Chester Alan Arthur became President after an assassin struck down President James Garfield.  Historian Zachary Karabell explores Arthur's life and legacy, and how a machine politician transformed the political patronage system into a professional civil service.  The Kansas City Public Library hosted this event.

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John Tyler was the first vice president to assume the presidency after the death of the incumbent -- in his case, William Henry Harrison. Historian Edward Crapol looks back at the man he sees as a bold leader but who, in his own lifetime, was dubbed "His Accidency." The Kansas City Public Library hosted this event.  

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First Lady Dolley Madison remains one of the most iconic figures from the War of 1812. Historian Catherine Allgor speaks about how Dolley came to symbolize a new American democracy. Catherine Allgor is also the author of the book, "A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation."

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This is a look back at the life of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln with history professor Catherine Clinton.  She discusses the Lincoln courtship and marriage as well as Mary's introduction to Washington as a congressman's wife.  Clinton also talks about the press scrutiny of Mary's Confederate relatives, and the congressional criticism invited by her White House spending.  The U.S. Capitol Historical Society hosted this event.

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Benjamin Henry Latrobe -- regarded as the "Father of American Architecture" -- worked closely with President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison to refine the look and function of the early White House. Latrobe's partnership with the Madisons is the subject of a talk at the Maryland Historical Society by Leslie Jones, Collections Manager with the White House Historical Association.

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This is a look at First Ladies Lou Hoover, Bess Truman and Betty Ford through the eyes of their descendants - including a great-granddaughter, a grandson and a daughter.  They recall life as members of a presidential family and the impact on their own lives.  The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library hosted this event.

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Social Secretaries working for American First Ladies help set the tone of presidential administrations.  Bess Abell, Catherine Fenton and Laurie Firestone served First Ladies from Lady Bird Johnson to Laura Bush. In this conversation at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, they recall their duties and life inside the White House.

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This discussion is from a conference on "The Presidency and Civil Rights'' held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Among the topics: What was FDR's reasoning on the World War II internment of Japanese Americans? Why did President Truman desegregate the Armed Forces?And -- in addition to his role protecting the rights of Little Rock High School students -- what other civil rights actions did President Eisenhower take while in the Oval Office?  

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Why do we study first ladies? That was the question posed -- and answered -- at a conference titled, "America's First Ladies: An Enduring Vision." The conference was the second of three planned at presidential libraries in Texas, and was convened at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. ABC News correspondent Cokie Roberts moderates a panel considering the role and influence of first ladies throughout our history.

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American History TV continues to reair C-SPAN's history series “The Contenders,” which features profiles of key figures who ran for president and lost, but changed political history.

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