Highlight This Weekend on American History TV, Febuary 27- March 1, 2021
C-SPAN3's American History TV
8am Saturday, February 27 - 8am Monday, March 1, 2021
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Saturday 6pm ET
The Civil War: John Brown & Abraham Lincoln
In October 1859 -- just 18 months before the first shots of the Civil War -- militant abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, hoping to arm the area's slaves and start an insurrection. That same fall, Abraham Lincoln -- then a prospective presidential candidate -- called for more measured, political solutions to the problem of slavery. In this Lincoln Forum program, H.W. Brands talks about how Brown and Lincoln approached the era's greatest question. He's the author of "The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom."
Saturday 10pm & Sunday 4pm ET
Reel America: USO 80th Anniversary
Founded on February 4, 1941, the United Service Organizations, or USO, is 80-years-old this year. We feature three films that show the USO at work.
"USO 30 Years of Service" is hosted by entertainer Bob Hope. It's a 1971 U.S. Army Big Picture episode outlining the organization's history and showing the many services provided for military personnel in the United States and around the world.
"Peace, Togetherness and Sammy" is a 1972 Defense Department film documenting a trip to Vietnam by Sammy Davis, Jr. Traveling at the request of President Nixon's Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention, Mr. Davis performs in several USO shows and discusses drug abuse problems, military service, and race issues with the troops.
"Religious Emphasis Day in Philadelphia" is a U.S. Army Big Picture episode documenting an April 20, 1958 USO initiative which brought more than 6,000 military personnel to the city for religious services, meals, sightseeing, and entertainment.
Sunday 6pm & 10pm ET
American Artifacts: Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
Bruce Goldfarb, author of "18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics," shows us several dollhouse-sized crime scenes that are used for training classes in the Chief Medical Examiner's Office of Maryland. He tells the story of Ms. Lee, who constructed the dioramas in the mid-1940s at Harvard University, and who helped pioneer the science of crime scene investigation.
Sunday 8pm & midnight ET
The Presidency: Elizabeth Powel - George Washington's Political Confidante
We hear about George Washington's friendship with Elizabeth Powel, a Philadelphia hostess whose political salons attracted, among others, constitutional convention delegates. A surviving eight-page letter provides a glimpse into her role as confidante: She implored Washington to stand for a second term as president, though he had expressed his own doubts. Speakers are Mount Vernon reference librarian Samantha Snyder and Kayla Anthony, Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks executive director. George Washington's Mount Vernon hosted this program.
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