The Second World War was a conflict that spanned the world and affected every individual alive in the combatant nations. It was a total war, a conflict that required immense involvement by combat troops and the populous at home. Anyone alive during the time remembers events from the war, even seventy-five years after it began. The war changed American society.
In order to understand what life was like for children during the Second World War, Alex interviewed two individuals. The first person he interviewed was his paternal grandmother, Margaret Nichols. The second person he interviewed was hi maternal grandmother, Margaret Vogel. Both born in 1930 to American families, they experienced the war first-hand as children and grew up in the aftermath. Their lives weren’t purely dictated by war, but it was a large part of their beginnings. See the transcripts of his interviews and listen to the interviews here!
The stacks of literature collect far and wide in the ivory towers as scholars continue to examine political polarization in the United States. Arguments are made for and against this idea, but ultimately scholars are left divided in dissent. Oral history is the last piece to this puzzle. Academia has the aggregate data, the studies, and nomothetic trends, but what the scholars are neglecting to study is how people perceive and speak about polarization. By integrating four oral histories into his research about political polarization, Ryan developed three key arguments. First, political polarization exists in both the political elite and the American electorate. Second, this problem results from the collective action of deregulated campaigning, lead party activists, and the mass media. Finally, a divide like this can be mended. Through studying how it is minimized in local governments, by increasing the accountability of elected officials, the effect of polarization can be diminished. A problem such as this, festering over time, will continue to wreak havoc on the American political system, making it is essential to adopt a solution sooner rather than later.
His interviews included Laura Fahey, 21, who will be graduating from the University of Rochester in May 2014 with a degree in International Relations, his grandmother Jean Olson, 63, who spent over a decade in politics at the local level, Kristian Seeley, 20, who is studying physical education at Hudson Valley Community College, and his father, Scott Olson, 49. See the transcripts of his interviews and listen to the interviews here!
Discrimination has been all-too-common in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community for the last 100 years, and despite many advances, discrimination still takes place today. In his interviews and his outside research, Adam Quimby found LGBT people often face very different reactions from people in rural areas as compared to urban areas. Adam interviewed Bryan Thompson and Gary Berk, two local men who made a family with each other and later their children. They came from very different demographic backgrounds and have had very different experiences as gay men in their community. See the transcripts of his interviews and listen to the interviews here!
The days, weeks and months after September 11th, 2001 were tumultuous ones. The United States scrambled to restructure an intelligence system that had been disintegrating since the fall of the Berlin Wall, multiple meetings were held between the highest levels of the Executive Branch and Pentagon, and George W. Bush was deciding the future of the United States. What was disarray in the government, however, was borderline panic in the public. Many just wanted answers. How did this happen? Who would do this?
Jordan chose to interview his mother, JoAnn Rogers, and a local Canton, NY woman, Kimberly Busch, about their experiences after the 9/11 attacks and the eventual invasion of Iraq as US citizens. See the transcripts of his interviews and listen to the interviews here!
As an officer in training with the ROTC Army, Josh did a military analysis on these attacks on the U.S., using oral histories and other historical sources. His final conclusion about the events of 9/11 through the lens of American history included the following five points:
1. The reaction of many Americans to the terrorist attack of September 11th was one of shock; thus, the interviewees had similar responses to the events.
2. Violence plays a significant role in Islamic history and “terrorism” is deeply rooted as far back as at least the eleventh century. However, the modern Islamic terrorism as seen today is strikingly different from what one may consider classic Islamic terrorism.
3. The attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001—taken more generally as an attack on the United States of America—was an event waiting to happen since the conclusion of the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989).
4. The response of the United States to the September 11th attack, or more specifically the “Bush Doctrine,” was not only a predictable response, but a well-precedented American foreign policy response dating back to at least the 1890s.
5. The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 tied to the September 11th attacks, though questionable in hindsight, was a predictable, rational, and logical policy decision considering the individuals who comprised the top advisors in the Bush administration and the ideology of United States foreign policy.
Josh conducted oral history interviews with local Anglican priest, Father Christopher Brown, and his mother, Kimberly Wilson, to learn about their reactions to 9/11 while also drawing back and looking at other sources to see the big picture of this important event. See the transcripts of his interviews and listen to the interviews here!
The influence of the psychiatric facility in Ogdensburg, New York has permeated beyond the institution itself, creating a positive and lasting effect on the North Country community. With oral history, stories come alive, and a community can bond over their own rich and exciting history. Oral history allows people from all backgrounds to tell their stories, adding depth and understanding to our perceptions of the past. The purpose of this project was to use the beautiful, fascinating art of oral history to better understand the context of psychiatry in northern New York in relation to the community. Above all, the institutions were a uniting factor for the community; by helping those in need, the two institutions have exemplified many of the ideals small North Country towns like Ogdensburg epitomize.
Alanna interviewed Katherine Briggs and one Brian Doe, both possessing great knowledge about the Psychiatric Center and its relationship with the community. See the transcripts of her interviews and listen to the interviews here!
Alanna also took advantage of the option to create a website about her oral history research. Find her website here!