This study analyses the theme of homelessness in American literature from the Civil War through the depression. Drawing on the work of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Horatio Alger, Stephen Crane, Jacob Riis, Jack London, Meridel Le Sueur and others, it reveals how homelessness has been either romanticized or objectified.

Situating post-WWII New York literature within the material context of American urban history, this work analyses criticism of the spatial restructuring of post-WWII New York City.

This work examines the dramatic changes in American women's comedy performance in the years 1955-1995. The study focuses on the stand-up of Phyllis Diller and Roseanne, and on the character comedy of Lily Tomlin. As the historical arc of women's comedy unfolds, it outlines a change from the traditional vaudevillian style of stand-up, as represented by Diller (50s-70s), to a more satiric comedy represented by Tomlin (60s-80s) and Roseanne (80s-90s).

This study examines cases of fornication, bastardy, and paternity cases brought before the courts in Essex County, Massachusetts between 1640 and 1692. Prosecution and conviction rates, sentencing patterns, and socio-economic data, as well as attitudes, were analysed to determine that women who bore illegitimate children were punished more severely than their male partners, and regarded with contempt by the majority of women. Couples who married following out-of-wedlock sex faced less opprobrium and were reintegrated into the community following a series of humiliating shame rituals.

This study describes the creation of the Primitive Baptist movement and discusses the main outlines of their thought. It also weaves the story of the Primitive Baptists with other developments in American Christianity in the Early Republic.

This book is an examination of the image of Chicago in American popular culture between the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and Chicago's 1968 Democratic National Convention.

This work examines the counter-narratives of social actors that may be used as resources to promote and create social change, particularly racial change.

"Hollywood and Anticommunism" is illuminates the power of the national media and the impact that it has had and continues to have on the creation and execution of national policy.

This work examines how libraries could respond to their communities need through the use of numerous primary and secondary sources during World War II in America.

This project contributes to our understanding of rural Midwesterners and farm newspapers at the turn of the century. While cultural historians have mainly focused on readers in town and cities, it examines Midwestern farmers. It also contributes to the "new rural history" by exploring the ideas of Hal Barron and others that country people selectively adapted the advice given to them by reformers. Finally, it furthers our understanding of American farm newspapers themselves and offers suggestions on how to use them as sources.