Remembering Del-Aware: Community Activism and Eco-Politics in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the Age of Reagan

This thesis tells the previously untold story of how environmental activists in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the 1980s waged a nearly decade-long and ultimately losing battle against a plan to pump water from the free-flowing Delaware River. As a case study of grassroots community activism during the presidential administration of Ronald Reagan, the struggle known locally as “Dump the Pump” and spearheaded by a nonprofit organization called Del-AWARE supports and provides a regional take on recent scholarship that has illuminated the vibrant underlying dynamics of local civic engagement occurring amid the overshadowing political conservatism of the Reagan years. Also a case study in public history, this thesis demonstrates how collective historical memory fueled not only Del-AWARE’s protracted struggle, but its enduring legacy in public policy and community life. It concludes with suggestions for preserving the history of Del-AWARE before it is lost forever.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Friedman, Gail

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bruggeman, Seth C., 1975-

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lowe, Hilary Iris

• History
• Public policy
• Environmental studies
• Bucks county
• Pennsylvania
• Community activism
• Delaware River
• Del-aware unlimited
• Environmentalism
• Public history

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Dc Identifier Other

965642582

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/1244