History electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of History. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Technology towards transcendence : subliminal occultism in German Expressionist cinema(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023) Ochsner, Colton; Sperber, JonathanOver the past century, the groundbreaking legacy of Expressionist cinema has inspired filmmakers and scholars alike with its special effects, visceral characters, and fantastic plotlines. In the Weimar Republic, the strangely stylized sets of what became known as Expressionist film captivated audiences worldwide with movies such as Robert Wiene’s Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920), F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927). Though scholars generally agree that no Expressionist movement ever existed in cinema, I assert that the directors, screenwriters, and set designers of movies now called “Expressionist” maintained among themselves a common ideographic layout based thematically on the tropical zodiac of Western astrology, and, within the mise-en-scènes, the minor arcana pips from the standard tarot deck by Arthur Edward Waite (originally from 1910), while basing their characters on the sephiroth of the Hermetic cabala. This layout, which they implemented in all their so-called Expressionist movies, might most aptly be called an occult blueprint. I present this material in order to set forth the argument that the subliminality of occult ideography in Expressionist cinema has been ignored, neglected, and downright unnoticed in the whole of film and historical scholarship. But it is a field that demands to be taken more seriously by professionals and requires the attention of those familiar with the occult publications, arcane practices, and esoteric schools of and around Weimar Germany. Every scholar agrees: movies of this genre are filled with pentagrams, puffs of smoke, and strangelooking costumes. But all that content is nominal occultism. What about the seminal – that is, the truly hermeneutical – presence of the occult in Expressionist cinema? That crucial question is addressed in my paper, which combines history, film studies, and the German language to find some complex and nuanced answers.Item Reciprocities market : John Bartram's 18th century botanical subscription service and the seeds of independence(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Mason, Shannan; Reichardt, Alec ZuercherThis dissertation "Reciprocities Market: John Bartram's 18th Century Botanical Subscription Service and the Seeds of Independence," delves into the evolving social and economic relationships of 18th-century colonial America through the lens of John Bartram's work and network. Bartram (1699-1777), a Pennsylvanian-born Quaker farmer and naturalist, developed a transatlantic botanical subscription service. An exemplar of the broader shift from traditional patronage systems of obligation and reciprocity or deference to market-based egalitarian exchange. This study explores how Bartram's economic and scientific endeavors mirrored the changing dynamics of his time, contributing to the intellectual and economic development of an emergent nation. Through the analysis of Bartram's correspondence, geography, and network, this research uncovers the ways he and his contemporaries navigated and reshaped the conventions of reciprocity and market exchange. The dissertation argues that Bartram's market-oriented approach was part of a larger trend among colonial Americans, who used market mechanisms to negotiate and assert their economic and social positions. Through John Bartram as a representative figure, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the complex interplay between science, commerce, and society in early America, revealing how individual initiatives and market mechanisms aided by and as extensions of empire were integral to the dissemination of natural knowledge and the development of a distinct American identity, challenging European hierarchical norms and contributing to the seeds of independence.Item To prove her worth : constructing black girlhood in Kansas City, 1881-1941(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Haney, Bridget Deona; Ervin, Keona K.; Fergus, DevinThis dissertation explores the socio-educational experiences of Black high schoolaged girls in the Kansas City region. It begins with the opening of Lincoln High School, the first high school for Black students in Kansas City, Missouri, and ends with the passing of the Taylor Bill (HB 195) in 1941. This work examines the evolution of segregated schooling in Kansas City, tracing the establishment and growth in Kansas City secondary schools against the backdrop of progressive ideals and progress pedagogy. It also examines the evolution of Black girls as high school students and intellectuals. The narratives of Kansas high school students like Marian Nettie Freeman and the students of KCK High highlight the pervasive social, political, and economic impacts of segregation practices in early twentieth-century Kansas. The aim is to move from narratives that stigmatize Black girls as societal "problems." The work exposes the complexities of performing citizenship in marginalized communities by illuminating acts of resilience, agency, and embodiment within institutionalized settings. This dissertation explores Black girlhood through the lens of race, gender, age, and place in the greater Kansas City region. By considering high school yearbooks as a platform to imagine citizenship, this work contributes to a greater understanding of the socio-educational experiences of Black girls in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Item The Black Brigade of Cincinnati and the quest for African American citizenship in the Civil War era(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Anderson, Scott Michael; Wigger, JohnThe Black Brigade of Cincinnati was immortalized by black activist Peter H. Clark in 1864 as the "first organization of the colored people of the North actually employed for military purposes." In the city, free African Americans wanted to volunteer for Union military service. Cincinnati officials, however, met that desire with vicious impressment and forced labor of African Americans in response to an impending Confederate invasion. Reacting quickly, the city's abolitionists petitioned the Union Army to supersede the order with one allowing the African Americans to organize for the city's defense. But from this most unlikely of beginnings developed an organization whose positive remembrance had lasting import for black recruitment and claims on American citizenship. Several forces worked in the eventual success of the Black Brigade: alliances with white abolitionists, vibrant African American political engagement, and a tradition of black martial volunteerism--even prior to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.Item A history of the hemp industry in Missouri(University of Missouri., 1938) Easton, Miles W.Hemp, one of the oldest known fiber plants was cultivated in China and India as early as 500 A. D. With the rise of civilization and the development of those activities that create a demand for this fiber, the hemp culture spread to other parts of the world. By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was grown extensively in Russia, France, and Italy. Russia was considered the leading hemp producing country of the world at that time. The hemp plant yields a strong and durable fiber. Consequently, its fiber proved useful in the manufacture of rough fabric commodities. Then transportation on the high seas became an important factor in the commerce of the world, this fiber found another important use in the manufacture of riggings for sailing vessels. The plant was even grown for narcotic purposes at an early date in China and India. The hemp plant was first introduced into North America soon after the colonial settlements were established. It was grown in New England on a small scale, but considerable attention was given to its cultivation in Maryland and Virginia. Both the British government and the colonial legislatures attempted to promote the industry of hemp by offering bounties for its production in the latter part of the seventeenth and the early part of the eighteenth centuries. However, the industry did not assume any great importance in North America until the urgent need for it arose in the cotton industry. Kentucky grew hemp on a small scale by 1800. With the deinand for raw hemp for manufacture into cordage, bagging, and canvas, the industry expanded greatly in Kentucky, and began to extend to other western states, particularly to Missouri.--Introduction.