Videos

This C-SPAN Original Production look inside the U.S. Senate explores its history, traditions, and constitutional powers.

Historians discussed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act of April 16, 1862. The act freed about 3,100 slaves in the nation’s capital and compensated owners up to $300 for…

Historians Richard Norton Smith, Douglas Brinkley, and Edna Greene Medford talked C-SPAN’s The Presidents, each of whom contributed to the new book.

Historians Douglas Brinkley, Edna Greene Medford and Richard Norton Smith discussed C-SPAN’s book, The Presidents.

A group of historians discussed the different ways women experienced the Civil War, depending on class, race and geography. They examined the relationship between Union generals and their…

The dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., took place in 1922, almost 60 years after Abraham Lincoln’s death. Harold Holzer talked about his book, Monument Man: The Life and Art…

Historians Douglas Brinkley, Edna Greene Medford, and Russell Shorto talked about what it means to be an American.

Author Melanie Kirkpatrick talked about the history of Thanksgiving in America, including President Lincoln’s proclamation in 1863 during the Civil War making it a national holiday. She also reflected…

Historian Edna Medford talked about abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, including his speech at Lincoln Hall in…

Historian Edna Medford talked about abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s relationship with Senator Charles Sumner and their work on the Civil Rights Act of 1875.

Harvard University professor Annette Gordon-Reed talked about the legacy of Andrew Johnson, the nation’s 17th president who took office following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. Professor…

Scholars talked about Abraham Lincoln’s friendships, both before and after he became president. This discussion was part of the annual Lincoln Forum symposium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Historians talked about what life was like for Freedmen after the Civil War and the overall successes and failures of Reconstruction. They spoke about educational opportunities, land…

Frank Williams talked about politics and culture after President Lincoln’s assassination and the Reconstruction Era that followed. This talk was part of the annual Lincoln Forum Symposium.…

Craig Symonds and John Marszalek talked about the April 1865 meeting between Union General William Sherman and Confederate General Joseph Johnston, where Johnston surrendered the last major Confederate…

Historians Richard Norton Smith, Douglas Brinkley and Edna Greene Medford talked about the results of C-SPAN’s third Historians Survey on Presidential Leadership, in which a cross-section…

Historians and authors talked about the legacy of Reconstruction. They speculated on Abraham Lincoln’s plans for the post-Civil War period had he not been assassinated, and they discussed…

Joan Waugh talked about how Union General Ulysses S. Grant conducted the surrender at Appomattox and sought to foster an atmosphere of reconciliation with the defeated Confederates. She…

Panelists talked about the role of religion in the lives of African Americans. “What is African American Religion?” was a session of “The Future of the African American Past,” a conference…

Professor Edna Greene Medford talked about her book, Lincoln and Emancipation. “Undeclared Partners for Freedom: Lincoln, African Americans and the Emancipation Struggle” was part of the Abraham Lincoln…