Emilie CunningGraduate Student
I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, but lived briefly in the Philippines and the UAE between the ages of 10 and 12. I have British and American roots - from which I believe my interest in American history can partly be sourced. I completed my undergraduate education at University College London (UCL) and my Masters at University of Cambridge - Newnham College. I see myself as an (aspiring) feminist, antiwar historian.
As a historian of the 20th century United States, I am interested in the relationship between wartime and its impact on broader society, as well as how we conceptualise "wartime" itself. I am planning to work on a dissertation investigating the role of the American press during wartime and how the press has either served as a voice of the administration or the voice of the people and protest. The suppression of dissenting voices during periods of heightened political tension and oppression in American history forms part of this narrative. I am also intrigued by the contributions of antiwar activists during the Korean and Vietnam wars, particularly academics and how their work was monitored during this period. During my MPhil at Cambridge, I researched Project 100,000 in the Vietnam War which was a measure involving the lowering of IQ rates to satisfy the need for extra manpower during the war. My research highlighted how this program fed off pre-existing social cleavages and historical wounds, such as social class and race, to form a program which was ultimately as ill-fated in its design as in its execution.
Education
- B.A. University College of London
- M.A. University of Cambridge
Research Interests
US War and Society History
The Vietnam War
Civil Rights in the 20th Century
American Social and Political History
Women's History
Dissertation Title
"The American Press in Wartime"
