Sweetland Prize for Excellence in Upper-Level Writing (humanities 2011/2012) Bringing the Revolution Home or Fulfilling the Law? From Hist 399: Aaron Bekemeyer (nominated by John Carson) In this paper, Aaron clearly and succinctly lays out the pre-history of the sanctuary movement in the United States. He explains what precisely was meant by the sanctuary movement and then deftly shows how the interplay of politics and religious/cultural sensibilities led to a range of reactions to developments in Central America among American Catholics. These varied from conservative Catholics’ strong support for President Reagan’s policies in Central America to the rise of various left-wing groups, starting with Witness for Peace and eventually including the sanctuary movement, who opposed American policy and sought to aid Central Americans in their struggles and as refugees. Throughout, Aaron attends carefully to the diversity of factors influencing his story and to the multiple positions his various actors took. John Carson
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Excellence in Upper-Level Writing 2012