Primary Source, Fall 2014

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PRIMARY SOURCE

The

The Newsletter for the Department of History at the University of Idaho

A biannual publication 3rd edition – Fall 2014

Department News

Study Abroad

A word from the chair; Featured alumnus Adam M. Guerin Page 2

Undergraduate Student and Faculty Spotlights

History Remembered

Perspectives on Study Abroad Page 3

Graduate Student James McNaughton on post‐WWI archaeological digs; Phi Alpha Theta Initiation Dinner

Featured accomplished undergraduates Page 4

Graduate Student Spotlights Featured graduate students Page 6

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Faculty News and Publications Dr. Dale Graden reflects on his recent work; Professor Ronnenberg awarded Esto Perpetua Pages 7‐9

Remembrance and Recognition A remembrance of William and Janet Greeverand Robert Brower; Recognition of Donors Page 10‐11

Professor Sowards Goes to Washington Adam Sowards shares his experience as a speaker at the United States Supreme Court honoring Justice William O. Douglas

biography of Douglas and his ecolological work, entitled The Environmental Justice: William O. Douglas and American Conservation (2009). Sowards says that scholars have written a number of biographies on Justice Douglas, often focusing upon his life and legal contributions. Nonetheless, before Sowards’s book, historians had rarely considered Douglas’s important ecological work in any systematic fashion.

In May 2014, Associate Professor Adam Sowards traveled to the United States Supreme Court to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the appointment of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (b.

1898–d.1980). Douglas’s widow, Cathleen Douglas Stone, invited Sowards to participate in a panel on Douglas’s environmental contributions during his tenure as Supreme Court Justice (1939–75).

“I think people really overlooked how important it was to his life,” Sowards says, “None of them [his biographers] understood how it fit in the broader history of the environmental movement since they were not environmental historians–they were judicial biographers. Their interest was in the Court and my interest was not in the court.”

Over two hundred people attended the celebration, which honored all aspecets of Douglas’ life and legacy on and off the Court.

Many of the participants and attendees were outstanding scholars, including law professors, lawyers, judges, and Douglas’s former law clerks.

The opening remarks were delivered by the Chief Justice himself: John Roberts, Jr. Following the panel discussions, there was a formal dinner where Douglas’s friends and colleagues told stories about him — many of which were not public knowledge.Sowards recalls, “It was wonderful to hear personal stories about this man whom I researched for a long time.”As many of our readers may know, Sowards wrote a scholarly

When asked if it was difficult to write for a non‐ historical audience, Sowards responds that he “appreciated the challenge.” The writing experience differed from that of his classroom lectures or professional papers because it was a speech, written for non‐historians who were unfamiliar with the Northwest, while focusing on a topic apart from his legal attribution. He found it to be a “tall order” to give an entertaining speech that incorporated many topics — but could last only seventeen minutes.

These challenges notwithstanding, Sowards’s speech was well received. “It was a test for people who knew him about whether I had got it right. I did and no one corrected me. It was neat. It was nice to revisit the work […] and “see it with fresh eyes and to know I was speaking to his widow and other prominent people.”

Following his panel, one participant came forward to introduce himself to Sowards: Laurence Tribe.

Tribe is a renowned professor of law at Harvard University. Famously, he helped write the constitutions of South Africa and the Czech Republic, and he even argued the controversial Gore v. Bush case before the Supreme Court, which effectively decided the presidential election of 2000. Sowards says, recalls that, “getting to meet him was pretty incredible. He is one of the leading civil libertarians in the world. He is an incredible presence in the field of law.” Best yet, “he was very kind and complimentary” about the speech that Sowards gave.

Continued on page 2

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Continuation from page 1

A WORD FROM THECHAIR We wish all of our readers a fabulous close to their fall experiences and a great start to the New Year.

We should begin by acknowledging with considerable regret the loss of two people who have long been near and dear to the Department of History: Dr. Janet Greever and Judge Robert Brower. Dr. Janet Greever was the wife of the late William Greever, who was a professor in the Department and served for several decades as its chair. She completed her doctorate in Latin American Studies and also taught for the University of Idaho. Judge Brower, an Idaho law school alumnus, was the beloved brother of Nancy Dafoe, whom many of you remember as our Department’s indefatigable administrative assistant. His two boys, Benjamin and Brady, studied history at Idaho and then went on to become major historians — both of them working on modern France. Both Dr. Greever and Judge Brower are eulogized within the pages of our newsletter.

Elsewhere you can read about our distinguished alumnus Adam Guerin, who, like Ben and Brady Brower, went on to study modern French history. We also detail the recent scholarly accomplishments of Dale Graden and Adam Sowards, as well as Herman Ronenberg’s continuing studies of Idaho beer history — a subject which is best savored with pretzels and peanuts.

Lastly you’ll also find all sorts of details about our undergraduate and graduate students, and James MacNaughton relates how history can sometimes get louder than bombs.

We thank you again — dear readers —for all your support. As always, we hope to hear from you, and so please don’t be shy about sending us updates about your accomplishments.

Most sincerely yours, Sean M. Quinlan, Professor & Chair

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Sowards’s wife also joined him at the event.

During their time in Washington, they visited many monuments and historical places, including a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (which was built in the 1820s). The C&O Canal runs approximately 200 miles from Washington, D.C. to Maryland. In 1950s, local authorites had planned to turn the canal into a highway; however in 1954, Justice Douglas helped save it from destruction by organizing a large hiking path along the tow. Now the canal is a national historic park and is dedicated to him. This trip was the first time Sowards had walked along the path since he published The Environmental Justice. He describes the experience as “almost a pilgrimage.”

Sowards is currently reworking his speech into a journal article. In the future, he hopes that he can continue to address his work to larger, non‐ specialist audience. ~Melissa Courtnage

Featured Alumni Adam M. Guerin On Preparing for a Career in History

Adam M. Guerin is one of the History Department’s great success stories. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Idaho in 2002 and he then went on to earn an MA and PhD from the University of California at Irvine in 2009.

Now he’s an assistant professor of French colonial history at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In his research, he focuses upon modern North Africa, but he teaches widely on European colonial history, French history, environmental history, and the modern Middle East.

Guerin transferred to the University of Idaho in 2001 from a liberal arts college in the Midwest. At the time, however, he was not sure transferring to the University of Idaho was the right choice for him.

“To be honest,” he recalls “I was not entirely sold on the idea of leaving a small liberal arts college for a large university like the U of I. They say that students can get lost at big state schools, that they do not get as much one‐on‐one time with professors, that at worst the education can be anonymous.”

Luckily for Guerin, Idaho’s history program proved nothing of the sort. As he puts it, “The faculty in the History Department—especially professors Quinlan, Spence, and Graden—worked closely with me to develop my interests in Europe, France, and Empire and got me thinking about

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graduate school opportunities. Sean Quinlan was instrumental in helping me prepare for a doctoral program and he remains an important mentor.”

When asked how exactly the UI History Program helped him discover and explore his research interests, Guerin pointed to the wide breadth of coursework available to him as an undergraduate.

“Like most students,” he says “I had general interests but did not really understand what it meant to specialize in a particular field. Taking a range of courses helped me think comparatively.

Working one‐on‐one with Sean Quinlan on a senior thesis enabled me to focus on a series of analytical questions, although he also encouraged me to think transnationally and not get boxed into a particular national narrative. This advice helped in grad school when I moved from a more Eurocentric approach to world/colonial history.”

Many undergraduate students can feel overwhelmed or lost when considering higher education beyond the undergraduate degree. Here Guerin described how history became a serious career prospect for him, and how the UI history faculty provided the crucial support he needed to pursue this decision.

“Dale Graden was the first person to suggest that I could probably ‘keep doing history for the rest of my life,’”Guerin affirms. “At the time, I don’t think I really knew what that meant. But over the next couple of semesters I learned about what the jump to graduate school would entail and what type of preparation would go into the application process.”

“In this regard,” Guerin continues “Professor Quinlan was, again, a phenomenal resource: he read multiple drafts of statements of purpose, helped me map out the field of history to learn who was teaching where, what types of funding would be available, etc. Even after leaving the U of I he provided me with a ‘must read’ booklist to get me ready for my first history and theory class at UC Irvine. He correctly predicted about 75% of the reading list for that very challenging course.

Needless to say, the head start was incredibly helpful.”

The preparation Guerin received from the University of Idaho History Department helped him achieve success beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Now that he’s finished his PhD and landed his first job, Guerin is writing his first scholarly book – Disaster Ecologies: Rural Modernization and the Remaking of the Moroccan Peasantry, 1904‐1939– which explores the social and environmental consequences of French modernization in Morocco.

~Gustave Lester

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thirteen other countries, including Britain, Sweden, and Hungary. During these adventures, he recalls, “I was amazed to think about who was there and what was there. It’s easy to get carried away and day dream.”

Adventures Abroad Student and Faculty Perspectives on Studying Abroad This semester the History Department wants to encourage studying abroad and emphasize why it’s so formative for history students. All across the university, students, faculty and staff have participated in this opportunity and our history majors are no exception.

For history majors, one of the greatest benefits of studying abroad is the immersion experience: you can learn about history by experiencing a place’s culture in the present.

Last spring, Professor Ellen Kittell taught history in the University of Pau in southwestern France.

She says, “As European historians we can experience it firsthand, and I can get students to experience it firsthand. I sent them off to see museums and historical sights, all for the benefit of an embedded experience you can’t get anywhere else.”

Immersion experiences often entail learning foreign languages – a key tool in the historian’s trade. In study abroad programs, students often have the option to take classes either in their native language or in a language they are studying. For example, Strub took classes in both English and German when he attended a second study abroad program in Germany in 2007–08.

“When I first got there it was a little intimidating,” he admits, but by the second semester he felt confident enough to take all of his classes in German.

For his part, Myers claims that he learned more Russian in the two weeks that he spent abroad than he did in a classroom setting. He explains, “I was forced to use it and it was all I had.”

Jeff Meyers in front of the Church of Jesus on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia

One day she could teach about a painting and then send her students off to see the original thing!

“When I teach them like this, they get it,” she says.

Jeff Meyers – who’s currently one of our doctoral students – affirms Kittell’s insight. He says, “I grew up with an interest in Russian history and literature, and when I got to Russia it was like it all clicked for me. Everything sort of came together.”

Kristian Strub, who just graduated from the University of Idaho with an MA in history, had a similar experience. His first study abroad experience was part of a class on Turkish history – which included, of all things, a two‐week trip to Istanbul. “It’s class in action,” he remembers.

To give one example: Strub took advantage of his year in Germany to travel extensively. “That’s why I chose Germany,” he says. “Part of it was heritage; the other part was its central location in Europe.” During this time, he also travelled to

Professor Sarah Nelson, an associate professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Culture at the University of Idaho, provides her insight as a professor of foreign language. Like Kittell, Nelson also taught in Pau. In 2012, she offered two classes: “French Cultures and Institutions” and “Nineteenth and Twentieth Century French and Francophone Literature.” She recalls: “Originally I was going to teach in English, but I ended up teaching in French.”

Both Kittell and Nelson taught through USAC, the University Studies Abroad Consortium. While on a USAC program, instructors must teach two classes.

Kittell went with her spouse Professor Kurt Queller, also of the Department of Modern Languages and Culture, who taught a class on the History of English, with an emphasis on French influence.

There’s another important benefit of studying abroad: namely, the spirit of adventure that comes with foreign travel. Students find that they really

discover themselves and that their lives and outlooks change in seemingly unimaginable ways.

Foreign travel also transforms professors – and their families. On several occasions, Kittell and Queller took their children with them and enrolled them in local schools. Nelson did the same with her son when she taught in France. “It was a great way to meet locals,” Kittell explains. “In fact, we made friends who we still talk to.” Both Professor Graden and Professor Quinlan have also participated in exchange programs with their families, adding to the great diversity of our history program. By learning another culture and language, you also become more aware of your own. As Kittell explains, “Culture shock coming back is very difficult if you have had a good time.

It is such an extraordinary experience, you form friendships with Americans in the most unlikely places, and here you just don’t have that intimacy.” Nelson agreed: “Every time you come back from being abroad, the place that you are from looks different to you. It takes a while to remember the familiar.”

Despite all these positive benefits, students sometimes feel reticent about studying abroad.

Kittell says it’s a fear of the unknown: “It’s something new, and it can be something you never planned on even considering, but you should definitely consider it. Especially while you are still a student.” By contrast, Strub sees this reticence as a matter of money. “Frankly,” he said “it added a lot to my student debt but I want people to know that because it is a small cost in comparison to what I got from it.”

The good news is that the University of Idaho offers many opportunities for its students to participate in exchange programs, including USAC. Strub studied abroad through Lexia International, while Myers acted completely independently and created his own program! You should know that study abroad programs offer students coursework designed to appeal to their level of comfort.

If financial concerns keep you from studying abroad, remember that the University of Idaho offers scholarships and other forms of financial aid. It’s something to consider, because it is such a formative and life‐changing experience!

Follow the link to learn more about the study abroad program here on campus: http://www.uidaho.edu/international/study‐ abroad ~Ben Bridges

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Rachael Guenthner Rachel Guenthner is originally from Nampa, Idaho. She’s now a senior, double‐majoring in History and in English.

Rachel is a newly initiated member of the History Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta. When asked about why she decided to join, she said, “I wanted to join the cool kid’s club. Phi Alpha Theta has some impressive people in it. I also wanted to be with other people who are as interested in studying history as I am.” She also joked that it looks good on a resume.

Her next step in life will be to go on to graduate school and follow her interest in literary theory; she hopes to stay here at the University of Idaho.

She explained, “It’s because I enjoy the development and definitions of the lenses through which we see literature and history, how they evolve and cope with the advances of modernity.”

Ideally, Rachel wants to become a college professor. She hopes to be one of those professors who inspires amongst her students a passion for the social sciences and humanities and who conveys their importance: not just as school subjects, but as lifelong tools.Whether it is here at the University of Idaho or elsewhere, she hopes to find a program where teaching is integrated into the program, and where, from day one, she must stand on her own two feet.

Currently, Rachel finds herselfy fascinated by the Middle Ages and the Reformation. She has already taken over six classes in this area of history and she plans to take Professor Kittell’s class on the Reformation in spring 2015. Rachel explains her interests, “With the Middle Ages, it feels so simple with the glazed over approach that textbooks give it, but when you really get into it there is so much going on, it’s pretty unbelievable.” As for the Reformation, she elaborates, “The Reformation is one of the defining moments in human history. It is this division where Europe stops being a collective; it is a division of humanity, faith, and so much more. For me, it feels like everything comes out of it.”

In addition to her involvement with Phi Alpha Theta, Rachael volunteers as a radio DJ for the University of Idaho’s radio station. This semester marks her third year on the air. Her show is a two and a half hour oldies program called “The Time Machine.” “I try and make old music accessible for a younger audience,” she explains. She encourages listeners to call in with requests, “because there’s nothing cooler than having your song played on the radio.”

Tune into “Rockin’ Rachael and the Time Machine” on Sunday mornings from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, on the University of Idaho radio station 89.3 FM.

Gustave Lester Gustave Lester is from Caldwell, Idaho. After completing his first two years of his undergraduate degree at North Idaho College, he transferred to the University of Idaho last fall and is now a senior.

In spring 2014, Gustave was awarded the Best Undergraduate Paper prize at the regional Phi Alpha Theta conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. His paper, “The Spokane Flood Controversy: Appropriate Responses to Challenging Ideas” examines the controversy in the geological community concerning the origins of the landscape of eastern Washington. He says, “The controversy started in the 20s and wasnʹt resolved until the 60s. I explored the issues surrounding J Harlen Bretz’s Spokane Flood Hypothesis. It wasn’t accepted at the time he proposed it, and I explored whether that rejection was justified, even though it was proven right later.” Gustave cites his interest in the Spokane flood controversy as being part of his interest in the history of science. Excitedly, he explains, “The paper was a really nice case study in shifting scientific paradigms.”

Gustave enjoyed the Phi Alpha Theta conference last spring. He found it formative to connect with friends and colleagues and to share research in a friendly but rigorous environment. In 2015, he hopes to attend the next regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference as well as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Eastern Washington University.

Gustave says that he envisions graduate school in his future. He wants to pursue his interests in the history of life sciences and philosophy, and he has a long list of potential graduate schools. He hopes to end up in California, the Midwest somewhere, or perhaps Canada.

In addition to history, Gustave also has many other academic interests. His love of philosophy led him to study history at the University of Idaho. He is interested in the epistemological and methodological questions related to science and how these questions have evolved over time.

Though Gustave spends much of his time studying, he still tries to have fun.

In addition to good company, good conversation, and chess, he also enjoys backpacking. This past summer he hiked Yellowstone National Park; summited Mount Reagan in the Sawtooths; walked the Lost Coast trail of Northern California; and explored Portland and the Oregon coast. When asked why nature appeals to him, he answered, “The outdoors, the adventure, the solitude – itʹs a really great way to get to know myself. It gives me a chance to see who I really am in the face of any situation.” ~ Ben Bridges

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Remembering the Great War James McNaughton shares his archaeological experiences This year – 2014 – marks the centennial of the First World War. These events forever transformed the world and its effects remain with us today.

Historians continue to research the Great War, sometimes combining historical detective work with international organizations. In one particular case, the British government uses historians to learn about the past as well as to clear away dangerous wartime materials so they can keep civilians safe.

James McNaughton, a doctoral student in the Department’s historical archaeology program, has been serving for the past seven years with “No Man’s Land,” a volunteer organization sponsored by the British Ministry of Defence. The organization seeks to document World War I trenches and related structures for historical research. They also work to locate and dispose of undetonated explosive material left over from the war. Over the years, McNaughton has often worked on the old Western Front near the town of Messines and the site of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium.

The Battle of Passchendaele began on June 7, 1917 at 4:30 am, when British forces detonated a series of landmines; McNaughton described the detonation as being roughly the equivalent of 1 million pounds of plastic explosives. Contemporaries reported that the sound wave from the blast could be heard in London – over 240 miles away. Over 15,000 German soldiers were vaporized. Today, all that archaeologists find of their remains are bone fragments. The detonation enabled the British to advance, and their ranks included soldiers from the Third Australian Infantry Division. They occupied the area for the rest of the war. However, the Battle of Passchendaele was less about stragegy than preserving Allied morale.

At the end of World War I, much of Europe was littered with war debris: barbed wire, communication wire, undetonated bombs, mortar shells, grenades, and gas shells. Often civilians simply gathered it all together and buried it in shell craters and other holes. Today, the Ministry of Defence wants to locate and dispose all this dangerous material. There are good reasons for this concern. According to McNaughton, between 1947 and 2007, an average of thirteen Belgian and French farmers were killed every year when their equipment hit unexploded ordinances. Along with recording trenches and bunkers, the volunteers with “No Man’s Land” find these deadly explosives before people are killed or injured. This work carries considerable danger for the historical archaeologists involved, some of whom come within a shovel’s length of striking a century‐old grenade or a mustard gas shell. Explosives experts are always on hand. In this case, as McNaughton puts it, history is definitely not boring.

When “No Man’s Land” comes across human remains, they do their best to identify them and notify any living relatives. One story gives an incredible example of how researchers used all historical and scientific means to connect the past with the present. In 2008, researchers found a body, identifiable as an Australian by his medals, in a shell hole at Passchendaele battlefield site. The body was sent to the lab at the University of Ghent.

Historians looked through Australian military records to find men who went missing in action as well as their biometric information. As a result, they narrowed the possibilities down to five men. From there, they requested DNA samples from the families, all of whom willingly participated.

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With the DNA results, the researchers identified the soldier as Australian infantryman Private Alan James Mather. Originally born in Britain, Matherhad immigrated to Australia in the 1890s, where he became a successful vineyard owner. During that time, he also served as an officer in the militia cavalry. When World War I broke out, he enlisted as a private in the army and served on the Western front.

In 2010, Mather was laid to rest in a battlefield cemetery alongside his fellow soldiers in a full state and military funeral. Among those in attendance were the Australian ambassador to Belgium, the commander of the Australian armed forces and seven members from Mather’s family. The archaeologists had solved a century‐old family mystery and reconstructed an individual’s life story – cut short by the tragedy of war.

The Battle of Passchendaele did not have a major impact in the war.

McNaughton says that the British attempted new techniques without knowing how to consolidate their gains while the Germans were unprepared for the advance. The result was a morale victory for the British more than a strategic one at the cost of thousands of lives. ~ Shannon Kelly

Phi Alpha Theta News On October 22, 2014, members of the Pi‐Theta chapter of Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society gathered at Mikey’s Greek Gyros in downtown Moscow to initiate eight new members. The turnout was impressive, with over twenty members and faculty attending. Participants enjoyed spending time reconnecting with other members of the History Department in a setting filled with good food and conversation.

Professors Ellen Kittell, Ian Chambers, and Herman Ronnenberg were among those in attendance.

This year’s guest speaker was University of Idaho French professor Sarah Congratualtions to the Phi Alpha Theta Fall Nelson. She gave an 2014 initiates: L to R, James Macnaughton, entertaining and informative Gunn Wilson, Camilla Van Natter, Cody Slonim presentation on Senegal. and Ryan Bovard.

Using photos and anecdotes from her experiences in the former French colony, Nelson discussed social andpolitical change in the country. She discussed the African tradition of oral history through griots, selected members of the community charged with preserving the traditional local heritage.

The Pi‐Theta chapter welcomed the following new members: Ryan Bovard, Tyler Brock, James MacNaughton, Jose Rojas, Cody Slonim, Camilla Van Natter, Robert “Johnny” Wetherell, andEvan “Gunn” Wilson. Phi Alpha Theta would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped with this wonderful initiation dinner: the members, the new initiates, our executive board, Mikey’s Greek Gyros, Professor Nelson, Professor Kittell, and Alisa Goolsby.

~Shannon Kelly

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Jefferson Kleopfer

Molly Swords

Jefferson, originally from Lewiston, Idaho, completed his BA in history at the University of Idaho in 2014. He is staying on to pursue an MA under Dr. Richard Spence. His research interests are Eastern European history, Russian history, and the history of ethnic minorities. For his master’s thesis, Jefferson hopes to study how a monarch is affected byinheriting the throne at a young age, with a focus on Emperor Franz Josef and his contemporary Queen Victoria.

Molly is pursuing a PhD in historical archaeology. She holds an MA from the University of Montana in Anthropology, with a focus in historical archaeology and forensic anthropology. Recently Molly was a project manager at the Sandpoint Archaeological Project, which was a major preservation project funded by the Idaho Department of Transportation.

Here, she helped excavate the original town site of Sandpoint, Idaho. She has taught courses on cultural resource management at the University of Idaho.

Molly focuses her research on the archaeologies of communities, industrial expansion, and leisure. She plans to write her dissertation on the alcohol culture and hotel life in the early American West.

Jeff Meyers Jeff completed his undergraduate degree in 2004 at California Lutheran University. After receiving his BA, he took a year off of school to travel in Germany and work at a resort in Aspen, Colorado. Afterwards, he came to the University of Idaho for graduate school.

Jeff finished his MA in 2006, and will complete his PhD this year. Over the past several years, he has taught extensively in the Department of History — a formal experience extended onto many of our Department’s doctoral students. Some of his courses have included our usual freshman‐level courses such as “History of Civilization” and “Introduction to American History.” This fall semester, he’s been able to offer an integrated freshman seminar on the history of crime and terrorism. His dissertation deals with the development of Chechnen terrorist organizations in the Caucasus. This past February, Jeff complemented his doctoral studies by spending two weeks in Russia, where he visited Moscow and St. Petersburg and even attended events at the Sochi Winter Olympics!

Amy Thompson Amy comes from the Willamette Valley, but currently calls Palouse, WA, home.

She is pursuing an MA in history. She studied architecture at the University of Idaho, receiving her B.S. and M.Arch in 2004. After graduation, she joined the staff at the UI library, where she works in Special Collections and Archives. Her research focuses on the American West, particularly fruit growers associations such as the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District.

~Amy Pendegraft

Please join us for the 3rd Annual

Bella Notte an Italian dinner with live music Presented by Phi Alpha Theta in support of history student scholarships

Saturday, April 18, 2015 5:00‐8:30 p.m.

St. Augustine’s Catholic Center 628 S. Deakin Street Student’s w/ID: $5.00 Non‐Student: $6.00 Family of four: $18.00

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A New Perspective on the Trans‐Atlantic Slave Trade Professor Dale Graden reflects on his recent publication This past spring, Professor Dale Graden released his second book, Disease, Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and Cuba (University of Louisiana Press, 2014). In this work, Professor Graden examines the relationships and elements that led to the end of the slave trade in Brazil and Cuba.

Graden frames these relationships in what he calls “the three triangular trades,” all which involved the exchange of goods, crops, capital and slaves.

Graden begins with the triangular trade connecting North America, Europe, and Africa. He then identifies two additional“triangular systems”: a middle triangle between Cuba, Brazil and Africa; and a southern triangle between Cuba, Brazil, and Africa Disease, Resistance, and Lies studies the roles of the United States and Britain in the middle and southern triangles. Citizens of the United States provided ships for this trade and partook in it, despite its illegality. Additionally, Graden explores the elements that led to the end of the slave trade, including slave resistance and rebellions, epidemics in Cuba and Brazil, and legal changes.

Graden cites his adolescence in segregated Rhode Island as the beginning of his interest in history. In his attempt to understand segregation, he traced its history back to the American Civil War. In college, Graden traveled to Mexico and Bermuda, where he realized that there was more to the history of African‐Americans than what he had learned. After graduation, he realized that several Caribbean Islands, such as Jamaica, Haiti, and Barbados, played equally important roles in the history of Africans in the Americas. Indeed, as Graden points out, the United States received only a tiny portion – 4 percent — of the total African slaves transported to the Americas during the four centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. Finally, his interests led him to Brazil, which he calls “the biggest center of the slave trade.” Graden explains his own journey as “That of a naïve young man trying to put together the history of the African Americas.”

In 1985, Graden won a Fulbright Scholarship to study the Brazilian Negro Front, an organized black movement in São Paulo during the 1920s. At the time, a lack of documents and materials made it difficult to achieve his study’s goals. Shifting his focus to the history of abolition, he found a gap in the historiography of abolition in Northeast Brazil. This research led him to his first book, entitled From Slavery to Freedom in Brazil: Bahia, 1835‐1900 (2006). With Disease, Resistance, and Lies, he took the research further by using a mass of British sources, many of which had never been used for

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research on abolition. As one of the book’s highlights, Graden uncovers the high degree of physical and mental abuse that Africans suffered throughout their enslavement. Graden uses another primary source to show that Cuban authorities deliberately concealed horrid details of abuse and torture from the public.

Both of Graden’s books first began as well‐received published articles that inspired him to take his research further. He described his research process by evoling the Portuguese word “aprofundar,” which means to go deeper into a particular topic or historical juncture. In the case of Disease, Resistance, and Lies he explored the historiographical trends of the subject and looked for gaps. Graden advises, “You have to keep reading. There is such an immense amount out there. Not only books, but journals, the web, it’s limitless. Have a good time doing it too. Treat yourself to a rich and fulfilling intellectual history.”

As an important part of his research approach, Graden has long interacted with other experts in his field — both in the United States and abroad. Since the 1980s, when he first began researching his doctoral dissertation, he has established close relationships with colleagues around the world — he maintains them to this day.

When Graden summarizes his new book, he says: “There are some major problems in understanding our American past, meaning there are real problems in the way which history is viewed and analyzed. This book examines a fascinating period of history (the 19th century Atlantic world) in which several key events set the stage for the abolition of the slave trade and then final abolition in Brazil in 1888.”

Indeed, Disease, Resistance, and Liesuncovers several hidden histories.

Graden says that his work is only one piece of the puzzle, but it helps us understand modern‐day race relations and politics.

Readers will be pleased to learn that Graden is currently working on a third book. It will expand on the life of an African from Sierra Leone, known as John Freeman by the British and Manoel by his slave owner in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Manoel’s remarkable journey is touched on in Disease, Resistance, and Lies.

I recommend reading Disease, Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and Cuba. It is thrilling, easily accessible, and always enlightening. It is available online and through the University of Idaho library. ~Ben Bridges

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Faculty Member Awarded the Esto Perpetua Article by Melissa Courtnage Esteemed alumnus and adjunct professor, Herman Wiley Ronnenberg received the Esto Perpetua from the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS), for his outstanding contribution for the preservation of Idaho’s heritage this past June in Boise. The Esto Perpetua is Idaho’s highest award given to an individual or group for the promotion and preservation of Idaho’s cultural heritage.

With over forty years’ of teaching experience from elementary school to university level, sixty articles, and eight books, Herman Ronneberg is most deserving of such an honor. Ronnenberg was awarded“for his passion for preserving the history of Idaho brewing.”

Herman Wiley Ronnenberg was born and raised in Evansville, Illinois. He attended Sparta High School in Illinois, before graduating from Beaumont High School in Beaumont, California in 1964. In 1968, ee received his undergraduate degree in history and physical education. Afterwards, he earned his MA degree in library science and an M.S.E from the University of Central Missouriin Warrensburg. He was beguiled by the history of Prohibition in the US, and he even wroter his thesis on the subject. As sees it, the end of Prohibition “would have been a great time to live.” Later, he sought a doctoral program in archaeology, but he ultimately abandoned it for a history program in a small town atmosphere. He recalls, “Iwanted to raise my son, who was in fifth grade at the time, in a small town.” This led him to the University of Idaho where he earned his degree in historical archaeology under William Greever, Carlos Schwantes, and Bill Barnes.

After graduating, he spent the next twenty years teaching in Pomeroy, Idaho. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he also coached many extracurricular activities, especially boys’ and girls’ basketball. However, he also subbed as a coach for cross‐country, track and field, football and baseball — any position, in short,a small school district needed!

In 1985, Ronnenberg and his wife, Diane, bought the North Idaho Cowboy Bar in Troy, which they reopened as a restaurant. The restaurant served French and Italian cuisine. Ronnenberg recalls that “Every morning we would make fresh noodles from scratch.” He describes how they prepared the noodles for each day; they would hand‐roll the noodles before throwing them into boiling water for a minute after blanching them in an ice bath and then store them in a bag with oil until that evening, when the noodles would be added to freshly prepared sauces. “No one makes noodles that way,” he beams with pride. They later began “ethnic food” weeks where they served cuisine from around the world everything, from Chinese to Cajun. In 1988, they sold the restaurant to pursue other interests.

Ronnenberg has a true passion for beer and the history of brewing, particularly in Idaho. Affectionately known as “Dr. Beer,” he wrote a book entitled History of the Brewing Industry in Idaho, 1862‐1960 (1993), which was a revised version of his doctoral dissertation. Ronnenberg acknowledges that be became interested in beer brewing in Idaho came after he discovered

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that Moscow once had its own brewery. On further research, he found that Idaho had over thirty‐three breweries scattered throughout mining and logging camps in the late 1880s. There were so many because, believe or not beer can be fragile —and so people cannot transport it over long distances. It is for this reason that Idaho boasted so many local breweries. However, following the Bull Volstead Act, enacted to carry out the eighteenth Amendment, Idaho’s breweries went into decline. Over time, Ronenberg interested himself more and more in story of Idaho breweries and their manufacturing techniques. He discovered a myriad of fascinating events around the brewers and breweries as well as state and county legislation.

For example, Idaho was a patchwork of dry and wet counties depending on local county laws. In these times, train travel could prove annoying to any drinker: a passenger could be served alcohol in one county but have it taken away in the next.

Prohibition caused breweries to close and employees to lose their jobs. To prevent increased unemployment or bankruptcy across the country, brewers often reopened their doors to other manufacturing, such as ice cream, cured ham, “near‐beer,“ and bottled drinking water. Idaho was no exception. After the repeal of Prohibition, with better transportation methods and new technological techniques in brewing, larger companies were able to transport their goods into new markets that had previously been reserved for local breweries. By the 1970s Idaho breweries could not recover.

In his research, Ronnenberg has continued to branch out with his later publications, which focus on individual Idahoans such as John Lemp, Janette Manuel, and Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie. While researching John Lemp, who he nicknamed “the Beer Baron of Boise,” he uncovered over 1,200 newspaper clippings on Lempranging from mining to banking to his eventual appointment as major: “He was in the newspaper almost every day.” Ronnenberg’s research led to his 2008 publication ofThe Beer Baron of Boise: The Life of John Lemp, Millionaire Brewer of the Frontier Idaho. All the while, he continued to investigate Idaho brewers in The Disciples of King Gambrinus Volume 1: 25 Unfortunate Lives (2011) and his most recent publication The Disciples of King Gambrinus Volume II: Capitalists and Town Fathers (2013). While examining brewerJohn J. (Jack) Manuel, he became fascinated by Manuel’s wife Janette and her close friend Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie, both of whom have led adventurous lives. For more additional information please see Ronnenberg’s Janet Manuel: The Life and Legend of the Belle of Fabulous Florence (2009) and Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012).

Herman Ronnenberg, a father of two and grandfather of four, currently resides in Troy.He is the owner of the publishing company Heritage Witness Reflection Publishing and is in the process of editing his ninth book.

Ronnenberg lectures at the University of Idaho for History 101: World Civilization I, History 102: World Civilizations II, and this semester History 112: Introduction to U.S. History. Students across the university love his classes.

When asked what advice he would give history students today, he said: “be patient.”

Below is an excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012) p. 1‐5, by Herman Wiley Ronnenberg.

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A Snapshot in Idaho History An excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return The Rescue June‐December 1877 Holding her three year‐old daughter, Addie, in her arms and clinging to the hand of eight‐year‐old Frances, Isabella said goodbye to her old friend Jeanette Manuel, and began the steep 12‐mile climb out of White Bird Canyon to Mount Idaho. Her husband was dead. Her friends were comforting but of little assistance, and her children were already getting sick from hunger, exertion and fear. Menacing hostiles—perhaps the same men who killed her husband—were potentially everywhere and the road was not safe. With only motherly instincts and Irish determination to strengthen her, Isabella summoned her courage and plowed ahead.

Isabella’s son, Grant, and daughter, Mary Caroline, were already at Mount Idaho where they had been boarding so they could study during the school term. The body of precocious little Nettie, her fifth child, had been safe under the sod of Idaho for nearly four years. All of Isabella’s attention was on the two girls that clung to her.

Isabella later recalled conditions at the Manuel ranch that she was then leaving: “The Indians had eaten every morsel in the house before they left and I could not even get a crust at Mrs. Manuel’s.”And the arduous hike would be without nourishment.

On that Friday night, as Francis remembered it, the family continued on their way toward Mount Idaho staying close to the road while fearing to venture completely on to it and become visible at any distance. Soon after starting their journey, of horseman came by on the run and shots rang out.

The rider was settler William George, and he made good his escape.

A report written years later recalled that: “While on this terrible journey she discovered a white man, mounted upon a switch strong horse flying for his life. She hailed him and begged him to help her. Oh, shame! He refused.

This is a solitary act recorded of an Idahoan and in those trying times of war for which all brave men blush. The mother begged him to take her youngest babe and save it. He refused. This man still lives and his home is on Camas Prairie. This unchivalrous man reported in Mount Idaho that Mrs. Benedict was probably killed by Indians; and if not, she was a wanderer on the mountain.”This may or may not be a memory of this particular encounter.

Such a happening had to further try Isabella’s resolve and increase her fear.

Fear, desperation, and hunger were the unseen baggage Isabella lugged alongside her children on this journey.

Francis recalled: “knowing there were Indians in the vicinity we were loath to venture forth, but mother, brave little soul, knew she had to battle along and, undaunted, pushed on, avoiding the road as much as possible.”After an exhausting all–night ordeal, Isabella reached the top of the canyon near the old White Bird Hill Grade where the little family hid in the brush.

“When near the top of the mountain mother told me to sit down and hold the baby, and not move from there, while she climbed to the top to locate the road and reconnoiter before going on. Coming back she called softly, fearing she might miss us in the dark.”

“After a short rest she retraced her steps up the mountain, carrying the baby. With my hand in hers we went over the top and gained the shelter of

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the brush beside the road. This was the old grade on the White Bird Hill.”

They stayed the rest of Friday night there and moved to deeper brush when the sun came up. Francis carried water to them from a creek using the baby’s shoe for container. “All day Saturday we remained hidden in the brush while the whole tribe of Indians was passing by. They were hurrying their families from their camping ground at the lake, now Tolo Lake, to the Salmon River, aiming to cross before the soldiers came up with them.”

Saturday, a day of hunger and fear, passed. Dusk at last came on that long June day.

At the Top of the White Bird Grade Isabella squeezed Frances’ hand even tighter while pushing her other little babe, Addie, lower in the weeds as the sounds of the horses grew even closer. It was well after midnight and the beginning of June 17. She concealed her little family from the sight of mounted men several times in the past three days, and knew how to do this well. She heard a muffled bit of speech. It was English, not Nez Perce. She allowed her hopes to lift a bit. Then she heard more horses, and more men despite their attempts to be perfectly quiet. The newly widowed mother of four living children raised her head a bit and peered into the dark of the pre–dawn countryside. It was the cavalry from Fort Lapwai. She nearly collapsed with relief. She picked up Addie and pulled eight – year – old Frances along as they left the brushy hill–side and walked towards men and horses.

The troopers were as surprised to see Isabella as she was to see them. At last she and the children had some food – army hardtack. Soon, Mrs. Isabella Benedict was talking to Captain Perry, the commanding officer. Her pent‐up emotions all gushed forth at once. She was almost too upset to make a coherent story but managed to get out the overall picture. She told him of the attack on the Benedict store, and their home, the shooting of her husband, the attack on the Manuel family, and her attempt to take her children to safety at Mount Idaho. Perry told her to spend the rest of the night there and see what the dawn would bring. He ordered one man to give her a blanket and trumpeter Jones gave her his lunch. Knowing a battle was very possible, Perry could spare no men or horses to help her on to Mount Idaho. He offered instead, to send her toward the town with some friendly Nez Perce. Isabella declined.

The troopers were in their second night without sleep. They were ordered to make no fires—not even smoking—and to stay awake. One man forgot himself and struck a match to light his pipe. A coyote howl went up immediately and the officers believed their presence had been detected by the Nez Perce Sentries. Most likely, the iron–sod horses had alerted any sentry in the area long before the match was struck. Such a large group had no hope of remaining undetected.

Isabella lay down with her two babes and covered them with the army– issued wool blanket. Physical exhaustion, grief and relief vied for control of her mind. Her children snuggled in close and she slipped into a fitful sleep.

Dawn comes early to northern Idaho in June.

Sunday, 17 June 1877 At daybreak, Sunday, June 17, Isabella awoke to the sound of the troopers.

Sergeant John P. Schorr wrote to historian McWhorter years later that the Benedicts were found in rags and starving.She begged the soldiers not to go further or they would all be massacred. They should have listened.

Ronnenberg, Herman Wiley. Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie. Troy, ID: Heritage Witness Reflections Publishing, 2012.

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Remembrance of William and Janet Greever

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The History Department wishes to acknowledge the loss of Dr. Janet Greever (September 12, 1921–August 5, 2014). Dr. Greever was the wife of Dr. William S. Greever (July 22, 1916 ‐ January 14, 2007), former professor and chair of the History Department at the University of Idaho. The Greevers are memorialized by the Greever Scholarship, a $1,000‐$1,500 award made yearly to a University of Idaho history student on the basis of academic merit.

Dr. William Greever completed his bachelor’s degree in history at Pomona University in 1938 and his master’s degree in history at Harvard University in 1940. He served in the United States Army from 1942‐46, rising to the rank of Technical Sergeant and performing administrative duties in the US, the Philippines, and Japan. Following World War II, he returned to Harvard, completing his PhDin American history in 1949. His dissertation on “The Santa Fe Railway and its Western Land Grant” was later expanded into his first book, published in 1954.

At Harvard, Dr. Greever met his future wife, Janet Groff, who was herself pursuing a PhD in history at Radcliffe. They were married on August 24, 1951. Janet Greever had previously received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in history in 1942 and 1945, both from Bryn Mawr College. Between obtaining her first two degrees, she worked on the Japanese naval cipher for Naval Communications in Washington D.C. She completed her PhD thesis in 1954on “José Ballivián and the Bolivian Oriente: a Study of Aspirations in the 1840s.”

After a short teaching appointment to Northwestern University, William Greever joined the faculty of the University of Idaho in 1949. He specialized in westward movement and social and cultural history of the United States. He served as chairman of History from 1956 until his retirement in 1982. Greever was highly respected by his colleagues throughout his tenure as a teacher and an administrator. Janet Greever was also served at various times as a temporary instructor of Latin American history at the University of Idaho and Washington State University. Both of the Greevers were members of Phi Alpha Theta.

A highlight of William Greever’s career came in 1958–59, when he received a Guggenheim Fellowship that enabled him to spend a sabbatical doing research on mining rushes at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, California. The resulting book, The Bonanza West: The Story of the Western Mining Rushes 1848‐1900, won a Spur Award for nonfiction from Western Writers of America in 1963.

Despite his success as a writer, Dr. Greever considered teaching his most important activity. After his sabbatical he wrote, “The opportunity to do full‐time research was stimulating…valuable as the experience was, I would not want to be for too long away from the classroom.”

~Amy Pendegraft

In Memoriam Robert Brower The Department of History is sad to report that Robert Claude Brower, former Magistrate of the Seventh District Court of Idaho, died from cancer in the University of Utah Medical Center on October 12, 2014. He was sixty‐nine years old.

Judge Brower received his undergraduate degree in history at Idaho State University. Later he earned his law degree from the University of Idaho, passing the state bar exam in 1974.

Many of our alumni will have fond memories of Brower’s indefatigable sister: Nancy Dafoe. Mrs. Dafoe worked as the administrative assistant for the Department of History at the University of Idaho for twenty‐nine years, before she retired in 2010.

The entire Brower family has deeply appreciated the pursuit of historical studies. Two of Brower’s sons majored in history at the University of Idaho and then pursued doctoral studies at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University and University of Rutgers in New Jersey. The eldest, Dr. Ben Brower, is currently a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, while the younger, BradyBrower, is now a fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton University.

At present, a number of family members, colleagues, and friends are organizing a new history scholarship fund in memory of Justice Robert Claude Brower. They hope to raise an initial $25,000 to establish anannual award for undergraduate majors who have an interest to study the field of law.

The History Department and The Primary Source Editorial Board extend our sincerest condolences to the entire Brower family.If you wish to read more about Judge Brower’s life and accomplishments, please see http://www.am‐news.com/content/robert‐claude‐brower‐69.

~Gustave Lester

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In Appreciation and Recognition. . .

We thank the following people and corporations who have shown support to the department through donations, which help sustain scholarships for our undergraduate and graduate students:

Katherine G. Aiken and Joseph M. Schwartz David J. Anderson James W. and Mary Ann Asaph

Loyce H. Lewis

Give a Gift

Joni T. Libertin

https://www.sites.uidaho.edu/giving/ GivingForm.aspx

Ronald H. Limbaugh

Nancy J. Lunden

Undergraduates Brittany Pica

Robert Henry McQuade, Jr.

Bryan Reigel*

Gordon L. and Alice M. Merritt

Thomas Anthony Mihelich

Graduates

David Lawrence and Christy J.

Harry E. Bilger

Nicandri

Melissa Courtnage*

Masters

Justin Smith*

Masters

*Phi Alpha Theta Member

Karen M. Offen Adam M. and Julia B. Browning

Kari Lynn Overall William D. Butler Bryan Paul and Marina Victorovna Pereira

Jeff Scott and Lisa Ann Davis Stephanie Suzett Duran‐Quintana & Jeff Krigel

Graduate History

Ronald T. and Kathye H. Polillo†

Shannon Kelly

Undergraduate History

Gustave Lester

Undergraduate History

Amy Pendegraft

Undergraduate History

Carol Lynn Ripley

Joseph Michael Sanders and Abby Boyer

John D. and Jodi M. Haire

Mara Holt Skov and Steven Skov Holt

Jeffrey Emerson and Linda Anne Harkness

Carolle A. Skov

Lindsey Harris Hughes

Susquehanna International Group, LLP

David Gordon and Debra E. Kaspar

Kermit L. and June A. Staggers

Jeff Krigel Law Firm, PLLC

Joshua Allen Tomlin and Erin Emily Hodgin‐Tomlin

Rachel Johnson

Lindarae Persis Watts

Eddie Sue Judy

Michael David Weaver

Melissa Courtnage

Undergraduate History

Michael K. and Ivy L. Green

† Deceased

Lori Ann Lahlum

Ben Bridges

Wade Rumney

Timothy Gregory and Charlene

EDITORIAL BOARD

Robert A. and Susan E. Perrin

Stanley Frank Guenthner and Pauline Veiga‐Guenthner

Robert Christopher Bowe

Ronald G. Colstad

2014 Fall Graduates

Charles W. and Elizabeth J. Lorenz

The Editorial Board would like to thank Kristian Strubb and Debbie Husa for their help and advice on the formatting and editing of The Primary Source.

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