A panel of professors examine what led the U.S. to enter Vietnam and begin the Vietnam War and consideration of whether this was or was not a mistake.
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This program explores the inspiring firsthand accounts of 11 individuals who experienced World War II. These men and women belong to what broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw calls the "greatest generation." They are ordinary citizens who did extraordinary things for their country. Whether they saw combat or collected scrap metal, North Carolinians joined countless Americans who served, sacrificed, and persevered during the war.
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The seminar will explore the separation of powers as it applies to the allocation of responsibility between Congress and the president concerning national security and foreign policy powers. Presidents and legislators have been warring over the question since the earliest days of the republic. The nation's political experience suggests that there are sound arguments to be made on both sides. It also suggests that the issues are unlikely to be finally resolved anytime soon. As participants in this seminar shall see, the debate between President Bush and Congress concerning the war in Iraq is but a modern re-setting of an argument that prompted a spirited exchange on the war powers between James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in 1793. Indeed, it may be argued that there is very little to this debate that was not more or less fully anticipated by those two worthies four years after the Constitution was ratified. Through a series of focused historical readings, the seminar will begin by examining the foundations of the Framers' thought and some of the controversies that exhibit the founding principles at work during the early days of the Republic. Participants will go on from there to examine selected executive-congressional debates as they arose during later military conflicts, especially the Civil War, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the current conflict in the Mideast. The seminar will meet formally for three 90-minute sessions on four days of each week. Each of these sessions will be devoted to a particular set of readings and each of the participants will have a one-on-one session with Professor Uhlmann to discuss the best ways in which the lessons of the seminar might be converted to his or her particular classroom environment. Because the seminar takes place in Washington and devotes a great deal of time to the Founders' thoughts, it would be remiss if it did not take advantage of the knowledge of Pamela Scott, a noted Washington architectural historian, who will share ways in which the art and architecture of Washington reflects the principles of the American regime. The greater part of one day during each week, she will lead specially arranged tours, including Mount Vernon.
This iCue Mini-Documentary describes the U.S. division about which side to support when Britain and France were at war after the French Revolution.
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This iCue Mini-Documentary describes the major European powers' fight for control of the Old World. These conflicts were mirrored in France, Spain, and England's holdings in America where the colonists and Native Americans got drawn into the wars over trade routes and land claims.
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David Eisenhower of the University of Pennsylvania argues that World War II was a decisive event with an outcome that has moved the U.S. and the world towards a better future. It, he states, should be taught and studied in order to comprehend not only its warnings but the insights it offers into American strengths and those inhering in a free society. The lecture includes many anecdotes on President Eisenhower.
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W.W. Keen Butcher of the Foreign Policy Research Institute briefly notes some of the differences between warfare in the first half of the 20th century and modern warfare.
Subsumed into the "Teaching About the Military: The Basics" video.
Sandra Rodriguez narrates a basic overview of the Japanese-American internment camps and racism towards Japanese Americans in the U.S. during World War II. The presentation includes a range of clips and readings of anti-Japanese propaganda.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to "Japanese-American Internment," and click on the name. This will automatically download a .wmv file.
This series of lectures freezes my Firefox browser. I also believe that it is meant to be audio and video, but I only receive the audio.
The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum's 2009 Summer Teachers Conference focuses on the years 19191939.
This forum discussion focuses on civil rights though the eyes of those on the front lines of the movement. This second session features Marian Wright Edelman, founder and chairman of the Children's Defense Fund and an organizer of Dr. King's Poor People's March; Peter Edelman, aide to Robert F. Kennedy; and Elaine Jones, former President of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund. They examine the period between 19631968 and the continuing relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy concerning civil rights and their growing opposition to the Vietnam War. This forum follows the forum "JFK, MLK and RFK, Part One: 19601968."
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