United States History Commons^™

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 …

Soldiers In The Sideshows: The 409th Infantry Regiment In World War Ii, Nicholas Garrett

Master's Theses

In the European Theater of World War II certain battlefields or campaigns such as Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge are core aspects of American memory. However, the men of the 409^th Infantry Regiment of the 103^rd Infantry Division do not fall into this image. This unit fought as part of the U.S. Seventh Army across eastern France through the Vosges Mountains, defended against the German Operation Nordwind and broke through the Siegfried Line into southeastern Germany. Though the 409^th represents a small portion of the men of the 103^rd, …

The Price Of Freedom, Bryce Fletcher, Dawson Helton, Ty Ledford

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

In April of 1943 at Djebel under heavy enemy fire Private First Class Slusher and three other enlisted men swiftly assaulted the hill with fixed bayonets and did away with an enemy machine gun squad. For this action he was awarded a silver star. The next day he was injured by a shell fragment for which he received a purple heart.

Paul 'Raymond' Griffith, Isabella Anderson-Huseman, Allison Ferguson

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Paul Raymond Griffith began his active-duty service on May 17, 1945 where he was stationed at the Fleet Post Office in San Francisco, California. He later served on both the USS Samar (ARG11) and the USS LST 505 working in the mail room organizing and distributing the mail among the men on the ship.

John Thomas 'Big Dog' Daugherty, Christina Lambert, Bryce Tackett

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Lieutenant Colonel John ‘Big Dog’ Daugherty was sent to Espiritu Santo Island in 1943. In 1944, he was ordered to start a bombing attack on Rabaul out of fear of a Japanese ship attack. He flew a Grumman ‘Avenger’ and his team sunk seven ships. He was awarded the Flying Cross for showing heroism while in flight.

Sammie Slusher, Bryce Fletcher, Dawson Helton, Ty Ledford

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Staff Sergeant Slusher enlisted in July 1942 and passed in June 1944 before his daughter could meet him. In 1943, he became the recipient of the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. His medals are the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign and the World War II Victory Medal.

The Silver Star is awarded to those who had valor in combat and the Purple Heart is given to those were injured or killed while serving the US military.

Smokey & The Panther: Homer "Smokey" Davis, Walker Anderson, Jeremiah Brown

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Homer “Smokey” Davis belonged to the 3rd Armored Division, known as Spearhead. Davis saw heavy fighting towards the end of the war and had the rare privilege to operate the M26 Pershing T26E3 tank. Spearhead was present at the Battle of Cologne, where Davis and crew fought and won a famed tank duel with a German Panther.

Impact Of World War Ii In Eastern Kentucky, A Intro

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

An introduction poster to the Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky created by Emma Crouch in the fall of 2024.

Understanding The Performance And Perception Of Odawa Warfare, 1615–1700, Eric P. Morningstar

Masters Theses

This research employs the ethnohistorical method to explore how the Odawa people perceived and carried out warfare from 1615 to 1700. While historians have examined the Odawa, these Native peoples have frequently not been the central focus in the secondary literature. Many primary sources also offer a vague answer as to how the Odawa conceived and carried out warfare. This study aims to clarify historiographical inconsistencies by quantitatively analyzing a database, constructed by the author, of specific primary references to known hostilities between the Odawa, other Native groups, and Europeans. The analysis includes specific variables germane to hostilities such as …

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 …

Authenticity And Genre In Old-Time Music: 1958-1965, Lara Ressler-Horst

Masters Theses, 2020-current

From 1961-1965, in response to the growing commercial success of the Folk Revival, a small group of New York City-based folk musicians and folklorists began promoting what they viewed as a more ‘authentic’ version of folk music. Calling themselves the “Friends of Old Time Music (FOTM),”[1] these musicians and folklorists put together a series of 14 concerts between 1961 and 1965 to promote ‘traditional musicians’. The decision by this small group of musicians and folklorists to use the genre name ‘old-time’ rather than ‘folk’ in their concert series was a direct engagement with and response to Folk Revival era …

Señoritas On And Off The Silver Screen: How Chicana Women Organized For Equality And Challenged The Cultural Prison Of Sexualized Media Representations In The First Half Of The Twentieth-Century, Rossandra Paloma Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research is personal for me due to lived experience and day-to-day situations where I have felt the pressures of unattainable beauty standards and society’s fluid definition of beauty and femininity surrounding Chicana, Latinas, Mexican, and Mexican-American women. What inspired me to pursue these issues and topics was the work of Dr. Vicki Lynn Ruiz in her book From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America. This research focuses on rival and contested images of Chicana, Mexican, Mexican-American and Latina labor advocates and activists from the early twentieth as opposed to sexualized and eroticized packaged caricatures that Hollywood …

Greenwood 'Cokie' Cocanougher, Chandler Howard, Brennan Ison, Zoey Rounsville

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Greenwood ‘Cokie’ Cocanougher participated in the War Service Training Program where she taught 250 students. She was the first woman to pin wings on a graduate, who was her son. After the war she became the leader of the Civil Air Patrol and Aero Club of Louisville. She served on UK Board of Athletics.

Gladys Veronica Stamper Meyers: "The Hornet", Emma Crouch, Kaitlyn P'Simer, Arwen Sergent

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Gladys Meyer came from a long line of military servicemen. She’s the first female in the Stamper family to enlist in the United States military. She was deeply inspired by her three brothers, Clarence, William, and Theodore who all served in World War II. She served in the Women's Air Force during the Korean Conflict.

Greenwood "Cokie" Cocanougher: "A Mother Doing Her Part", Chandler Howard, Brennan Ison, Zoey Rounsville

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Cokie Cocanougher participated in the War Service Training Program where she solo taught 250 students how to fly. She was the second woman to land a plane on an army airfield and the first woman to pin wings on her son who graduated flight school.

Paul Raymond Griffith, Isabella Anderson-Huseman, Allison Ferguson

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Seaman 1st Class Paul R. Griffith joined the Navy despite ‘not being able to swim’ according to his son. He served at the Fleet Post Office, the USS Samar and USS LST 505 in the mail rooms. Griffith received the Asiatic Pacific Area Ribbon and the World War II Victory Ribbon. After leaving the Navy, he worked for the US Postal Service until his retirement.

Gladys 'Hornet' Meyers, Emma Crouch, Kaitlyn P'Simer, Arwen Sergent

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Corporal Gladys ‘Hornet’ Meyers serviced in the Women’s Airforce during Korea. She worked at the Defense Plant in Dayton, Ohio and took care of her family as teenager. She is the first woman in her family to serve – three of her brothers – Clarence, William, and Theodore - served in World War II one of which also served in Korea. Her father, Link Stamper, served in World World I.

Kentucky's Flying Leader: John Thomas Daugherty, Christina Lambert, Bryce Tackett

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

On July 31, 1943, Colonel John Daugherty and his bomber group were sent to Espiritu Santo Island to prepare for the Japanese along their acquired territory of Rabaul in the Pacific. In February 1944, it was assumed Japan was preparing a possible navy attack. Daugherty was ordered to begin a bombing attack on Rabaul. On March 4, 1944, the crew destroyed seven Japanese ships, with Daugherty sinking one while flying a Grumman "Avenger" torpedo bomber plane. He would receive a Flying Cross.

Homer 'Smokey' Davis, Walker Anderson, Jeremiah Brown

Impact of World War II in Eastern Kentucky

Private Homer ‘Smokey’ Davis operated the M26 Pershing T26E3 tank. His Division, called Spearhead, was at the Battle of Cologne. After serving in the war, he became an electrician at Morehead State University.

Limitation For Liberty: A Commentary On Federalism And The Tenth Amendment, Riley Banker

Senior Honors Theses

The concept of Federalism is essential to the very survival of the United States. However, recent decisions by the Supreme Court have illustrated attempts by the federal government to expand its authority and undermine the balance of power created by Federalism. This thesis will explore the concept of Federalism to demonstrate how it can best be protected. First, this thesis will address the origins of Federalism. Second, it will show how the principles of Federalism are manifested within the founding documents of the United States. Finally, this thesis will analyze current events including Supreme Court cases to demonstrate a concerning …

Urban Japanese, Rural American: How Regionality Shaped Nisei Girlhood In Prewar America, Lauren Reiko Yanase

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores Nisei girls' racial and cultural identity formation in the American West before their forced removal to the World War II Japanese American mass incarceration camps. Japanese American history has long been dominated by male narratives, from labor histories of the 1880's first-generation Issei to the American patriotism of the 1930's second-generation Nisei. Japanese American women are generally considered through generational categories, promulgating a linear story of American progress. I argue that regionality is the main factor that shaped Nisei girls' self-identity, employing transcribed interviews with Nisei women born 1924-1929 as primary sources to write narrative histories differentiated …

The Evolution Of Infantry Tactics During The American Civil War, David S. Stieghan

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

During the American Civil War, the fielding of new weapons technology resulted in an evolution of Infantry tactics and experiments in unit organizations in reaction to the changes in the increased range, accuracy and the rapidity of fire of improved small arms. While recent scholarship examines the introduction of the increasingly lethal rifles issued during the war, most authors suppose that their deadly impact resulted in the stagnation of maneuver and prolonged what should have been a short conflict. The widespread conclusion of many scholars is that the leaders on both sides did not anticipate the changes wrought by more …

The Civil War In Bedford County, Virginia: The Role Of One Small County In The Nation’S Bloodiest War, Jacob Slusser

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Bedford County, Virginia played a central role in many important aspects of the Civil War. The county provided some of the first troops to Virginia following secession and fielded numerous units in many of the most important battles of the Civil War. Liberty (as Bedford was known then) also served as a major hospital town, effectively making the county seat a major Confederate military outpost. The women of Bedford County helped to ensure that sick or wounded soldiers were fed and taken care of in the numerous hospitals in the city. The importance of Liberty, therefore placed the town in …

Liberty To The Captive: The Two Definitions Of Equality In The Abolitionist Movement, Justin Searls

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The matter of the debate on equality’s definition between black Christian ministers and white Christian ministers is an understudied topic of discourse that merits attention in the historical profession. In recent years, there has been discussion surrounding the general racial divide within abolitionism. However, the religious perspective on this matter has received little to no attention. How did black ministers and white ministers address the question of emancipation and enfranchisement for African Americans in the abolitionist movement from the 1830s through the Civil War and beyond? There is a significant disparity in the discussion of equal rights for African Americans …

An Analysis Of The Second Battle Of Fort Fisher, Tanner Port

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the closing stages of the American Civil War, the Union seizure of Fort Fisher (guarding Wilmington, North Carolina) in January 1865 was a key operation sealing the defeat of the Confederacy. The operation is worthy of study by modern military officers, as it was a prime example of the coordination of land and naval forces in an amphibious operation.

Resourcefulness And Changes In Wealthy Confederate Women’S Fashion During The American Civil War, Adaline Nolley

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

At the dawn of the American Civil War, women’s fashion had become increasingly extravagant, featuring intricate embroidered designs, folded skirts, and detailed bodices. In the American South, the image of the “southern belle” emerged during the antebellum period. The initial view of the southern belle was characterized by displays of wealth through clothing and décor choices. However, as the Civil War dragged on, battles and blockades caused shortages in goods in the South both from Northern industrial centers and European markets. The evolution of southern women’s fashions between the antebellum period and the end of the American Civil war demonstrates …

Yet Further South: The Brazilian Confederados Through The Lens Of Historiography, Christian Mumpower

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

As the American Civil War drew to a close, Confederate soldiers began to desert at an ever higher rate. Among the deserters, some ambitious souls who could not fathom living under a restored Union began to look beyond the borders of the United States for refuge and were soon joined in their endeavor by several high-ranking officials and military officers. Many of these expatriates soon found themselves in the equatorial Empire of Brazil, where they were allowed to perpetuate their plantation way of life. These Confederados, as the locals referred to them, unknowingly facilitated a massive scientific and cultural exchange …

The Texas Brigade And The Battle Of Chickamauga, Thomas Gillmeister

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

During the American Civil War, one of the Confederate army's elite units was the Texas Brigade. Commanded by John Bell Hood in 1862-1863, the unit distinguished itself in the battles of the Eastern Theater as part of the Army of Northern Virginia. In the fall of 1863, the brigade was part of the corps commanded by James Longstreet deployed to northern Georgia to reinforce the Army of Tennessee. In September, the Confederates defeated the Union Army of the Cumberland at the battle of Chickamauga, where the Texas Brigade engaged in heavy fighting. Although an empty triumph for the Confederates, the …

Cutting Ties With The South: Maryland’S Constitution And The Demise Of The Slave Economy, 1864, Alex Fancher

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the years immediately preceding the Civil War, the state of Maryland appeared to be doing away with slavery at a slow but steady pace. However, an examination of the data at the county level shows a significantly larger population of slaves in the southern and eastern parts of Maryland. While this is well-known, the number of slaves in the top five tobacco producing counties (what I call the Big Five) fluctuated slightly in the years leading up to the war. Four of the Big Five counties remained the same or increased slave totals. Only one, Anne Arundel, saw its …

Women’S Fashion In The Civil War And Godey’S Lady’S Book’S Role In Its Dissemination, Julia Broughton

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The Civil War was a difficult time in America’s history, but in many ways, life continued as it always had. Women were still interested in fashion, and they still wanted to wear dresses that made them feel beautiful. They also wanted to keep up with trends and find creative ways to incorporate trends into their wardrobes. In the war period, fabric types, the typical dress silhouette, common trends, and fashion magazines all informed women’s fashion, as well as fashion’s function. One such magazine that played an important role as a disseminator of women’s fashion during the Civil War was the …