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In this study, the settlement movement in Chicago is presented as a crucible for the development of Progressive reform. The subjective and objective necessities for social settlements are described through the lives of men and women central to the movement. Reformers such as Jane Addams, Graham Taylor, and Mary McDowell fused their personal motives to their expanding assumptions regarding public welfare in their pursuit of social salvation. The settlement community advanced a methodology of experimentation and flexibility, which was instrumental to the transformation of nineteenth century ideas of charity into the new twentieth century science of social work. The processes of reform were greatly influenced by the evolving concepts of class, gender, and race. The feminine nature of settlement work and the opportunities afforded to generations of college-educated women were integral to the impact the settlement community had on Progressive reform in general and to the role settlement workers played in affecting public opinion. Primary sources include Jane Addams' correspondence, Twenty Years at Hull-House, and issues of the periodical The Commons. The historiography of the Progressive Era is also considered, and the effects of class, gender, and race upon its development throughout the twentieth century.

Anthony Padovano called Thomas Merton a "symbol of the century" inasmuch as he embodied many of the changes facing Christianity during the often tumultuous and violent, but increasingly pluralistic, middle decades of the twentieth century. Merton engaged in a "total ecumenism," in which he intensely studied other religious traditions, most notably the religions of Asia, in order to better understand his own Roman Catholic tradition. This paper will trace the trajectory of Asian ideas and experiences throughout Merton's life and analyze how these experiences transformed him from a narrow-minded monk to an ecumenical mystic. An ever-present subject emerges: the coincidence of opposites, or the paradox. This theme was Merton's own understanding of not only interreligious dialogue but also his very own identity.

In the 1920s historians such as James Harvey Robinson and Arthur Schlesinger, Sr., attempted to examine historical topics using new methodology. Writing "New Social History," they endeavored to emphasize society, culture, and the common people rather than great men and strictly political events. Since the 1980s historians have exhibited new interest in the importance of social history. "Indignities, Wrongs, and Outrages: The Homefront In Kentucky During The Civil War" attempts to apply the methods of the "new social historians" to the era of the American Civil War, centering on the homefront by examining in detail its impact on the everyday lives of Kentuckians. The Civil War in Kentucky was a microcosm of the American Civil War. Although Kentuckians generally favored the Union, allegiances remained mixed throughout the state, even within families. Divided loyalties in this "brother's war," complicated by periodic occupation of the Commonwealth by both Union and Confederate troops, prevoked embittered feelings among friends, neighbors, and relatives, sometimes resulting in challenges to loyalty and even loss of life. Civilians on the homefront endured every aspect of the war: harassment, hunger, homelessness, military occupation, and death. The Bluegrass state was a path for armies marching to and from the "front," resulting in economic devastation for many. Because Kentucky was a supplier of food, livestock, soldiers, and war materiel for Federal and Confederate troops alike, the price of food soared, and fuel shortages wracked the populace. Armies from both sides confiscated produce and livestock, and raids by guerrilla forces often made farming impossible. Financial losses, physical destruction, and soldiers threatening violence resulted in further reduction in the quality of life for Bluegrass civilians. Nevertheless, the homefront story was one of triumph over adversity. In addition to facing armed occupiers and rogue soldiers, women and their servants struggled successfully with everyday problems such as rearing the children, coping with illnesses, and managing businesses and farms. For African Americans the war offered hope for a new beginning. Some found prosperity in their new freedom, but many who ran away to enter Union lines suffered and died in refugee camps scattered throughout the state. The "new social history," to a great extent, is history of the "common people." Drawn largely from letters, journals, and diaries, this thesis attempts to discover how Kentuckians on the homefront lived, worked, and survived during the Civil War. It is a story worth telling.

To many Americans Duncan Hines (1880-1959) is just a name on a cake mix package. Few would suspect that in the 1940s and 1950s Duncan Hines was the most trusted name in the food industry. In the early twentieth century Hines was a traveling salesman of printing wares who was keenly interested in discovering safe places to eat during the course of his business excursions. He eventually became well-known among the public for his specialized knowledge of the locations of superior dining facilities. In 1936 he began publishing this information annually in a restaurant guide. By the end of the decade, Hines had become the best known and most trusted dining authority in America. Hines used his influence to reform the restaurant industry, particularly in the area of sanitation. In an era when Americans dined out infrequently, Hines popularized the idea that Americans should eat more of their meals outside the home. He also shaped the American expectation that dining out should be seen as a form of entertainment. For a host of reasons, the experience of the Second World War expanded his influence throughout America. After World War II researchers discovered that in all matters of food-not just restaurants-housewives trusted Hines more than any other authority. This discovery led Hines to form a partnership with businessman Roy Park. Together they established Hines-Park Foods, which eventually distributed over two-hundred Duncan Hines products. The company was highly successful and was purchased by the Procter and Gamble Corporation in 1956, leaving Duncan Hines a lasting legacy, if in name only.

As a railroad executive for the Louisville and Nashville and then publisher for the Nashville Banner, Edward Bushrod Stahlman, a German immigrant, made many enemies. Stahlman's constant feuding with Luke Lea, who owned the rival Nashville Tennessean, led to an investigation of his citizenship during World War I. Hatred of Germans was at a fever pitch and not only did the Department of Justice examine Stahlman, who actually had been naturalized as a child, but the Tennessean also accused him of being a German propagandist. This thesis serves as an example of the scrutiny German-Americans underwent during the war. Organizations such as the American Protective League harassed him, too. Based primarily on Department of Justice files and newspaper accounts, the thesis also gives a brief biography of Stahlman and survey of Nashville and Tennessee politics during the first twenty years of the twentieth century.