The Price of Progress: The Georgia Railroad Strike of 1909

The Georgia Railroad strike of 1909 found Its participants in a period of unsettled values and directions. It was fought out against an agricultural backdrop in which many Georgians still remembered the sacrifice of the war years, bitter Reconstruction, and the glorification of the Lost Cause. Nevertheless, the strike possessed all the animosities of twentieth century industrial strife. The struggle during the spring of 1909 warned Southerners that the future years of industrial growth necessary for the development of a New South might not be the smooth, progressive, uplifting transition envisioned by some Southern leaders. The union\u27s attempt to use race as a rallying cry for its cause was a desperate move to capitalize on political and social segregation for its own interests. The failure of the brotherhood to win a clear victory in 1909 was an indication that Southern business interests, while openly endorsing racial disfranchisement and social inferiority for blacks, would not allow white unions to use race as a weapon to break their hold on the region\u27s unorganized and unskilled workers. Unfortunately, story of the Georgia Railroad strike of 1909 remains incomplete; in that sense it is not unlike all written history. Few records are extant which reflect the black fireman\u27s reaction to the walkout. An inquiry into the availability and extent of railroad records remains unanswered. The testimony of railroad officials and their public statements, however, adequately reflects the railroad\u27s attitude toward its laborers, black and white

Depression Among College Students: Social Support, Self-Esteem and Loneliness

Poster exploring how social support, self-esteem, and loneliness influence depression among college students

'To live and die [for] Dixie': Irish civilians and the Confederate States of America

Around 20,000 Irishmen served in the Confederate army in the Civil War. As a result, they left behind, in various Southern towns and cities, large numbers of friends, family, and community leaders. As with native-born Confederates, Irish civilian support was crucial to Irish participation in the Confederate military effort. Also, Irish civilians served in various supporting roles: in factories and hospitals, on railroads and diplomatic missions, and as boosters for the cause. They also, however, suffered in bombardments, sieges, and the blockade. Usually poorer than their native neighbours, they could not afford to become 'refugees' and move away from the centres of conflict. This essay, based on research from manuscript collections, contemporary newspapers, British Consular records, and Federal military records, will examine the role of Irish civilians in the Confederacy, and assess the role this activity had on their integration into Southern communities. It will also look at Irish civilians in the defeat of the Confederacy, particularly when they came under Union occupation. Initial research shows that Irish civilians were not as upset as other whites in the South about Union victory. They welcomed a return to normalcy, and often 'collaborated' with Union authorities. Also, Irish desertion rates in the Confederate army were particularly high, and I will attempt to gauge whether Irish civilians played a role in this. All of the research in this paper will thus be put in the context of the Drew Gilpin Faust/Gary Gallagher debate on the influence of the Confederate homefront on military performance. By studying the Irish civilian experience one can assess how strong the Confederate national experiment was. Was it a nation without a nationalism

Depression Among College Students: Social Support, Self-Esteem and Loneliness

This poster examines how low levels of social support, low levels of self-esteem, and high levels of loneliness are associated with high levels of depression