United States History Commons^™

Music And Race In The American West, William Steven Schneider

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the complexities of race relations in the nineteenth century American West. The groups considered here are African Americans, Anglo Americans, Chinese, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. In recent decades historians of the West have begun to tell the narratives of racial minorities. This study adopts the aims of these scholars through a new lens--music. Ultimately, this thesis argues that historians can use music, both individual songs and broader conceptions about music, to understand the complex and contradictory race relations of the nineteenth century west.

Proceeding thematically, the first chapter explores the ways Anglo Americans used music to …

Book Review Of, Embracing A Western Identity: Jewish Oregonians, 1849 - 1950 By Ellen Eisenberg, Natan M. Meir

Judaic Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Natan M. Meir is the Chair of the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University. Here he reviews the book "Embracing a Western Identity: Jewish Oregonians, 1849 - 1950" by Ellen Eisenberg.

The Earliest American Map Of The Northwest Coast: John Hoskins's A Chart Of The Northwest Coast Of America Sketched On Board The Ship Columbia Rediviva ... 1791 & 1792, James V. Walker, William L. Lang

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Between 1790 and 1793, John Hoskins created a map of the Northwest Coast of North America that included ninety-one place names documenting Native communities. The map is the earliest example of such detailed documentation by an American and was rediscovered in 1852 at the Cartographic Archives Division of the National Archives and Records Administration. In this research article, James Walker and William Lang provide a historical context for the map, including comparative charts that break down the Native names that Hoskins documented into seven cultural groups. According to Walker and Lang, the map “opens a window to what American traders …

Book Review Of, Fur Trade Gamble: North West Company On The Pacific Slope, 1800-1820 By Lloyd Keith And John C. Jackson, William L. Lang

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Notable Women Of Portland, Tracy J. Prince, Zadie Schaffer

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The story of Portland, Oregon, like much of history, has usually been told with a focus on male leaders. This book offers a reframing of Portland’s history--starting from 10,000 years of Native American women, to pioneer women, to women of the Progressive Era, WWI, WWII, post-war women, and chapters on Women in the Arts and Women in Politics. Many women made their mark and radically changed the Oregon frontier, including Native Americans Polly Johnson and Josette Nouette; pioneers Minerva Carter and Charlotte Terwilliger; doctors Marie Equi, Mary Priscilla Avery Sawtelle, and Bethina Owens-Adair; artists Eliza Barchus and Lily E. White; …

Working-Class Black Women’S Role In Building And Sustaining Black Communities In The Pacific Northwest, Tessara G. Dudley

Student Research Symposium

In response to the scholarly focus on the historical racism of the Pacific Northwest, this research attempts to answer the question of how Black communities have persisted in the face of discrimination. This study is a historical examination of the roles that Black women have played in building and sustaining Black communities within predominantly white regions, with a specific focus on the Portland-Vancouver area during and after World War II. This work focuses on the activities of working class Black women, a significant proportion of Black women migrating to the Pacific Northwest during World War II, examining their community-building activities …

Progressive Era Aftermath-Analysis Of Municipal Housekeeping: Bertha K. Landes And Dorothy Mccullough Lee, Mary Potter

Young Historians Conference

Municipal housekeeping in America arose after the fall of the progressive era. The nation faced political corruption, high crime rates, and civic disarray. Elite clubwomen took it upon themselves to step forward and clean up their communities. In the Pacific Northwest, Bertha Landes and Dorothy McCullough Lee were two of the most influential municipal housekeepers. Bertha Landes was mayor of Seattle in 1926 and Dorothy Lee was mayor of Portland in 1949. Both mayors fought gender bias and prejudice while cleaning up their city’s streets and morals. From 1926 to 1949, the fundamentals behind municipal housekeeping did not change, but …

Paving The Pathway For Loving V. Virginia, Maia L. Insinga

Young Historians Conference

Interracial marriage laws have burdened jubilant couples throughout America’s history, making the stories of those that fought against the unjust laws a necessary topic of research. This paper discusses the history of Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court case that repealed all remaining interracial marriage laws on April 10, 1967, when the Court sided with the Loving couple. The credit of this event cannot be given entirely to the Lovings and their lawyers appeals to the Supreme Court, therefore this paper reviews supplementary events, court cases, research and media influences that paved the pathway to the ultimate decision of Loving …

An Examination Of Franz Edmund Creffield And The Holy Rollers, 1900-1907, Sophie Koh

Young Historians Conference

This paper outlines the story of a religious cult from Corvallis referred to as the “Holy Rollers” and led by Franz Edmund Creffield. I researched the causes for his followers’ behavior from 1900 to 1907, relating the investigation to the press, people, and social roles surrounding the sect. Because his following was dominantly female, hysteria was the popular argument during the early twentieth century. To explore these claims, I researched the possibility of insanity in these women and why they may have agreed to all of Creffield’s ridiculous demands, as well as why the public responded the way they did.

Parks, People, And Property Values: The Changing Role Of Green Spaces In Antebellum Manhattan, Catherine Mcneur

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

The role that parks played in Manhattan changed dramatically during the antebellum period. Originally dismissed as unnecessary on an island embraced by rivers, parks became a tool for real estate development and gentrification in the 1830s. By the 1850s, politicians, journalists, and landscape architects believed Central Park could be a social salve for a city with rising crime rates, increasingly visible poverty, and deepening class divisions. While many factors (public health, the psychological need for parks, and property values) would remain the same, the changing social conversation showed how ideas of public space were transforming, in rhetoric if not reality.

Charles A. Moose: Race, Community Policing, And Portland's First African American Police Chief, Douglas Jon Kenck-Crispin

Dissertations and Theses

In 1993, Charles Moose became Portland, Oregon's first black police chief. A nationally recognized student of the developing theories of community policing, Chief Moose's promotion was also hoped to help strengthen the diversity of the Portland Police Bureau. Ultimately, Portlanders were unable to look past Moose's public outbursts and demeanor and recognize his accomplishments. As a city, they missed an opportunity.

This thesis uses transcripts of speeches and policy papers to present some political history to the reader, but also letters to the mayor's office, letters to the editor and the like to consider the social history of 1990's Portland. …

Seeing The Forest For The Roads: Auto-Tourism And Wilderness Preservation In Mount Hood National Forest, 1913-64, Taylor Elliott Rose

Dissertations and Theses

Between 1913 and 1964, automobile roads appeared throughout the Cascade Mountains around Mount Hood, just east of Portland, Oregon. From elaborate scenic highways to primitive dirt trails, each had its own story. Many of them are gone today, decommissioned and decomposing with the rotting understory soil of the forest. However, some remain as the most utilized spaces in Mount Hood National Forest, one of the most popular public land units for recreation in the country, owned and managed by the United States Forest Service. "Seeing the Forest for the Roads" uncovers the history of why roads were built, who planned …

"On This, We Shall Build": The Struggle For Civil Rights In Portland, Oregon 1945-1953, Justin Legrand Vipperman

Dissertations and Theses

Generally, Oregon historians begin Portland Civil Rights history with the development of Vanport and move quickly through the passage of the state's public accommodations law before addressing the 1960s and 70s. Although these eras are ripe with sources and contentious experiences, 1945 to 1953 provide a complex struggle for civil rights in Portland, Oregon. This time period demonstrates the rise of local leaders, wartime racial tensions, and organizational efforts used to combat inequality. 1945 marked a watershed moment in Portland Civil Rights history exhibiting intergroup collaboration and interracial cooperation converging to eventually provide needed legislation. Although discrimination continued after 1953, …

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline Of Columbia River Basin Salmon, Samuel J. Levin

Young Historians Conference

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline of Columbia River Basin Salmon studies the near extinction of what has been historically the world’s largest salmon population. By examining the issue systemically, my paper reveals that the environmental misjudgments that have brought the salmon so near extinction are not isolated, but rather are the product of cultural trends. A study of these misjudgments reveals a culture within the Columbia Basin that has, since the mid-19^th century, sought expansion for expansion’s sake and valued short-term wealth over long-term sustainability. My paper illustrates how his philosophy has guided and continues to guide Columbia Basin …

Edith Wilson And The Treaty Of Versailles, Ceili Janae Charley

Young Historians Conference

Edith boiling Wilson used her position as First Lady to assume presidential powers, including making executive decisions. She was the single most important non-elected presidential advisor of all time. This paper describes Edith’s growing political involvement, the decisions she made after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke in October, 1919, and the impact of her decisions on the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.

Crisis In Education -- The Effect Of The Cold War On The American Education System, Spencer C.J. Gregg

Young Historians Conference

The Cold War era had a dramatic impact on the American educational system. Striving to demonstrate superiority over Soviet counterparts, new curriculum were developed to prepare the American youth intellectually, emotionally, and technologically to position the U.S. as a world power. With the American public polarized whether schools were a venue for the dissemination of national ideologies or institutions for the development of critical thinking; world events including nuclear warfare, space exploration, and military preparedness served as catalysts for the development of future citizens that would effectively contribute to the intellectual and technological growth of the nation.

Print Media In The Cold War, Madeline Chu

Young Historians Conference

This investigation evaluates the degree to which print media propaganda in America reflected its anti-Communist ideologies during the early years of the Cold War. Specifically, the decade following the end of World War II in 1945 is examined. The messages, mediums, and subjects addressed of four images are analyzed in order to determine the degree to which they embody anti-Communist sentiments. These four pieces include a Time magazine cover from 1950, a comic book cover, a page of a Life magazine fashion article, and an advertisement by Radio Free Europe. Through these images, a conclusion was reached that while anti-Communist …

The Effects Of Imperialism On The Us: 1899-1902, Logan Marek

Young Historians Conference

This paper focuses on the Philippine-American conflict that occurred in the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. It investigates the instances in which imperialism were justified by the American people. The Philippine-American war was a conflict that brought the morality of traditional American values into question. Americans were forced to face a backlash of rebel resistance on the islands as well as anti-imperialist movements at home. This war defined not only America as a world power, but as a symbol. It paved the road for the century of Americanism to come.

A Bridge Across The Pacific: A Study Of The Shifting Relationship Between Portland And The Far East, Michael Todd Gagle

Dissertations and Theses

After Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, both Japan and China sought the support of America. There has been a historical assumption that, starting with the hostilities in 1931, the Japanese were maligned in American public opinion. Consequently, the assumption has been made that Americans supported the Chinese without reserve during their conflict with Japan in the 1930s.

The aim of this study is to question the accuracy of that assumption in the case of Portland, Oregon. An analysis of newspapers and print material specifically focusing on Japan and China from before the conflict reveal that the general American opinion of …

Model Lessons About Geography And Teaching With Primary Sources, Mary Arnold, Tabitha M. Richards, Helen Peynado, Licinia Stoian, Emily Pahlke, Alison Norton, Melanie A. Mays, Deidre Pribula, Deborah Jones, Mason Mahaffie, Emily Veale, Kerry Zambrano, Scott Bailon, Elena Kavanaugh, Stephanie Burns, Delia Wallis

Instructional Materials

Model Lessons for Teaching with Primary Sources to use with The Student Atlas of Oregon.

Empires Of The Turning Tide: A History Of Lewis And Clark National Historical Park And The Columbia-Pacific Region, Douglas Deur

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This book illuminates the history of the many people who together have called this region home, and their relationships with the park landscapes, waters, and natural resources that continue to set the Columbia-Pacific region apart.

Questions Of Citizenship: Oregonian Reactions To Japanese Immigrants' Quest For Naturalization Rights In The United States, 1894-1952, Alison Leigh Jessie

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the discrimination against Japanese immigrants in U.S. naturalization law up to 1952 and how it was covered in the Oregonian newspaper, one of the oldest and most widely read newspapers on the West Coast. The anti-Japanese movement was much larger in California, but this paper focuses on the attitudes in Oregon, which at times echoed sentiments in California but at other times conveyed support for Japanese naturalization. Naturalization laws at the turn of the century were vague, leaving the task of defining who was white, and thus eligible for naturalization, to the courts. Japanese applicants were often …

Centralia, Collective Memory, And The Tragedy Of 1919, Shawn T. Daley

Dissertations and Theses

The Centralia Tragedy of 1919 has been represented in numerous works over the course of the past 100 years. The vast majority of them concern the events of the day of the Tragedy, November 11, 1919, and whether a small group of Wobblies – members of a union group known as the International Workers of the World (I.W.W.) – opened fire on a group of parading American Legionnaires. This particular element, whether or not the Wobblies opened fire on the Legionnaires or the Legionnaires actually charged the hall where the Wobblies were staying, has generated significant concern in academic and …

A Town On Fire: The Copperfield Affair Of 1914, Daniel Joseph Shepard

Dissertations and Theses

In 1914, Copperfield, Oregon was militarily occupied by order of the governor, Oswald West. Its town government was deposed, the city officials were arrested, and the town's saloons were closed and all liquor and gambling devices were seized. The town, previous to Governor West's interdiction, had seen a breakdown into violence and arson between two competing saloon cliques. The resulting martial law of Copperfield and subsequent court battles between the governor and Copperfield's saloonkeepers would become known as the Copperfield Affair.

The purpose of this study is to explain how and why the Copperfield Affair happened. The event which precipitated …

Book Review Of, Black Woman Reformer: Ida B. Wells, Lynching, And Transatlantic Activism, Patricia A. Schechter

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book by Sarah L. Silkey. "Black Woman Reformer: Ida B. Wells, Lynching, and Transatlantic Activism". Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2015.

A Howl Of Free Expression: The 1957 Howl Obscenity Trial And Sexual Liberation, Jamie L. Rehlaender

Young Historians Conference

The 1957 “Howl” obscenity trial, which covered the constitutionality of utilizing obscene words in literature, was largely influential in the development of literary free expression in America. This case centered on Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems, a work which represented the ideals and culture of the literarily experimental and sexually promiscuous Beat Generation. The expansion of free expression can be discerned through the tolerance of these sexual implications in literature, which is documented throughout the history of sexual suppression in past censorship cases. The victory of the “Howl” obscenity trial was essential for liberating the use of sexual …

U.S. Supported Corporations And Modern Imperialism: America's Takeover Of Hawaii, Lance D. Crafton

Young Historians Conference

In 1893, the constitutional monarchy of Hawaii was overthrown and replaced with a government backed by the United States, opening the door for America to claim Hawaii as a territory and later annex it as the 50^th state. The story of Hawaii illuminates the extent of U.S. influence abroad and reveals the true nature of how America began its 20th century imperialism. This paper explores the takeover of the islands as well as various American reactions to it, uncovering the social, political, and economic factors that shaped Hawaii’s future.

A View To Women’S Networks In The Arts In Portland: Building And Engaging An Audience For The Artist Rosemarie Beck, Jenna Barganski

Lyric Truth: Rosemarie Beck

Essay on building an audience for the Rosemarie Beck art exhibit and multidisciplinary symposium.

"Lyric Truth" Exhibit Catalogue, Sue Taylor, Nora Beck, Prudence F. Roberts, Patricia A. Schechter, Namita Gupta Wiggers

Lyric Truth: Rosemarie Beck

Catalogue published in connection with the exhibition "Lyric Truth: Paintings, Drawings, and Embroideries by Rosemarie Beck".

From Stumptown To Treetown: A Field Guide For Interpreting Portland’S History Though Its Heritage Trees, David-Paul B. Hedberg

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland’s urban forest is rooted in the city’s history. This guide is the first of its kind to use historic literature, archival collections, and living trees as evidence to interpret Portland’s history. Trees are some of our city’s oldest living artifacts and this guide will show you some of the many ways to see and interpret both history and nature in Portland.