New Errands: The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies
Not a member yet
123 research outputs found
Sort by
Separating the Boy\u27s from the B\u27hoys: The Working Class Masculine Identity during the MidNineteenth Century
No full textFor the American man living during the nineteenth century, testing and proving ones "manhood" became a very significant process. Masculinity was the foremost concept behind the definition of a man. In order to gain respect, one needed to establish his own masculinity and demonstrate it amongst his peers. This was especially true in New York City, a standard of manhood was affecting the working class. A common understanding of appearance, attitude, and personality dominated the way working class men carried themselves. The thriving social atmosphere of New York\u27s urban center obliged men to "prove" themselves. It was essential for them to socialize with their peers, demonstrating their manhood as they drank and danced through working class neighborhoods. The desire for male camaraderie brought men into volunteer fire departments, where their masculinity was reinforced on a daily basis. Men gathered in the streets after stressful hours of work as they felt the need to release the tension associated with being a working man. Throughout the nineteenth century a new "manly culture" evolved which ritualized violence amongst men. A sense of competition grew and men struggled to gain respect in society. They were forced to fight by whatever means necessary to protect their manhood. By 1845, the New York City Police Department was established bringing authority figures into the streets. Police officers were to stop the violent nature of the working class but the presence of authority figures only introduced another layer of violence to society. The archetypal man was one who had a manly appearance, socialized with his fellow fire laddies, was always prepared for an honorable fight, and stood up to authority figures. Masculinity dominated every part of a working class man\u27s life forcing him to do whatever it took to uphold his reputation
City Country: The Paradox of Country Music in Urban America
Full text linkNo other genre in American music has maintained such a popular presence on the national conscience as country music. Though it is not the only distinct "American" style of music in the United States, this genre has consistently maintained a strong listener base and standard themes of content, more so than any other variation of music. Country music as a commercial industry began between 1920 and 1925 in the rural South.1 Since those grassroots beginnings, the genre has become synonymous with the city of Nashville and songs about love, loss, and drinking. In the 21st century, the popularity of country music hit a new peak with skyrocketing presence in American cities. This once distinctly, rural musical style has evolved to appeal to all Americans, rural and urban alike, leaving one to wonder why that is so. Country music\u27s popularity in American cities results from the urbanization of the genre especially by mass media and contemporary country artists integrating their music with other genres
Is Beauty a Promise to Happiness?
Full text linkWhen I was a little girl around the age of five I was introduced to make-up. I fell head over heels in love with it. Needless to say, my love for make-up hasn\u27t changed and it has expanded to all types of products for skin, hair, and body. I wake up in the morning and I wash my face because there are advertisements that tell me a clean face is beautiful. I brush, and perhaps whiten my teeth because having white teeth is important to being beautiful. When I apply make-up for the day time, I don\u27t use as much eye liner as I would if I were going out at night because there was a magazine post about the correct amount of eyeliner based on certain occasions. Up until college I was unaware that the methods I was taking in order to be what society deemed as beautiful was all because I wanted to be happy with my appearance. It is through my passion for cosmetics that I have come to wonder, why. Why is beauty so important to our culture, specifically women, and why is it framed as "happy"
Subtle Misrepresentations on Colonial Era Maps
Full text linkEducation in history is a fundamental aspect of high school curriculum. An understanding of the past, and the formative events that shaped our present are considered a foundation to a welleducated population who are able to be productive members of modern society. However, the biases of the past often influence the selection of materials used in education. The use of tertiary materials carries a definite point of view from the author. To offset this tendency, secondary and primary source materials are utilized to allow the student a more direct connection to the materials and aspects of the past. Maps are an important graphic component of these source materials.Nations not Tribes: Subtle Misrepresentations on Colonial Era Maps by Nyatasha Jackowicz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licens
The Women Who Said "NO!" A Look at the Women, the Language, and the Images Surrounding the United States Anti-Suffrage Movement
Full text linkLong before the likes of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began their rally cries of equality and freedom at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, women did have the right to vote in the United States. During the early Republic and the formation of its territories suffrage was limited to certain states such as New Jersey and later Utah. However, women that once had the right to vote were systematically stripped of that right through legislation. In New Jersey voting that was given to all "free inhabitants" by the original state constitution of 1776 became limited to free white males by 1807. Meanwhile in Utah, voting for women ended in 1887, with the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Antipolygamy Act. In response to the lack of access to the franchise and other rights, suffragettes advocated vociferously for the vote over many decades into the early 20th century. They believed their cause was just and necessary for every woman. For them it was a civil right. The Women Who Said "NO!" A Look at the Women, the Language, and the Images Surrounding the United States Anti-Suffrage Movement by Samantha Gaetjens Muller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licens
Bodies Made Public: The Homeless Body in 1980s Los Angeles
Full text linkThere is an unspoken danger surrounding homelessness. Most people avoid speaking to or even lookingat homeless people they see on the street or from their cars; the presence of homeless people can evoke pity,disgust, or fear. The condition of homelessness eclipses personhood because homeless people are not seen asindividuals but as the unwashed masses. Homelessness clearly affects the body because it is constantly exposedto the elements and lacks access to adequate facilities like restrooms and washing spaces. Throughout the1980s, there was a rising rate of homelessness in the United States. The City of Los Angeles responded to largenumbers of homeless people by attempting to eradicate homeless bodies, it did not, however, do much toeradicate homelessness. Homelessness forces bodies to be public yet homeless people are excluded from theconcept of "the public" and are perceived as a threat to health and safety. Throughout the 1980s, the exclusionof homeless people from the public occurred physically—through space—and figuratively—through discourse. Bodies Made Public: The Homeless Body in 1980s Los Angeles by Kathryn Reuter is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licens
We\u27ll Remember in November: The Defense of Segregation in Frank Rizzo\u27s Philadelphia
No full textOn the morning of March 23, 1971, a group of furious white men and women, many carrying small children, left their homes and marched to a six-acre lot bound by Front, 2nd, and Oregon Streets in their South Philadelphia neighborhood. When they climbed atop bulldozers and physically blocked construction vehicles from entering the site, the Whitman Park community inserted themselves into one of the longest legal battles over public housing in United States history. The neighbors were protesting construction of the Whitman Park Townhouse Project because they feared that public housing would transform their community. In spite of, and in reaction to, recently passed federal anti-discrimination laws, the people of Whitman Park were determined to keep their neighborhood segregated. The protests violated federal mandates, but the residents felt entitled to this lawlessness, claiming a need for protection against alleged criminality in poor minority communities. "We\u27ll Remember in November": The Defense of Segregation in Frank Rizzo\u27s Philadelphia by Courtney DeFelice is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licens
Comparing and Contrasting the Women\u27s Rights Movement from the 1960s and Today
Full text linkThroughout history, society has downgraded women. They have not been treated equally and did not have many rights. Women used to not have rights in education and were seen out of the norm when they wanted to seek an education or a job before the late 20th century. In the 1920s, after the Suffrage Movement women won the right to vote based on the Nineteenth Amendment. After many years, in the 1960s, women felt that the first movement was not successful enough and created a second wave of feminist movements pushing for more equality in the workforce and abortion rights. Some movements women created in the 1960s were NOW and Women\u27s Liberation movement. Although the years have passed, women today still protest about their right of their own body and equal pay. In January 2017, over one million people protested for women\u27s rights around the nation, which shows how women still feel downgraded by society in a way. Despite the fact that the Women\u27s March Movement has been inspired by the Women\u27s rights movement from the 1960s, there are many differences such as diversity, the image of women, and the goals. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licens
Abraham Lincoln and the Music of the Civil War
Full text linkMusic pervades civilization in almost every institution and serves as a provider of important ideas. It can carry significant political meanings, and often does. The 19th century was no different. An especially turbulent period in American history, the years of Lincoln’s presidency, were marked by a staggering amount of political unrest. In this tumultuous time, music played a large role in spreading and reinforcing a wide breadth of beliefs. This paper will look at primary sources of music from the Civil War era to understand how the lyrics of these songs reflected something Lincoln cared very much about: public opinion of his administration. By analyzing the lyrics, it can be seen how the public interpreted Lincoln’s goals and policies, and their support for him or opposition to him.