Presidential Historian Richard Norton Smith reflects on the evolution of George Washington’s character, examining how his parents, peers, marriage, and military experience helped shape his personality.

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Each week, American History TV’s American Artifacts takes viewers behind the scenes at archives, museums, and historic sites. This week, we visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon where recent archaeological discoveries have led to a new understanding and interpretation of his garden – and of Washington as a gardener.

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Author and lecturer Peter Henriques speaks at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, about the documented experiences of George Washington’s slaves.

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A look behind the scenes at the recreated George Washington Distillery as an apple brandy is made. American History TV spoke to Dennis Pogue, Vice President in charge of conservation at Mount Vernon and author of "Founding Spirits: George Washington and the Beginnings of the American Whiskey Industry."

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Author and history professor David Hackett Fischer discusses the problems that faced George Washington and the tactics and strategies the first President used to address those challenges.

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To mark George Washington's birthday, the American Enterprise Institute hosted a gathering of political thinkers to consider the presidency and legacy of our nation's first chief executive. Among the topics discussed are Washington's Farewell Address and the many precedents he set for his successors, including what many historians believe to be his most lasting legacy -- his decision to relinquish power after only two terms in office.

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In this program from our 1999 "American Presidents: Life Portraits" series we focused on Rutherford B. Hayes' life and career. Author Ari Hoogenboom and the director of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Roger Bridges, talked about President Hayes as a lawyer, soldier, and politician during the contested election of 1876 in which Congress appointed Hayes president despite his loss to Samuel Tilden in the national election. The guests also explored the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Center, highlighting the various landmarks there. 

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In this program, Georgetown University professor Michael Kazin teaches a class on 1920s culture and society. He discusses Prohibition and the exploits of the gangster Al Capone, who eventually went to prison on tax evasion charges. Professor Kazin also talks about the motion picture industry and the new production codes that sought to tamp down on sexuality in films. In addition, he addresses the 1925 Scopes Trial, in which a high school teacher faced charges of unlawfully teaching evolution in a state-funded school. Georgetown University is in Washington, DC.

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David Coleman, Director of the Presidential Recordings Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, talks about audio recordings made of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, his last year in office. We recorded the interview at the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians in San Francisco.

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