Kari Boyd, Outstanding Dissertation

Kari Boyd
Kari Boyd

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy, History

Hometown: Highland, Michigan

Dissertation Excerpt: “The Frederick family of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan sent three sons to fight the Spanish American War. Will, John, and Ross served together in Cuba, survived a bout or two of malaria and otherwise remained relatively whole and healthy, sending a constant stream of letters home to their mother, siblings, and sweethearts. In the autumn of 1898 they returned stateside, answering their mother’s prayers that her boys would all come home safe. That winter the eldest Frederick boy, Will, made plans to marry his sweetheart the following summer and to visit old school chums down state. Life was, it seemed, getting back to normal. In late March 1899, however, it became clear that the war for the Frederick boys was not yet over. William died two weeks later of congestion of the brain, a condition likely the result of his time in Cuba. He was 21 years old. Letters of condolence flooded into the Frederick-Sutherland family home expressing shock and sorrow in equal measure. No one seemed to understand how such a strong young man, who had survived a war no less, could have possibly succumbed to disease in the comfort of his family home. His friend Lewis wrote one of these letters, seeking to comfort Will’s mother, “I trust that we may all cherish the same happy thought – that he gave his life for his country and that we may all meet him again.” Will was buried on April 12th, 1899 in Riverside Cemetery in Sault Ste Marie, another casualty of a war that was supposed to be over.” “While many Americans celebrated the nation’s victory over Spain in August 1898, families like the Fredericks across the country dealt with the ravages of disease and death that lingered for months after the signing of the cease fire. The failure of the medical department to provide adequate supplies, doctors, and nurses meant that many men returned home with persistent illnesses, frequently without a good diagnosis or access to medical treatment beyond what their family could afford or provide. The volunteers’ experience with disease and death not only defined a great deal of their military service but revealed a military medical corps in drastic need of greater authority to enforce policies backed by the latest developments in medical science. The Army learned that a modern military required not only strong standards for hygiene, but sufficient, well trained doctors to diagnose disease and nurses to care for its soldiers. Growing frustration about the failure of military medicine during the war also prompted new policies toward military burial and the government’s role in returning the bodies of its fallen home.” –Excerpt from Chapter 4 “The Veneer of Victory”