Scholar James Lewis briefly examines the repeated "war scares"—fears of possible outbreaks of violence between settlers and Native Americans—that troubled Illinois up until the outbreak of the Black Hawk War in 1832.

To view this clip, select "Native Americans and War Scares on the Frontier" under "Native American Relations Video."

John Mack Faragher of Yale University discusses the range of relationships between Native Americans (particularly the Kickapoo) and settlers in antebellum Illinois. He looks at the development from relatively benign relations, involving the trading of goods and ideas, to the rise of racism and violence following the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

To view this clip, select "Settlers and Native Americans Before the Black Hawk War" under "Native American Relations Video."

Michael F. Holt of the University of Virginia discusses the struggle to resolve disputes over territory acquired during the Mexican-American War, particularly the dispute over how (and whether) slavery should spread into the new territories.

To view this clip, select "Origins of the Compromise of 1850" under "Frontier Settlement Video."

James O. Horton of George Washington University gives examples of incidences of recovery of fugitive slaves and kidnapping of free blacks in the North, following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law; and discusses the contradiction between Southern support of the Fugitive Slave Law and Southern support of state rights.

To view this clip, select "The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850" under "African-American Experience Video."

Produced by Jeffrey Chown of the Northern Illinois University Department of Communication, this documentary chronicles the Black Hawk War of 1832, looking also at the events that led up to it and its repercussions. It focuses on the roles of Sauk war chief Black Hawk and a young Abraham Lincoln. The documentary is divided into 18 short downloadable videos.

To view this documentary, scroll to the set of 18 links separated from the main Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video selections, and choose a section to view.

Gerald Prokopowicz of the Lincoln Museum outlines Lincoln's experiences as a captain in the Black Hawk War and the general ineffectiveness of militia in Lincoln's day.

To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln's Militia Service in the Black Hawk War" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."

Michael Johnson of John Hopkins University considers how Abraham Lincoln should be viewed as a historical figure, as a president, and as a man making difficult decisions.

To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln as Historical Figure" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."

During the World War II years, a series of groundbreaking radio programs tried to mend the deep racial and ethnic divisions that threatened America. At a time when blacks were usually shown on the radio as lazy buffoons, the federal government and civil rights activists used radio for a counter attack. Did radio unify America in the face of war? This documentary is divided into three downloadable sections.

To listen to this documentary, select "Part One," "Part Two," or "Part Three" beside the text "Radio Fights Jim Crow."

Emmy-Award–winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns joins Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States, to discuss his past work and his current project, The War, a seven-part series examining the ways in which World War II touched the lives of American families.

To listen to this video, scroll to "Ken Burns," and select "Watch the Video."

Historian Tom Belton guides viewers through the North Carolina Museum of History exhibit "North Carolina and the Civil War." Progressing through the war chronologically, Belton describes both military and civilian life in North Carolina during the war, briefly highlighting several of the major battles in which North Carolina was involved. This presentation is divided into 31 short subchapters, which can be accessed separately.