History Research
History Research
May 2023 - May 2024
In the Missiles’ Shadow: The Cuban Experience in the Crisis of 1962
Mary Green
"In the twentieth century, the world underwent numerous changes, with one of the most notable being the invention and development of nuclear weapons. Within this new nuclear age, global superpowers such as the US and the USSR began an arms race which threatened the frail geopolitical stability of the second half of the century. This Cold War period reached its hottest point in October of 1962 when the USSR stationed nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island nation of Cuba, a mere 90 miles from US soil. Our summer research project seeks to understand the events and legacy of the Cuban Missile Crisis from the perspective of the Cuban government and people, therefore supplementing an often under-appreciated and less understood viewpoint of this event. Furthermore, the research will illuminate both the symbol that Cuba was for Latin America in the second half of the twentieth century, as well as the current status quo of nuclear politics and policy.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jason Duncan, History
Funded by: ÂÌñÒùÆÞ Summer Scholars Program
May 2020 - May 2021
Reasons for the United States Declaring War on Great Britain in 1812
Jacob Isenga
Our project will be to investigate in depth the reasons why the United States declared war on Great Britain in June of 1812. At the time, Great Britain had one of the world's most powerful armies, and the strongest navy on the seas. The military of the United States, by comparison, was much less impressive. The reasons involve domestic politics, the question of American Indian raids on frontier settlements in the west, and Britain's policy of seizing or impressing sailors off American ships for duty in the British Navy. We will seek to understand which of these reasons, and possibly others, was the most important factor in influencing the United States to take this dramatic step and possibly lose not just a war, but its status as a sovereign country.
Faculty Advisor: Jason Duncan
Funded by: ÂÌñÒùÆÞ Summer Scholars Program
May 2019 - May 2020
The Legal Arguments for United States’ Intervention in the Vietnam War: A Reappraisal
Gannon Foley
This investigation seeks to explore the various legal arguments in favor of and against US involvement in the Vietnam War. Valuable primary and secondary sources will indicate which arguments carry the greatest influence when examining this era of history. At the conclusion of this exploration, the author will compile all his research and present a document that ties together the evidence for and against the Vietnam War.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jason Duncan
Funded by: ÂÌñÒùÆÞ Summer Scholars Program
May 2017 - May 2018
The Plague in 16th Century France
Beatice Sherwood
A collaborative research project investigating the plague epidemic of the 1560s that was active from the British Isles to the Ottoman Empire with specific attention to the French urban center of Lyon. This project seeks to illuminate the complex relationship between the plague and inter confessional tensions amidst the French Wars of Religion.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Chad Gunnoe
Funded by ÂÌñÒùÆÞ Summer Scholars Program