Theses and Dissertations - Department of History

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations - Department of History by Author "Beito, David T."

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    Andrew jackson and the Indians, 1767-1815
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Ray, Jonathan; Freyer, Tony Allan; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Andrew Jackson's experience with the Indians was an ambivalent relationship. From his childhood along the South Carolina-North Carolina border through his two terms as president, he had extensive interaction with both friendly and enemy Indians. As a child in South Carolina, Jackson grew up around the peaceful Catawba Indians. During the American War for Independence he served as a scout alongside the Catawbas as members of his community fought the British and their Indian allies from the west, most notably the Cherokees. Serving in this capacity he learned the value of Indian alliances that he carried with him throughout his professional, military, and political career. Jackson came into direct contact with the Indians as he moved to Tennessee, as a young lawyer and businessman. In the western territory, various Indian tribes claimed the land the Whites were settling. Jackson learned to distinguish between the tribes that were recognized by the United States government as having legitimate claims to land and those that were not. Several tribes, particularly the Creeks and the Chickamaugas, a dissident faction of the Cherokees, frequently raided the White settlements in Tennessee, forcing Jackson to fight the Indians in defense of his community. He became an Indian fighter out of necessity and fought the enemy Indians while aligning with the friendly Chickasaws. During the Creek War and the War of 1812, Jackson applied his experience of using friendly Indian tribes to defeat the British and their Indian allies. He rewarded those who were loyal and punished those who joined Britain. He carried this experience to his post-war career as Indian agent, and later, as president, negotiating dozens of treaties with the Indians as he insisted upon removal as the best policy. In these treaties he exchanged federal territory west of the Mississippi River for Indian land in the east. Although he is most well-known for signing the Indian Removal Act, he promoted the rights of Indians at times as he allowed Indian citizenship, encouraged intermarriage between Whites and Indians, frequently had Indian leaders as guests in his home, and adopted an Indian child. He advocated for removal through the exchange of land in treaties to preserve tribal autonomy.
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    Creating a "different citizen": the federal development of the Tennessee Valley, 1915-1960
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Downs, Matthew L.; Frederickson, Kari A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This dissertation describes the process of cooperation and contestation by which residents, civic leaders, state officials, and federal politicians in the Tennessee Valley encouraged the economic development of their rapidly changing region. Beginning in 1916, when the Woodrow Wilson administration authorized construction of a hydroelectric dam and nitrate-producing plants at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, federal investment provided the means by which communities created (or attempted to create) prosperity by encouraging industrial development in a dying agricultural economy. The debates over Muscle Shoals led to the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, but federal officials found that Valley residents rejected broad-based social reorganization in favor of directed economic investment. During the "Gunbelt" defense boom of World War II, Valley leaders increased calls for development, especially at Huntsville, where the inconsistency of federal funds led community leaders to develop a modern, professional industrial recruitment campaign. In the Tennessee Valley, and across the South, the Sunbelt economy emerged as locals encouraged federal investment in order to bring development while rejecting and redirecting broader calls for social change. Historians have only recently begun to investigate the complicated process by which the southern economy modernized in the twentieth century, but none have provided an in-depth exploration of the long-term growth of one particular region, such as the Tennessee Valley. Drawing on local records, numerous Valley newspapers, and federal records, this dissertation traces the process by which Valley residents attempted to attract industries and businesses to the region. As such, this research provides insight into the birth of the modern southern economy.
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    Creating the modern South: political development in the Tar Heel State, 1945 to the present
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Menestres, Daniel Paul; Frederickson, Kari A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This dissertation describes the process of political development in North Carolina during the twentieth century. Beginning with the creation of the "solid South" in the early twentieth century, North Carolina's unique one-party system featured a spirited rivalry within the Democratic Party that was largely absent throughout the South. The political rivalry between conservative and progressive Democrats profoundly influenced the course of North Carolina's political development. Following the Second World War, the interaction between state and national politics played a significant role in the development of the state's two-party system. By the end of the twentieth century, a competitive two-party system supplanted one-party politics. Historians have written extensively about political development in the twentieth-century South, but there are few state-specific studies focusing on political change in the modern South. Using manuscripts, newspapers, and interviews, this dissertation traces the process by which one southern state gradually cast aside one-party politics and developed a strong, competitive two-party system. As such, this research provides insight into the development of two-party politics in the modern South.
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    "Getting right with Reagan: conservatives and the fortieth president, 1980-2016"
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Witcher, Marcus M.; Frederickson, Kari A.; Beito, David T.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This project examines the evolution of conservatives’ relationship with President Ronald Reagan from 1980 to 2016. The first half demonstrates that conservatives were often displeased with the Reagan administration’s fiscal, social, and foreign policy. I emphasize conservatives’ frustration with the disconnect that existed between Reagan’s rhetoric and his actual policy initiatives. Throughout, special attention is given to the various schools of conservative ideology. Although historians have noted the tension within the conservative movement, I argue that those involved in the “Reagan Revolution” often found that Reagan’s time in power was not revolutionary at all. The second half of the dissertation describes how conservatives crafted Reagan’s legacy from 1988 to the present. In chapter four I use the Reagan Library and Museum to recreate how Reagan wanted to frame his own legacy. By carefully examining the exhibits, I determine that Reagan emphasized economic recovery, rebuilding the military, reducing the threat of nuclear war, and restoring Americans’ belief in their country as the central tenets of his legacy. Contentious social issues, and the people who were at the heart of the culture wars of the 1980s, were not present in the museum’s exhibits. Throughout the 1990s conservatives framed themselves as fulfilling the Reagan Revolution and they attempted to use Reagan to achieve electoral success. By the 2000s, however, conservatives began to mythologize Reagan and his achievements. Reagan became a dogmatic conservative who single-handedly won the Cold War and reinvigorated a nation. Ironically, conservatives who had denounced Reagan during the 1980s manipulated Reagan’s record and recreated him as a principled conservative crusader whose successes were the result of his steadfast commitment to principles. The art of selectively remembering certain aspects of Reagan’s record and conveniently forgetting others were central to the creation of the Reagan myth. I conclude that Reagan’s achievements were a product of his pragmatic application of his conservative principles and his willingness to change course when necessary. Furthermore, the creation of the Reagan myth has contributed to many of the challenges that the GOP continues to wrestle with today.