This thesis argues that Kentucky underwent an ideological secession during the Civil War. Rather than identifying a single moment or cause of this departure from the Union, it takes a broader lens and synthesizes previously isolated historical arguments. While Kentucky never officially joined the Confederacy, it resisted federal emancipation efforts, opposed Lincoln’s reelection, and rejected the Thirteenth Amendment, ultimately emerging from the war ideologically estranged from the Union too which it had remained loyal. Building on the work of historians E. Merton Coulter, Gary Matthews, and Jacob Lee, this study examines how Kentucky’s political and cultural identity gradually shifted. Through analysis of local newspapers, diaries, manuscripts, letters, and legislation, this thesis traces the gradual unraveling of Kentucky’s Unionism and argues that its transformation was not a moment, but a process.

This thesis examines the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through the lens of sports, economics and the Cold War conflicts. Faced with financial struggles of the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the widespread taxpayer resistance, the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee undertook a fully privatized model to finance the Games. This model leveraged corporate sponsorships and broadcasting rights as the main source of revenue and was driven more by necessity than innovation, ultimately turning a profit and reshaping future Olympic hosting norms. Although this structure was a necessary solution to the struggles that preceded the Games, the structure and symbolism of the 1984 Olympics became increasingly aligned with President Reagan’s ideals. Drawing on newspaper articles, speeches, polling, Peter Ueberroth’s memoir and secondary literature, this study examines the evolution of the Games as they increasingly represented the strengths of the United States. This paper challenges existing interpretations, revealing that all aspects of the Games were not by design, but rather a response to constraints.

This project concerns the writings of Ladislaus Sunthaym and his role in the Habsburg court. His writings were part of a wider project to elevate the House of Habsburg by tying it to as many famous and holy people as possible. Though not himself a humanist, Sunthaym befriended and collaborated with many other humanists involved in this project such as Conrad Celtis and Johannes Trithemius. Sunthaym was a well-respected genealogist who compiled family trees and accounts of many dynasties, from the Babenbergs to the Habsburgs to the Bohemian kings to the Sforza of Milan. At Maximilian I's request, he was among the first of the court historians to trace the Habsburgs to the early medieval kings and dukes of Burgundy. Seen in the broader context of its day, this was an important ideological step in cementing the Habsburg claim to Burgundy, which had been the object of various wars and uprisings throughout the 1480s. Sunthaym's work represents the first sketches of a pan-European Habsburg ideology.

Between the mid-19th century and the 1930s, Korea witnessed a surge of foreign missionaries who founded medical and educational facilities, influencing women’s roles in religion, healthcare, and national identity. This thesis demonstrates how Christian mission schools and hospitals enabled Korean women to gain literacy, develop professional abilities, and cultivate social standing amid growing Japanese imperial pressure. By spotlighting pioneers such as Rosetta Sherwood Hall and Esther Kim Pak, it shows how women pushed their communities forward through modern healthcare and grassroots organization. The analysis explores how Confucian customs interacted with missionary goals, resulting in schools and clinics specifically designed for women’s care and study. It also investigates the responses of local elites and colonial officials, revealing how women protected their language and culture under patriarchal and imperial constraints. As political tensions rose, these mission-driven networks became vital to Korean independence. Through a focus on women’s healthcare and Christian learning, this study uncovers how the “New Woman” phenomenon remapped the nation’s trajectory, demonstrating women’s resilience and agency during a critical period in Korea’s history.