La Plaza, a Mexican American Cultural Center in Los Angeles, opened to the public in April of 2011. American History TV visited the center to learn about the founding of Los Angeles and the history of Mexicans in Southern California.

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Historians Peter Onuf, Ed Ayers, and Brian Balogh examine the history of beer and spirits in America on their public radio show "BackStory with the American History Guys." They staged the show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians and the National Council on Public History.

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Declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1995, Little Tokyo near downtown Los Angeles has been the center of Japanese culture in Southern California since the early 1900’s. We tour the Japanese American National Museum with docent Bill Shishima. He was born in Little Tokyo in 1930 and during World War II spent three years in Wyoming at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, a Japanese American internment camp.

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Most of us think of The Golden State as far removed from the Civil War, but according to Drum Barracks Civil War Museum Director Susan Ogle, California gold financed up to 25% of the Union war effort. American History TV visited the museum near the port of Los Angeles where Susan Ogle gave us a tour of the only remaining Civil War era military facility in the area.

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C-SPAN’s Local Content Vehicles take American History TV on the road. Throughout the weekend of February 2-4 we feature the history of New Mexico's capital city, Santa Fe.

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This is the story of the first African American major league baseball player in the modern era, Jackie Robinson. Raymond Doswell of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum focuses on Robinson’s athletic career, his ability to steal bases and home plate, and the racism and obstacles he faced. Over the course of his ten-season Major League career between 1947 & 1956, Robinson played in six World Series and was selected for six All-Star games. His achievements are widely viewed as an important contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. This event was hosted by the National Archives at Kansas City in Missouri.

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New York University professor Michael Gomez teaches a class on the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th century into 19th century. Professor Gomez discusses the countries involved and the methods used in the procurement of slaves, such as raiding and kidnapping. He also discusses the complex history of Africans dealing in the slave trade to pay debts and to punish neighboring factions.

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Author James Robertson discusses the life, death and legacy of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. He talks about General Jackson’s childhood, his education at West Point, and his military career. Mr. Robertson also looks at the Battle of Chancellorsville, where General Jackson was mortally wounded on May 2, 1863, in a “friendly fire” incident. He died of medical complications eight-days later. The Hanover Tavern in Virginia and the Museum of the Confederacy co-hosted this event. 

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Jonathan Hansen presents a history of America's presence at Guantanamo Bay.  The author reports on the United States' early interest in the area, which was central to U.S. plans to control the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.  Mr. Hansen examines the creation of the U.S. naval base and prison at Guantanamo and its continued use despite calls for its closure.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell talks about the political career of fellow Kentuckian John J. Crittenden, a member of the U.S. Senate in the 1880s.  A friend and ally of Henry Clay's, Crittenden also served as Kentucky's governor and twice as U.S. attorney general. Senator McConnell emphasizes Crittenden’s commitment to the Union before and during the Civil War and reflects on what current lawmakers can learn from former legislators. This event was hosted by Eastern Kentucky University.

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