From the History Faculty website:

"In 1924 Congress passed the Johnson-Reed, or National Origins, Act, declaring racial and ethnic background as the most important determinant in gaining American citizenship. Those with Asian backgrounds were barred altogether. This session examines both the run-up to this crucial legislation and its impact on immigration up until it was superseded in 1966."

Dr. Kevin Yuill, Senior Lecturer in American History at the University of Sunderland, presents this lecture. To access part two of this lecture, click here.

Free registration is required to view the video. Audio and video options are available.

Kenneth Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor in History and the Social Sciences at Columbia University, describes the ways in which 19th-century cities evolved from disorganized, unregulated communities into modern cities focusing on order, safety, and public health. Professor Jackson looks at the motivations behind these developments as well as implementation strategies.

Thomas Jefferson, as played by Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Bill Barker, defends his bill, submitted to the Virginia General Assembly, supporting religious freedom.

In this lecture, historian Philip D. Morgan compares the Lowcountry and Chesapeake slave cultures and reveals much about the way of life of some of the earliest African Americans. Although South Carolina in the 18th century was built by slave labor, Virginia only began to "recruit" slaves in large numbers at the beginning of that century. Consequently, there were substantial differences in the black cultures that emerged in the two regions.

Richard Carwardine of the University of Oxford traces the development and shifts of Abraham Lincoln's religious views and their influence on and appearance in his decisions and public statements.

James Oakes of City University of New York examines Abraham Lincoln's views on race and slavery, including his reaction to the Dred Scott Decision. Oakes argues that Lincoln was a racial egalitarian.

Manisha Sinha of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, looks at the influence of black abolitionists on the policies and views of Abraham Lincoln, and the evolution of Lincoln's views on slavery and emancipation.

Sean Wilentz of Princeton University discusses Abraham Lincoln's party allegiances throughout his political career, focusing on his transition from Whig to Republican and his views of Jacksonian Democrats.

Reconstruction after the Civil War was America's first attempt at an interracial democracy. DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University Eric Foner explains why an understanding of Reconstruction—and why it failed—is critical to understanding the civil rights movement of the 20th century.