A British Sky: Imperial Networks and the Symbiotic Relationship Between Imperialism and Astronomy in the Nineteenth-Century British Empire

Despite modern perceptions of science as an apolitical, irreligious, democratizing force, science has historically been a tool used by individuals and organizations for their own purposes. In the case of late European empires, science and scientific “progress” were valuable tools for agendas of Christianization and civilization. Moreover, scientists and scientific methods could be used to further the types of work needed to grow empire – such as a map-making and exploration. However, the relationship between science and empire was not limited to imperial domination. Scientists and scientific bodies could also use the tools of empire to further their scientific work. The Royal Astronomical Society is an excellent example of the “use” of empire – most of its funding came from imperial pundits looking to entrench British superiority. Among the various scientific disciplines practiced in the nineteenth century, astronomy played an interesting role in entrenching the relationship between science and empire – particularly as it was practiced on the fringes of the British empire. Growing empires necessitated the creation and proliferation of new technologies that in turn made practicing science in recently acquired colonies much easier. The interconnected web of new technologies, scientists, and imperial structures of power and politics combined with scientific desires, colonial ideals, race relations, and imperial economies of trade and knowledge to produce an incredibly complicated vision of science. Astronomy, in its looking to the heavens, reflected back upon earthly issues to ultimately reveal the tangled ideologies that permeated British imperial science at this time. This story of British imperial astronomy is meant to complicate modern notions of what science is and has been.

Deep space explorers: The Cultural Legacy and Historical Memory of Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2, from the Pale Blue Dot to SNL

Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 have the distinction of being the only human-made objects to have left or be on track to leave the Solar System (other than the recently launched New Horizons mission). While their scientific work is significant, the history of these four missions reveals a deeper cultural legacy. One of the primary public faces of these missions was science communicator Carl Sagan. By exploring how Sagan defined the significance of these missions in his work, we reveal the impact of these missions on our collective imaginings of spaceflight and space exploration (i.e. “astroculture”). We find that the twin Pioneers and Voyagers inspired self-reflexive ideas of human isolation and fragility within the cosmos, introduced communication with extraterrestrials as a serious aspect of spaceflight efforts, and supplemented the image of the astronaut with the robotic probe as the symbol of the human spirit of exploration.

Examining the Dutch Resistance Movement During World War II

This paper is an analysis of the Dutch resistance movement during World War II. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, 102,000 Dutch Jews were deported and killed, which amounted to approximately 75 percent of the pre-war Jewish population in the Netherlands. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Dutch civilians were forced to work in German work camps to fuel the German war machine. Despite this, only 4% of Dutch citizens participated in the resistance movement. This paper will examine the roles of these resistance fighters, as well as several primary sources that demonstrate their importance and significance. It will explain that resistance work was incredibly dangerous work done by many local organizations that when combined formed a national movement. The resistance movement was recognized and encouraged by the Dutch government in exile and was viewed as a threat by the German occupiers. Ultimately, members of the resistance movement should be viewed as heroes who were willing to stand up to the evil of the Nazi regime and risk their lives for freedom.

Asserting Control Over [A]Historical Consciousness: How the Settler State Perpetuates Indigenous Homelessness

The following historiographical analysis briefly outlines the legacy of Indigenous encampments on the Aboriginal Burial Ground in Rossdale Flats in what is colonially known as Edmonton, AB. Specifically, the following analysis documents the grassroots activism of prayer camp pekiwewin in the final months of 2020. Beginning with a brief overview of the encampment site, this research analysis critiques the ongoing colonialism in urban settler cities which regulate how peoples can operate in relation with the land. The methodologies of the state explored herein pertain to the function of public history, ongoing settler colonial oppression, and the criminalization of homelessness as factors that reproduce inequalities. Keywords: settler colonial, public history, homelessness, Indigenous Peoples, urban cities

Von Braun, Tikhonravov, and Space Flight in American and Soviet Post-War Popular Media

Wernher von Braun and Mikhail Tikhonravov had the nature of their scientific roles shown through their connections to popular science media in the countries where they worked during the 1950s. Von Braun’s background was reflected through the edutainment of three Disneyland episodes, and Tikhonravov was unique in his association with Soviet popular science magazines. Their personal interests in relation to their work could also be shown through their interactions with the public sphere.

Chivalry and Knighthood in the Past and Present; Contrasting “Gawain” and Fire Emblem Three Houses

In my paper, I delve into the socio-political dimensions of knighthood and chivalry during the medieval era of Europe through a comparison between the Medieval English poem, “Gawain and the Green Knight,” and the video game, Fire Emblem Three Houses, published in 2019 by Nintendo. Within both texts, I explore chivalry and knighthood as a specific social code and institution of power, both of which are complex constructs beneath its veneer of idealism and romanticism. More prominently however, I discuss the interplay between chivalry as a system of power and one’s humanity. I argue that Three Houses compellingly demonstrates this dynamic through its characters and their interactions together, and shines a light on the reality of individuals beholden to institutional power. Although contemporary narratives may tend to misconstrue the past for dramatic effect, I believe there is value in examining them because they may conversely reveal previously overlooked aspects of historical concepts due to the biases and values of the period.

An Age of Transition: Restaging Brecht’s Encounter with Beijing Opera

The scene is Moscow, 1935. A who’s who of the European avant-garde has gathered to see the work of their foremost Chinese colleague: the Beijing opera master Mei Lanfang. Among them is the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, who sees in Mei’s performances the aesthetic effect he aims to develop in his own work: an effect he will soon call the ‘alienation effect.’ In 1936, Brecht pens his famous essay “On Chinese Acting,” in which he argues—approvingly—that Chinese theatre alienates the actor and audience from a play’s narrative by smashing the fourth wall and championing symbolism over realism. But did Brecht get it right? In this essay, I examine this remarkable episode in global theatre history. I argue that Brecht misunderstood Beijing opera’s theatre aesthetics, yet nonetheless meaningfully engaged with Chinese culture. A renewed encounter between Brechtian theatre and Beijing opera, I suggest, opens up intriguing possibilities in dramatic performance and theatre aesthetics.

Assimilation Tactics: Indigenous Women, the Politics of Birth, and the Colonization of Bodies on the Canadian Prairies During the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Colonialism is a highly gendered process whose effects are disproportionately felt by women, and within the context of the settler state of Canada, by Indigenous women. The imposition of Euro-Canadian gender norms upon Indigenous Peoples by the settler Canadian government was driven by an explicit goal of assimilation. Consequently, Indigenous women have had their important positions within their communities as matriarchs, elders, midwives, healers, and other positions of significance undermined. While there are numerous dimensions to the Canadian government’s attempt to force Indigenous women into subservient gender roles, this paper is a historical analysis that focuses on the government’s attempt to exert control over the bodies and sexuality of Indigenous women, alongside restrictions placed upon Indigenous women that limited their ability to pursue midwifery following the introduction of the Indian Act in 1876.

The Social Circumstances that Criminalized Abortion in the 19th Century

To say abortion is a controversial subject is an understatement. While there was no federal law against abortion in the 19thcentury, the majority of the states in the U.S. introduced anti-abortion laws after the Comstock Laws outlawed the drugs and practices that made abortion possible in 1873.[1] Legal or not, women have been subject to unrelenting criticism regarding the termination of unwanted pregnancies for centuries. To form realistic conclusions about abortion in the 19thcentury, it is essential to take into consideration far more than the dispute of morality. Regulation of abortive practices was, as this paper will indicate, less about medical safety and gestational awareness than sexual inequality and racial disparities; the aim of this research is to determine the social circumstances that influenced the conceptualization of abortion and inspired legal action against it. [1] https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/42nd-congress/session-3/c42s3ch258.pdf

The Status of Female Missionaries Mental Health in Late 19th and Early-Mid 20th Century Mission China: Role Searching, Grieving, and Lacking Support, an Everyday Woman’s Life in Mission China

This article begins the process of looking into female missionaries' mental health and how it was affected during their time in China. Beginning in the nineteenth and twentieth century, a wave of female missionaries, both unmarried and married, made their way to the slowly opening ports of China bringing with them the word of God. The article highlights some of the ways women’s mental health was affected as they lived and preached in China including their juggling of domestic and public roles, homesickness, and losing a child for any myriad of reasons. Regardless of the struggles and experiences these women faced while living in China, the mission societies and Churches these women and their respective communities were attached to did nothing to provide care and assistance for these women leaving them to grieve, suffer silently, and question God’s plan by themselves. Keywords: China; Female Missionaries; mental health; wives; mothers