Spring 2021 Volume XXVII

Dr. Alexander Macaulay
Faculty Advisor

Editor’s Introduction

The twenty-seventh volume of the Tuckasegee Valley Historical Review goes to publication at a time when the world continues to suffer from the devastating effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past year, colleges and universities have had to adjust to new course delivery methods, and students have faced new challenges in addition to the normal rigors associated with higher learning. Despite these hardships, researchers continue to publish fascinating new studies that illuminate our understanding of history.

This volume includes an article that explores the complexities of Indigenous slavery, while another compares two case studies of Indigenous women fighting for water rights. Another article examines competing understandings of masculinity through the lens of a lynching that took place in Omaha, Nebraska in 1919, while another compares labor organization in the United States and Chile. Book reviews include insights into humans’ impact on the environment, the role of women in Appalachian working-class activism, and the enduring impact of slavery in the United States.

I would like to personally thank Dr. Ferguson, Dr. Macaulay, Dr. McRae, Dr. Engel, Dr. McGuire, Dr. Clines, Dr. Francis-Fallon, Dr. Harvey, Dr. Thomas, and Dr. Swigger for broadening my worldview and providing invaluable guidance and instruction through my time at Western Carolina University. I would like to thank the faculty of the history department as a whole for their dedication to the field and to their students. Finally, I would like to thank my classmates. Our discussions were always respectful, invigorating, and insightful. I wish you all the best in whatever endeavors you pursue in life.