Follow the Sources

Leanza Kopa is a master’s student at Arizona State University, where she studies Global History. While pursuing her degree, Leanza’s passion for cultural history emerged from a lifelong curiosity about the stories that shaped communities. After uncovering a petition signed by over two hundred students, sparking a deeper investigation into Scottish university societies—particularly the Dialectic Society—and their influence on political discourse and civic identity in nineteenth-century Scotland.

Ryan Huff is a master’s student at Arizona State University, where he studies early modern British and Scottish history. While earning his degree, Ryan developed a particular interest in the religious and political dynamics of late seventeenth-century Scotland. His research focuses on Bishop James Aitken of Galloway and the role of episcopal authority during the Restoration and Killing Times.

Michael Kelley is a master’s student at Arizona State University, where he studies North American History. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in religion and the arts, Michael discovered the power of historical narratives to broaden cultural understanding and sow compassion for people in different places and times.

Lane Wallace is a dedicated high school teacher with a background in psychology, law, and history, bringing real-world insights into his College & Career Readiness and Intro to Law classes. With experience teaching subjects ranging from World and U.S. History to Drama, he emphasizes practical applications to equip students with essential life skills.

This post reflects on the author’s experience conducting research in Scottish archives, describing the surreal joy of working with centuries-old documents. It offers advice for graduate researchers, emphasizing the importance of taking breaks, recognizing when to shift focus and accepting the challenges of finding original sources.

Alex Laughlin is an online graduate student pursuing an MA in Global History with a focus on Latin American and Modern European history. Throughout his studies, Alex has served as a student-peer tutor and currently works as a teacher’s assistant, grading undergraduate assignments in upper-division history courses at ASU.

John Cardoza is a retired attorney and 2023 online MA graduate. After an initial, unfinished foray into graduate history at UCSB in the late 1970s, he attended law school at UC Davis and was employed in Ventura County as a prosecutor and family law attorney.

Brigitte Brown completed the history MA capstone in the summer of 2024. Her defense video examines barbecue culture among slaves in the Antebellum southern United States. Drawing from a rich collection of oral histories, she explores how barbecue functioned as an important meal created by and for black enslaved Africans.

This post by Glenn Summers delivers a tactile and analytical discussion of some sources on the 1913 strike at Leith Docks, a key event during the UK’s Great Labour Unrest. These sources were discovered during the Scotland Archives Experience in June 2024.