The undergraduate editorial board of the Michigan State Journal of History (MSJoH) is pleased to announce the release of Volume 9!
This volume continues the tradition of featuring outstanding undergraduate scholarship at the university. As one of the few undergraduate-operated journals in the country, the journal strives to reflect the intellectual climate fostered by the Department of History. It is our privilege to publish works of such high intellectual caliber.
Volume 9, 2017
Micaela Procopio, Editor-in-Chief
A brief discussion of the academic journal. Includes acknowledgement of the undergraduate editorial board and faculty that were indispensable to the project.
Expressions of Polish Identity in Resistance to Nazi Occupation
By: Brigid Kennedy
This paper examines the role of Polish cultural identity and Polish Catholicism as a means of resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II. Poles used culturally coded signs and symbols to subvert Nazi authority and build morale for the armed resistance movement. This paper focuses especially on visual symbols of Polish identity such as posters, shrines, and statues.
The Norman Conquest and the Impact of Harold’s Death
By: Dylan Border
This paper analyzes the build-up of the Norman Conquest and the consequences of King Harold of England’s death at the Battle of Hastings. Comparing the strengths and weaknesses of both the Anglo-Saxons and Normans under William the Conqueror to determine what should’ve been the likely result of Hastings it puts into perspective the impact of Harold’s demise on the Conquest and history as a whole.
Printers of Michigan’s Captial Cities: Newspaper Magnates & State Printing In Detroit and Lansing
By: Jacob McCormick
A printing press first reached Detroit in 1785, but it was not until 1808 that
materials were actively printed. In Michigan’s 1835 Constitution, the need for a state legislative printer was established. This essay explores the complex connection between the Michigan State Legislature and partisan newspaper publishers in Michigan’s capital cities, Detroit and Lansing, throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While most frequently selected by lowest sealed bid to the legislature, the state printer was once popularly elected. The resources in MSU Rare Books and Special Collections were the primary sources for this research.
The Efficiency of Networking in Social Movements through the Case of the Korean Council and South Korea’s Comfort Women Issue
By: Alexa Kirsch
If it was not for international networking, the world may have never known about the existence of the comfort women system during World War II and how Japan was all behind it. In my research, I have found how essential networking is for social organizations in order to invoke change. The Korean Council used networking to gain strength and recognition for the Japanese to be brought to justice and to correct history on the national and international level. Teamwork across borders aids social movements in becoming more capable of reaching towards their goal or towards the betterment of the world.
A brief overview of how submissions to the journal are evaluated.
Do you have scholarly work that you believe would make a strong additional to the MSJoH? Herein lies our policies in regards to submissions.
Staff of the Michigan State Journal of History
The staff directly responsible for the success of Volume 8.
Previous Journal Volumes of the MSJoH
For the first time, interested scholars are able to revisit the intellectual research of former students in the newly archived Volumes 1-6. Showcased within them is the research of aspiring historians that covers a diverse selection of topics, spanning various cultural areas and eras of the historical world.