The UNH History Department's History Day

Session 1

Dinosaurs: Animal History before Humans (and After), Professor Jessica Lepler

In “Dinosaurs: Animal History before Humans (and After),” we do the unthinkable; we cover more than 4.5 billion years of the past in less than an hour. First, we contextualize the development of animal and human life in the span of deep time. We learn that animals have existed on the planet for less than a quarter of the Earth’s history, and humans have existed for much less than one percent of this past. Then, we turn the tables and consider how we know what we know about the pre-human past. This dive into the history of science and capitalism reveals connections between fossil fuels, industrialization, Darwin, and the “Dinosaur Wars.” Ultimately, we will see the amazing capacity of humans to adapt their ideas and their actions to life on our ever-changing planet.

Session 2

Climate as History, Professor Andrew Seal

Few global issues weigh as heavily on students’ minds as climate change, yet most likely they think of the topic as one that humans have only struggled with for a few decades. This truncated historical perspective does them no favors because it encourages extreme responses: either skepticism (it’s not happening) or fatalism (there’s nothing we can do about it). Taking a longer view of the history of climate change can accomplish two things. First, it can help students see that humans have previously faced significant shifts in climactic patterns with both resilience and ingenuity. Second, it can sharpen their understanding of what is socially and economically unique about the current climate cycle: the burning of fossil fuels. 

The Governor, the Sheriff, and the Sawyer: A New Hampshire Perspective on the Coming of the Revolution, Professor Kimberly Alexander

The conventional narrative of the American Revolution emphasizes the role of extra-legal events in Massachusetts such as the Boston Tea Party and Stamp Act riots. Yet, extra-legal actions were hardly exclusive to Massachusetts. New Hampshire had a long tradition of protest, especially when connected to timber. The laws passed by Parliament in 1690, 1708 and 1722 in which the King claimed pine trees for the masts needed for the Royal Navy, contributed to growing discontent with British rule. This discontent roiled and festered and was reflected in a series of demonstrations and riots throughout the 1700s. This talk will examine acts of resistance against Crown surveyors in Exeter in 1734 and Weare and Goffstown in 1772, culminating with the Portsmouth Powder Alarm of December 13, 14, 15th of 1774. Even as late as 1786, Exeter was involved in a paper money riot à la Shays Rebellion. While we often view these incidents as independent from one another, I would suggest that in this struggle against a power which "outguns you and outmans you," it was these smaller scale, locally based acts of defiance and protest which had a long-term collective impact -- much like provoking a hive of angry bees. Following this presentation, participants will have the opportunity to discuss primary sources such as newspapers, and to workshop ideas for how to use these events in the classroom.

The Origins of Christian Holy War, Professor David Bachrach

During the course of the third century A.D., Christians suffered martyrdom at the hands of Roman government officials for refusing to offer prayers to the gods to ensure the victory of the Empire in war. As members of a pacifist cult, Christians believed it was better to suffer death than to engage in violence, even to save their own lives. In the decades leading up to the launching of the First Crusade (1095-1099), Christian leaders, up to and including the pope, proclaimed that killing the enemy of Christendom in battle could be understood as a penance to cleanse one’s soul of sin. This seminar will address the transformation of Christian teaching and behavior that led to the development of a Christianized concept of holy war.

Session 3

NATO, A Brief History of its Founding and Expansion, 1949-2024, Professor Kurk Dorsey

Europe and North America came together to form a military alliance in 1949.  That alliance has expanded several times since its foundation, with different rationales and different responses from nations outside of the alliance.  In this lecture/session we will examine why NATO expanded and how its mission has evolved over the last 75 years.

Session 4

Battles over Birthright Citizenship: Yesterday and Today, Professor Lucy E. Salyer

Who is an American? The 14th Amendment states, "Any persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868 after the Civil War, primarily to override the US Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1856) which held that African Americans were not citizens, even if born in the United States. After the 14th Amendment was adopted, the citizenship of certain groups – Native Americans and Chinese Americans, especially -- remained endangered. In Wong Kim Ark v. US (1898), the Supreme Court rejected efforts to strip Chinese Americans of their birthright citizenship, holding that the Amendment's broad language included everyone born in the US. The principle of birthright citizenship has held firm since 1898, but not without controversy. Many Native Americans, for example, viewed the imposition of birthright citizenship in the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 as a violation of tribal sovereignty. More recently, birthright citizenship has re-emerged as an issue as the new presidential administration has argued forcefully for restricting access to birthright citizenship. In this workshop, we will investigate the long history of birthright citizenship in the U.S. and how that history might inform contemporary debates. What are the legal, political, social and moral issues at stake in the battle over birthright citizenship?

Race and the American Revolution, Dr. Benjamin Remillard

This seminar will examine the experiences of people of color and the role race played during the American Revolution. How did race, for instance, influence the drafting of the Declaration of Independence? What roles did soldiers of color play on both sides of the conflict? What was life like for those people of color who contributed to the Revolutionary cause? What were their experiences like in post-war America? And how have the legacies of those participants been remembered? This seminar will examine these questions on a national level, but especially at the local level across New England. 

Exploring the Environmental Humanities Through the Lens of the Panama Canal, Dr. Jordan Coulombe

Since the middle of the 19th century, Panama has captivated the globe thanks to its unique position as the gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, leading to a slew of projects to cross, flatten, dig up, dredge, and even blow up the Isthmus between 1840-1980. Donald Trump’s comments on seizing the Canal have thrust it once more into the global spotlight, reigniting debates about the Canal’s significance. Ultimately, the Canal provides students with a fantastic lens to examine the intersection of geopolitics and environmental resiliency. In learning first to cross and later to dig up Panama, engineers were forced to address the limits of human agency in the face of environmental instability, lessons that prove incredibly prescient in a modern world beset by environmental crises. This session will provide an overview of the history of the Canal before examining how educators can use the Panama Canal to root discussions of climate change and sustainability in the humanities.

Please see the "What You Will Learn" tab for descriptions of each session.

7:30-8:30: Breakfast and check-in on third floor of Horton Hall, included with registration 

8:30-9:30: Session 1 - Dinosaurs: Animal History before Humans (and After),  Professor Jessica Lepler

9:30-9:45: coffee break, third floor of Horton Hall 

9:45-11:15: Session 2 

Choose from:

• Climate as History, Professor Andrew Seal
• The Governor, the Sheriff, and the Sawyer: A New Hampshire Perspective on the Coming of the Revolution, Professor Kimberly Alexander
• The Origins of Christian Holy War, Professor David Bachrach

11:15-11:30: break

11:30-12:30 Session 3 - NATO, A Brief History of its Founding and Expansion 1949-2024, Professor Kurk Dorsey

12:30-1:30: Lunch in Holloway Commons, included with registration 

1:30-3:00: Session 4 

Choose from:

• Battles over Birthright Citizenship: Yesterday and Today, Professor Lucy E. Salyer
• Exploring the Environmental Humanities through the Lens of the Panama Canal, Dr. Jordan Coulombe
• Race and the American Revolution, Dr. Benjamin Remillard