In this program from our 1999 "American Presidents: Life Portraits" series we focused on John Tyler's life and career. Professor Edward Crapol talked about Tyler’s presidency and made observations about the history of the period. We also toured Tyler's home, the Sherwood Forest Plantation, and Tyler's grandson, Harrison Tyler, talked about his family.   

More Info »

In the 1790s Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton held clashing views regarding the role and size of the new federal government. Hamilton believed in an active, powerful central government that would nurture commerce, while Jefferson thought that the states must retain enough power to check the central government.  Assuming the roles of Jefferson and Hamilton, two University of Maryland history professors debate the nature of federalism in the new republic. This event was hosted by the Smithsonian Associates.

More Info »

What does the U.S. Constitution say about the presidency? That was the question confronting George Washington as he assumed office.  How Washington interpreted the Constitution and what he himself contributed to our idea of an American president is the topic Michael Nelson addressed at a conference dedicated to Washington, the Constitution and the powers of the presidency.  The Rhodes College political science professor spoke at Mount Vernon, Washington’s Virginia home.

More Info »

Professor Robert Johnston and his class examine the 1890s American Populist movement. The discussion centers on Charles Postel’s book, “The Populist Vision,” which follows the Populist movement from the rise of the Farmer’s Alliance to its transformation into the People’s Party. This class took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

More Info »

Jack Ruby shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald two days after Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 24, 1963. J. Waymon Rose, one of the jurors during the highly publicized 1964 trial of Ruby, describes his experience in this program recorded at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas.  

More Info »

Each year, Time magazine selects a single person who had the most influence on events during the previous twelve months. If the same question were posed in the year 1863, who would Time have selected as the Person of the Year? The Museum of the Confederacy and the Library of Virginia considered that question by inviting five historians to nominate someone for the title. Before the audience cast their votes for Person of the Year 1863, each historian presented an argument for their nominee and responded to questions from the audience. 

More Info »

Author Andrew Nagorski discusses his historical narrative “Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power.” Nagorski recounts the stories of American journalists and diplomats who were in Berlin prior to Adolf Hitler taking power and how these individuals viewed Hitler and his rise throughout the 1930’s. He notes that the most perceptive of these Americans helped point out the ruthless nature of Nazi Germany as the regime eliminated political opponents and instilled in the public a hatred of Jews.

More Info »

On this History Bookshelf Sara Fitzgerald discusses her book, “Elly Peterson: 'Mother' of the Moderates” which recalls the career of the Michigan Republican Party assistant chairwoman.  Ms. Peterson, who died in 2008, supported the Equal Rights Amendment, was a member of the National Women’s Political Caucus and worked to block Phyllis Schlafly from becoming president of the National Federation of Republican Women.  The Michigan Political History Society hosted this event, held at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

More Info »

Tufts University history professor, Peniel Joseph, talks about his working biography of Stokely Carmichael at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Mr. Joseph argues that Carmichael played an important role in the 1960s Civil Rights movement, working as a bridge between many factions advocating for equal rights for African Americans.

More Info »

The National Archives hosts a discussion on a 2011 case involving stolen historical documents. Investigators recovered over ten thousand documents from a Manhattan residence after two robbers were caught stealing documents from the Maryland Historical Society.  To curb future theft, the National Archives formed the Holdings Protection Team to raise awareness and improve communication of security issues among employees. 

More Info »