Sarah Elnewishy

HONS 2011J

Hunter College-CUNY

Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Sidney Vogel

Personal Statement

            In my search for a volunteer to focus my research on, I came across hundreds of individuals with varying occupations and participation in the Spanish Civil War. What drew me to Dr. Sidney Vogel was his passion and dedication to caring for the lives of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade soldiers. In my class on the occurrences of the Civil War, I learned about the disturbing conditions of the International Brigades and their dedication for the cause they were fighting for. I often found myself thinking of the medical professionals that had the job of treating the gruesome injuries and fatalities on the war-front. This led me to focus my research on medical professionals that were a part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (ALB). I knew that several of my classmates were writing about nurses, so I chose to uncover the life of a doctor. This doctor is Dr. Sidney Leon Vogel. (more…)

Kelly Schmaeling
HONS 2011J
Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Hunter College-CUNY

Introduction

           I came across Emma Goldman’s name while looking for women writers in the Spanish Civil War. While I found many famous male fiction and nonfiction writers (Hemingway, Hughes and Orwell, etc.) that reported on and wrote about the war, there were very few women. I had originally wanted to write this narrative on an author because of my love for literature. I wanted to choose a female because, as a feminist, I wanted to further shed light on the important roles that women played in the Spanish Civil War. When I came across Emma and read a little bit about who she was and what she did, I was was taken aback by her radicalism, her accomplishments, and quite frankly, her awesomeness. I felt that I had to learn more about her and the more that I learnt, through archival research as well as articles of hers that I found online, the more impressed I became. Although she was never a part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades, I chose to research Emma Goldman because I (more…)

Sylvia Scahill

Hons 2011J

Hunter College-CUNY

Professor María Hernández-Ojeda

John Gates: An American Communist

There are many ways to study and narrate history. Some people see the world as a succession of wars or great leaders, some see it through cultural and social evolution, some say narrative histories are dangerous and only historical materialism is the way. There are merits to all of these methods, depending on your aims. The story I am going to tell here is of one man: John Gates, born in Manhattan in 1913. Gates was to become a soldier in the Spanish Civil War, and a prominent leader of the American Communist Party until split from the party during the 1950s. Through it all, he remained a life long advocate of workers rights until his death in 1992.

The personal story of one man can tell us the story of his era. Through Gate’s political journey,we (more…)

Hannah Ellerbeck

HONS 2011J

Final Essay

Professor Hernàndez-Ojeda

Benjamin Iceland

Personal Statement

            As a vibrant, passionate, young college graduate, Benjamin Iceland’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War interested me greatly due to our similar age and upbringing. Though he was born 86 years before I was, his life as a college student in New York City rings true to mine in many respects. We were both born and raised in New York City and went to colleges in New York City as well. As someone who prides myself in learning, I feel a relation to Benjamin Iceland as he was able to incorporate his love of the classics into the way he acted as a soldier in Spain.

            Benjamin Iceland was an intellectual but gave up his career aspirations as a teacher to learn more about the communist party in order to help fight fascism. His background in the classics is evident in the memoirs he wrote, however. He used his knowledge of philosophy and literature to (more…)

Raymi Echavarría

Final Essay

HONS 2011J

Professor Hernández-Ojeda

Personal Statement

          Some notable literature and film of American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War depict issues of race and gender as non-existent in Spain and show the war as being one that indefinitely united those on the left. Because the Republican side of the war was sustained mostly by passion, ideology, and a strong conviction that those on the Republican side were fighting for the moral good by seeking to halt the spread of fascism, it is difficult to avoid romanticizing the Republican front. The American volunteers lacked U.S. national support, military equipment, proper military training and economic rewards. Thus their desire to fight was mostly fueled by the strong ideological conviction that fascism was an evil that threatened the livelihood of the world and of future generations. While one can effortlessly sympathize with those fighting against fascism, it is important (more…)