigates how community-based strategies can …

The Black Panther Party: From Militancy To Social Activism, De'andre Brown Jr.

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

This research project examines the ways in which the Black Panther Party (BPP) was negatively portrayed by the media and targeted by the government from the moment of the organization's inception in 1966. The BPP’s shift in rhetoric style from militancy to social activism is emphasized by examining the organization’s “survival” programs, such as the Free Breakfast Programs, Free Health Clinics, and Education Programs, and their impact on black communities around the country. Past scholarly opinions about the BPP were driven by a fear from white America toward the organization’s aggressive style of protest and social activism. The government looked …

4h Nr 3122 Fusiller Regiment Von Knyphausen, Trenton, New Jersey, 1782, Johannes Schwalm Historical Association

Schwalm Marburg Files

No abstract provided.

Nuclear Reactions: Making Sense Of The Accident At Three Mile Island, Jordan Emily Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the causes and consequences of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in March of 1979. First detailing the event, this thesis then examines activist narratives following the accident, with a particular focus on women’s “motherist” activism in the community outside the plant, before turning to questions of memory and the creation of a public memory of survivorship in the community surrounding the plant. In considering these questions, this thesis seeks to shed light on the differences between official and communal narratives of the accident in an effort to understand the impacts that the partial meltdown at …

Unveiling Legacies: Exploring And Analyzing Cultural Artifacts In The Higbee Collection, Samantha Staller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anthropology and the Cummings Center to find ways to properly analyze an archaeological collection's artifacts to understand the overall significance of everything better. Before starting my research, I came up with the following questions: Can any artifacts be considered culturally affiliated? Is everything in the collection authentic? What is the overall background of the collection? Does this collection have any connection to Ohio history? Can anything in the collection be dated? Throughout the research, I will create an Excel inventory list to include qualitative and quantitative data from the artifacts to give insight into what is included in the Higbee …

Into Eternity: Legacy Of The Saint Patrick's Battalion, Preston S. Dyess

2025 Symposium

“The Saint Patrick’s Battalion” was a rogue unit of Irish-Catholic soldiers who deserted from the U.S. Army shortly before or during the Mexican-American War. Disillusioned by their mistreatment in the American army, they found common ground with the Mexican people over their shared faith and national story. John Riley, the battalion’s eventual leader, deserted shortly before the war broke out and was captured by Mexican forces. After some convincing, he was given a commission by Mexican General Pedro de Ampudia and instructed to raise a company of fellow deserters. The unit served courageously, garnering praise and honor in the eyes …

The Green Agent: Detroit's Urban Agriculture, Lydia Bonney

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This paper examines the role that urban agriculture has played in the lives of the citizens of Detroit throughout its history. By using newspaper articles, books, scholarly journals, websites, and one self-conducted interview, this essay explores several Detroit urban agriculture programs. Analysis of past successes and failures of urban agriculture programs shows how investing in urban agriculture today may address many similar problems Detroit faces. Thanks to the city’s unique landscape, community, and spatial disparity, Detroit has the potential to become a world leader in urban agriculture.

The Grateful Dead: An Imperfect Symbol Of The Hippie Movement, Vanessa Sharfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The emergence of the band, the Grateful Dead, took San Francisco by storm in the 1960s as the hippie counterculture movement increased in popularity in the United States. The Grateful Dead’s career spanned thirty years from 1965 to the passing of their lead singer, Jerry Garcia in 1995. My work will focus on the political and social context of the 1960s and 1970s because the time period was shaped by major political issues and events that influenced the ideologies of the various protest movements such the Free Speech Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and controversial topics such as the Hell’s …

Victory Gardens: Helping On The Home Front, A Curriculum Outreach Project, Kelly Hoomes

Master's Theses

The Victory Garden: Helping on the Homefront traveling trunk outreach project links past, present, and future by introducing students to the historical significance of World War II victory gardens and emphasizing the continued relevance today. Partnering with Kennesaw State University’s Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE), the traveling trunk focuses on a fifth-grade audience, aligning with Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies, Health, and Science. The traveling trunk designed as a “museum-in-a-box" includes primary sources, artifacts, and a practical gardening activity that fosters critical thinking and analysis. By encouraging an understanding of the past and the connections to …

Book Review Of The First Lady Of Dirt: The Triumphs And Tragedy Of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass. By Bill Poehler. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024., Douglas Stark

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Bibliography For "Code Talkers Display", Arianna Tillman, Arianna Tillman, Isabella Piechota

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about Code Talkers at the Leatherby Libraries during November 2024 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

0892: The Gregg Family Papers, 1940-2024, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Anna Catherine “Kay” Kelly Gregg was born in 1920 in Dawson, West Virginia, to Aldridge James Kelly and Mary Leah Lowry. She was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, alongside her four siblings: James Thompson Kelly, Franklin C. Kelly, Bonna Kelly Paul, and Jeanette W. Kelly Scheerer. Kay enrolled at Marshall College in 1940 and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Teachers College on September 12, 1944.

Harrison “Harry” Humphreys Gregg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Daniel B. Gregg and Rebecca Humphreys. He attended the University of Cincinnati and later met Kay Kelly while visiting Huntington. The two …

Interview With Cristina Sayegh (2024-10-17)

Latino Virginia Oral History Project

Cristina Sayegh shared her multicultural background, detailing her mother's Colombian roots and her father's Palestinian roots with an upbringing in Kuwait. She moved frequently during her childhood, living in Florida, Dubai, and Virginia. Cristina attended Langley High School in McLean and is currently studying at VCU, majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Social Justice and a double major in Sculpture. She discussed her religious upbringing, her family's relocation from overseas to Florida, and then Virginia. In addition Cristina reflects on her experiences with the Latin community in NOVA and Richmond. Cristina also discusses her solo trip to Colombia …

Federal Election Commission And Indiana Secretary Of State Campaign Finance Information Resoures, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This presentation covers campaign finance information resources produced by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Indiana Secretary of State. It describes how these agencies began, details how they oversee and regulate U.S. federal and Indiana state elections, and documents contributions made by individuals, organizations, political parties, and political action committees to individual candidates and organizations. Reporting documentation on these election races is also included.

Your History Department & America 250, Christy L. Spurlock

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

"Your History Department and America 250," a presentation made at the Ohio Valley History Conference, hosted by Austin Peay State University.

Dr. Christy Spurlock, Education Curator at the KY Museum, has hosted several America 250 programs and offers practical suggestions for history departments wanting to host programming.

Cramped, Narrow, And Overfilled: What Drove The Renovation Of Rochester’S Can Of Worms In March 1989, Declan S. Morrow

The Exposition

Constructed in the 1960s and rebuilt in the 1980s, the I-490 Interchange situated east of Rochester, New York was a source of constant controversy by the motorists who used the freeway to journey from the suburbs where they lived to the downtown districts where they worked. This infamous interchange became known to Rochesterarians as “the Can of Worms” because of its winding ramps and narrow roads that would often leave those who traversed it confused and at the mercy of other drivers if they had not already experienced its design. To explain why this freeway was so terrible to drive …

Monuments And Memorials On Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland Afb, Sarah L. Neal

Capstone Projects

The capstone project, Monuments and Memorials on Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland AFB, seeks to document and analyze the monuments and memorials that honor the legacy, achievements, and sacrifices of the U.S. Air Force community. Lackland Air Force Base, a cornerstone of military training and history, holds an array of memorials that capture the essence of military service, from historical milestones to individual acts of valor. This project aims to create a comprehensive resource that not only preserves the history represented by each monument but also serves as an interpretive guide for future generations. The decision to focus on these …

Book Review - Black Folk: The Roots Of The Black Working Class, Michael Bean

LWLC Faculty Research

Blair Kelley's Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class offers a comprehensive examination of the experiences of working-class African Americans from the Reconstruction era to contemporary times. The book challenges prevailing stereotypes associated with the working class, particularly the imagery that often excludes black Americans, and emphasizes their central role in labor movements and the quest for dignity in work. Through extensive historical research and personal narratives, Kelley highlights the struggles faced by newly emancipated African Americans, who encountered devaluation of their labor and systemic discrimination in the workforce. The narrative intertwines individual stories with broader themes of …

Los Tecolotes: Chicana And Chicano Studies: Reflections On The Past For The Future, Jaime S. Cruz, Juan Gómez-Quiñones, Teresa Mckenna, Ernesto B. Vigil, Irene Vásquez, Alvaro Huerta, José Ángel Gutiérrez, Blanca Gordo, Minnie Ferguson, Marcos Aguilar, Devra Weber, Elias Serna, Steven Castro

Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal

This texts documents a panel organized on August 20, 2019, that included Chicana/o educators, activist, and supporters of Chicana/o Studies attended the “Los Tecolotes – Chicana and Chicano Studies: Reflection on the Past who participated in the Future” symposium at Virginia Avenue Park in Santa Monica. The event sought to bring attention to the social, political, and educational challenges the Chicana/o community has and is presently encountering. The symposium was also organized to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the Chicana/o Moratorium and to share recent findings related to the assassination of Los Angeles Times journalist and KMEX correspondent …

River City Blues: The Quest For Municipal Home Rule & Economic Security In St. Louis, Josef Wibbenmeyer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Great Divorce in St. Louis, the separation of the City and County of St. Louis in 1876 is one of the most impactful events in the region’s history. Most people will think of the Great Divorce in simple terms like "The County didn't like the City." or "The City didn't want to pay tax money that went to the County alone." Few, however, go further and ask why. Why didn't the City want to pay taxes to the County? The answer is economics. I found in my research compelling evidence that the City leadership believed that the municipal relationship …

Gladys Mitchell House Collection, Dan Bonenberger, Jaclyn Panter, Katherine St. Amand, Ian Tomashik, Kate Zorn

Digital Heritage Preservation Collection

This collection explores the life of Gladys Mitchell and the home she shared with her family on Detroit's Eastside. Gladys and her husband, Ossian Sweet, lived with her parents Benjamin and Rosella in a residence on 9322-24 Cairney Street from 1922 to 1925 before moving to the now-historic bungalow at 2905 Garland Street, located about a mile southeast. In 1925, when the Sweets moved into an all-white neighborhood, their experience led to a landmark Supreme Court case that affirmed African Americans' rights to homeownership, including the right to defend their private property.

Benjamin Mitchell and his wife, Rosella, rented the …

No Back Door: Integrating Wofford College, 1964-1994, Dwain C. Pruitt

Library Exhibits

This exhibit explores the first 30 years of racial integration at Wofford College. It is made possible in part by a Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education “Reframing the Institutional Saga” grant supported by the Council of Independent Colleges and the Lilly Endowment.

Archetypal Energies And Global Mental Health, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

As a keynote speaker at the Global Mental Health Conference 2024, held at Sophia University, Costa Mesa, CA, in-person and virtually, August 16-18, 2024, my topic was "Archetypal Energies As A Framework for Self-Empowerment and Well Being". The theme of this 2024 global conference was: Enlightened Minds, Compassionate Hearts, and Embodied Wisdom. To supplement my keynote address, I wrote this blog article titled "Archetypal Energies and Global Mental Health".

Morgan County - W. Lynn Nickell Collection Inventory & Finding Aid, Dieter C. Ullrich

County Histories of Kentucky

An Inventory & Finding Aid for the W. Lynn Nickell Collection housed at the Morgan County Public Library in West Liberty, Kentucky. For more information on how to access the collection contact [email protected] or call (606) 743-4151.

The Impact Of H. L. Hunt's Contribution To The East Texas Oil Boom: Exhibit Planning And Fabrication, Ashley N. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The East Texas Oil Boom was a major event in Texas history that elevated the oil industry in Texas to new levels. It brought new jobs, and a new style of work and living to the state. The boom attracted businessmen such as H. L. Hunt and Clint Murchison. H. L. Hunt was a prominent figure in the East Texas Oil Boom, who established a multifaceted corporation and influenced statewide legislation for hot oil and proration. Hunt, who chose to make money at any cost, was often viewed as untrustworthy and deceptive but his business practices were lucrative, and he …

Sexual Surveillance: Morality Policing Of Greeks And Italians In The Early 20th Century, Isabella Ferrell

Digital Legal Research Lab

The Petitioning for Freedom Project under Dr. Jagodinsky is a database of habeas corpus use in the West. It examines legal action by marginalized individuals. This project focuses on how Greek and Italian petitioners used habeas to challenge sexual policing in a xenophobic context.

Research poster titled Sexual Surveillance: Morality Policing of Greeks and Italians in the Early 20th Century; presented via the Digital Legal Research Lab NSF REU Site, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, August 2024.

Advisors: Katrina Jagodinsky and William Thomas

The Harding Brothers And Underage Enlistment In The Age Of American Expansion, 1851–1857, Ryan Minton

Digital Legal Research Lab

The Petitioning for Freedom Project is an NSF funded database project that seeks to collect and encode carceral, institutional, and interpersonal habeas corpus petitions from county, state, and federal courts all throughout the American West.

This research project explores and analyzes the twenty-four habeas corpus petitions that were submitted between 1851 and 1857 to the Saint Louis County Law Commissioners Office to challenge the enlistment of underage recruits stationed at Jefferson Barracks.

Research poster titled The Harding Brothers and Underage Enlistment in the Age of American Expansion, 1851–1857; presented via the Digital Legal Research Lab NSF REU Site, University of …