American History TV visited the Jamestown Rediscovery project's archaeology and conservation labs to learn how history is revealed through artifacts. The original 1607 English fort was discovered in 1994, and over a million objects have been unearthed and catalogued since then.  In a related American Artifacts program, we took a tour of the current excavation sites. Part two of a three-part series.

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The original 1607 English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia had long been considered lost under the James River. Then, in 1994, archaeologist and historian Bill Kelso found evidence of the site. Since then, the Jamestown Rediscovery Project has unearthed more than a million artifacts, including many complete skeletons of the settlers. American History TV visited Jamestown for an “in the trenches” archaeology tour with Mr. Kelso, the project director. Part one of a three-part series.

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This June marks the 50th Anniversary of two of President John F. Kennedy’s most memorable speeches. On June 10th 1963, JFK delivered the commencement address at American University known as his “Peace Speech.” He called for high-level negotiations with the Soviet Union, a nuclear test ban treaty and an end to the Cold War.  On June 26th 1963, President Kennedy took a harder line in West Berlin, famously stating that as a free man he took pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner.” This is a discussion from the Kennedy Presidential Library about the significance and lasting influence of these two addresses.

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The Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3, 1863, in Pennsylvania, as Union forces turned back an invasion of the North by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Union victory inspired President Abraham Lincoln to call for “a new birth of freedom” in his address a few months later dedicating the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. C-SPAN's American History TV was LIVE on June 30 from Gettysburg National Military Park covering events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle, including remarks by scholars such as Harold Holzer, Allen Guelzo, and Doris Kearns Goodwin, as well as your calls and tweets for Civil War Institute Director Peter Carmichael and novelist Jeff Shaara.

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American History TV joined historian Carol Reardon and Col. Tom Vossler to learn the story of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg through a selection of their favorite monuments.

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Virginia Commonwealth University professor Deirdre Condit teaches a class on the history of reproductive law in the U.S. Professor Condit touches on the 1965 U.S. Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut, about the prohibited use of contraceptives and the right to marital privacy. The class also examines rights and access to abortion, looking at the 1962 story of actress Sherri Finkbine, who had taken medication she later discovered causes birth defects, prompting her to fly to Sweden for an abortion. Also discussed is the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion case.

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The Siege of Vicksburg took place from May 18th to July 4th, 1863. After failing to take the city by force, Union General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee laid siege to the city, held by Confederate General John C. Pemberton and his forces. On July 4th, after 47 days, General Pemberton surrendered; and Vicksburg—the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River—was turned over to General Grant and the Union. In this program, we tour Vicksburg National Military Park with Tim Kavanaugh, the park's supervisory ranger for interpretation.

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Vicksburg National Military Park marks the 150th anniversary of the siege of Vicksburg with a ceremony to rededicate the Iowa State Monument, which honors the contributions of Iowa troops to the Union victory. The fall of Vicksburg - the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River – came on July 4, 1863, a day after the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg. In this program, Iowa governor Terry Branstad joins former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour to commemorate the Iowa soldiers who fought and died on the Mississippi battlefield. 
 

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During the Civil War, the Union military governor in charge of Alexandria, Virginia, established a cemetery to be used by African Americans who came to the city to escape slavery. Some 1800 freedmen were eventually buried there, but the property became neglected and in the 1950s a gas station was built on the site. The cemetery was “re-discovered” in the late 20th century, and the city has recently investigated the history and archeology of the property. Specialists on Alexandria’s black history and archeology talk about their findings, as well as the building of a memorial to freedmen on the cemetery site.

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John Farrell discusses his biography, “Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century” about the former Speaker of the House of Representatives. O’Neill represented Massachusetts in the House for 35 years, from 1953 to1987, and was Speaker from 1977 till he retired in 1987, making him the second longest-serving Speaker after Sam Rayburn.  He was a liberal Democrat whose congressional career spanned seven presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan.  “Tip” O’Neill died on January 5th, 1994.  This program was recorded at the Boston Public Library.

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