Product Description:
Choose a title above from the following Academic Success programs:
#8101 Amendment 2: The Right to Bear Arms (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
This program discusses the history of the "right to bear arms" Amendment. It details the controversy over the amendment as it relates to current gun control laws. Numerous court cases are cited as experts present both sides of the issue in this thorough and evenhanded analysis of the meaning of the 2nd Amendment. A Cambridge Educational Production. (5 minutes)
#8102 Amendment 3: Quartering of Troops (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8103 Amendment 4: Unreasonable Search and Seizure (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The origins and historical context of the 4th Amendment are outlined along with a detailed explanation of "probable cause" and search warrant contents and requirements. Present-day situations and court cases are cited to illustrate the main challenge of interpreting the 4th Amendment-how do we find the balance between protecting society from criminal behavior and upholding individual rights to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches? A Cambridge Educational Production. (7 minutes)
#8105 Amendment 9: Reserved Rights of People (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8106 Amendment 10: Powers Reserved to States (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8107 Amendments 18 and 21: Prohibition and Repeal (Run Time 10 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8108 Amendment 19: Women's Right to Vote (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex. The wording of the 19th Amendment is as unflinchingly clear as the obstacles to its passage-sexism; cultural, political, and social prejudices; and even timidity on the part of women reluctant to challenge the status quo. This program examines the struggle of the women's suffrage movement and its role in the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment. Legal experts discuss the amendment as a constitutional document and explain the changes it brought about in American life. A Cambridge Educational Production. (7 minutes)
#8109 Amendment 20: Terms of President, Vice President, and Congress (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8110 Amendment 23: D.C. Voting (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8111 Amendment 26: Voting for 18-Year-Olds (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8112 Amendment 27: Congressional Pay Raises (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8119 Amendment 11: Barring Suits Against States in Federal Court (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution. A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8120 Amendments 12, 22, and 25: Presidential Amendments (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8121 Amendment 13: The Abolition of Slavery (Run Time 10 min.) DVD $29.95
This program examines the legal issues relevant to the 13th Amendment and the controversy surrounding its passage. Legal experts explain the basis of the debate; historical reenactments of those debates provide viewers with insights into its social and economic underpinnings. A Cambridge Educational Production. (10 minutes)
#8122 Amendment 14: Civil Rights of Citizens (Run Time 12 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8123 Amendments 15 and 24: Rights of Citizens to Vote/Poll Tax (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8124 Amendment 16: Federal Income Tax (Run Time 7 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8125 Amendment 17: Elections of U.S. Senators (Run Time 5 min.) DVD $29.95
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#31774 A Personal Journey with Dr. David Ho, AIDS Researcher (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $29.95
Since arriving in America from Taiwan at the age of 12, Dr. David Ho has become a world-renowned scientist. His research in the fight against HIV/AIDS earned him honors as Time magazine's Man of the Year. In this program, Bill Moyers talks with Dr. Ho about his experience as an immigrant and U.S. citizen, and his contributions to the battle against AIDS. (15 minutes)
#31776 A Personal Journey with Gish Jen, Author (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $29.95
Born and raised in the United States, Gish Jen has become a leading literary voice of the Chinese American experience. In this program, Bill Moyers talks with the critically acclaimed writer, whose novels and short stories are known for their humorous and incisive edge. (15 minutes)
#31777 A Personal Journey with Samuel Ting, Nobel Laureate Physicist (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $29.95
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and raised in China and Taiwan, Samuel Ting received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1976 and is now leading a multinational experiment with NASA to search for antimatter, the opposite of our known universe. In this program, Bill Moyers speaks with Dr. Ting about his childhood years in war-torn China, his current project, and his philosophy of science. (15 minutes)
#31778 A Personal Journey with Maya Lin, Artist and Architect (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $29.95
Sculptor, architect, and designer Maya Lin catapulted to prominence when, as a senior at Yale University, she was chosen to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. In this program, Bill Moyers talks with her about her upbringing and multifaceted career. (27 minutes)
#8104 Amendments 5 8: The Justice Amendments (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $39.95
This program thoroughly analyzes the text of Amendments 5, 6, 7, and 8 to provide a complete understanding of the laws that are the foundation of the American criminal justice system. Specific rights outlined in the 5th Amendment that are explained include: the grand jury and indictment process, "double jeopardy," self-incrimination and "the right to remain silent," and due process of law. The rights guaranteed in the 6th Amendment for the accused in criminal prosecutions are discussed along with the procedures to be followed in criminal trials. The right of trial by jury in civil cases, bail procedures, and the elimination of excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment as guaranteed in the 7th and 8th Amendments are discussed. A Cambridge Educational Production. (15 minutes)
#8100 The First Amendment (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
This program from the acclaimed Cambridge Educational series The Amendments to the Constitution thoroughly analyzes the history and text of the First Amendment. Experts, including Dr. Nadine Strossen, President of the American Civil Liberties Union, discuss their interpretation of the Amendment and the freedoms it guarantees. Numerous court cases are cited, including those that led to the "clear and present danger" test and the "Brandenburg Standard" in determining free speech. The history of the freedom of the press is detailed, citing the "Pentagon Papers Case" (New York Times Company v. the U.S., 1971) as well as cases involving "prior restraint" and the Minnesota Gag Law. (20 minutes)
#35208 Ellis Island Immigration Museum: Face of America (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $49.95
More than 100 million citizens in the U.S. can trace their ancestry to an immigrant who landed at New York's Ellis Island. This program ferries viewers to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where visitors retrace the footsteps of those who first touched American soil there. The museum's oral history project and exhibits present the voices and artifacts of immigrants who, fearing deportation yet filled with hope, arrived with only what they could carry: a cooking pot, religious artifacts, traditional clothing-everyday things they thought important enough to bring all the way to the New World. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (27 minutes)
#35209 Autry Museum of Western Heritage: Spirit of the West (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $49.95
The historical West and the West of the imagination, each controversial in its own way, are inseparably intertwined. Through the artifacts on display, this program reveals what life was really like during that headlong rush for gold and glory, freedom and opportunity. Filmed at L.A.'s Autry Museum (now the Museum of the American West), it depicts America's westward expansion-a drama spanning centuries and combining conflict and conquest with courage and romance-through the stories of the people who made it what it was. The Wild West of Hollywood and TV is also discussed. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (28 minutes)
#35210 DuSable Museum of African-American History: American Soul (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $49.95
Founded in 1961, Chicago's DuSable Museum is perhaps the first African-American museum in the entire U.S. Part history lesson, part celebration of African-American achievement, this program illustrates the black experience in North America, from colonial days through the 20th century. Learn about aviator Bessie Coleman, the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, astronaut Robert Lawrence, and Mayor Harold Washington and see the oneness of African-American history and American history. "We are all part of the total America," explains the museum's director. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (27 minutes)
#35211 The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: Native Voice (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $49.95
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.; New York; and Suitland, Maryland, amply demonstrates that Native American history and culture are part of the shared cultural heritage of all Americans. This program spotlights cherished items in the museum's collection-including perhaps the oldest depictions of human beings in the Western hemisphere. Go behind the scenes to the museum's storage facility where artifacts are arranged by tribe and given traditional-style care. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (28 minutes)
#35212 The National D-Day Museum: Triumph of the Spirit (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $49.95
Powerful and poignant, this program features the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, which honors the sacrifices and triumphs of the American men and women who served in World War II and celebrates the American spirit. From the Normandy coast to the beaches of the Pacific, from the frontlines to the home front, the program presents the war in human terms through the personal stories and artifacts of those who participated in this epic defense against tyranny. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (27 minutes)
#35213 The Library of Congress: Volumes to Speak (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $49.95
Today's Library of Congress is not only the repository of the nation's life story, it's arguably the "ultimate museum," documenting civilizations from around the world. This program immerses viewers in history through a selection of cultural treasures archived among the library's more than 130 million items, including Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence, the maps carried by Lewis and Clark, and the typewritten script of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. (27 minutes)
#35226 National Museum of Racing: Horse Power (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $49.95
And they're off! Located at the historic Saratoga Springs racetrack, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame evokes the clang of the starting gate and the thunder of hooves through its renowned collection of equine art, trophies, silks, and thoroughbred memorabilia. This program is a first call to celebrate the sport of horse racing and the magnificent animals whose grace and beauty have become legendary. One 28-minute video.
#35227 Colorado History Museum: Crossroads of Culture (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $49.95
At the Colorado History Museum, in Denver, key figures in the region's drama come to life. This program profiles the Anasazi and other Native Americans, conquistadors, ranchers, miners, missionaries, and settlers who shaped the land and its history. Viewers also have the opportunity to look through a specially designed glass wall to see where the majority of the collection is kept in storage-an unusual angle on the commitment that goes into preserving history. One 29-minute video.
#35229 Institute of Texan Cultures: Behind the Lone Star (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $49.95
Japanese farmers. Italian cowboys. Black Indians. Jewish oil tycoons. This program on the Institute of Texan Cultures at the University of Texas, San Antonio, explores multiculturalism, Texas-style-a big, big story that embraces the Native Americans, Mexicans, and Tejanos of the region and the 19th-century European immigrants processed through the port of Galveston. Using exhibits, programs, and publications that encourage appreciation of people's differences as well as their common humanity, the institute provides a forum for the dynamics of diversity. One 28-minute video.
#35230 The Charleston Museum: America's First Museum (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $49.95
Founded in 1773, The Charleston Museum has been collecting, preserving, and interpreting the cultural and natural history of the South Carolina Lowcountry for more than 230 years. This program explores America's oldest museum, with collections ranging from the extinct Carolina parrot to the native rattlesnake that so fascinated the first Europeans, from evidence of rural slave life to firsthand accounts of the Battle of Fort Sumter, from Charleston-made furniture and silver to exotic imported goods paid for by the riches of rice. The museum's archaeology department, active throughout the region uncovering new layers of history and understanding every day, is also featured. One 29-minute video.
#35233 The Henry Ford: Made in America (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $49.95
This program goes to Dearborn, Michigan, to help viewers more fully appreciate American ideas and innovations as they are presented at Henry Ford Museum, a unique repository of American history established by the automotive pioneer in 1929. A key part of The Henry Ford: America's Greatest History Attraction, the museum is home to one of the world's largest collections of Americana: cast-iron stoves, threshing machines, clocks, cotton pickers, chairs, automobiles, tractors, airplanes, and countless other examples of homegrown imagination and ingenuity at work. One 28-minute video.
#35234 New York City Fire Museum: Trial by Fire (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $49.95
This program explores the history of firefighting at the New York City Fire Museum, repository of the largest collection of fire-related artifacts and artwork in the country. Filmed at the 1904 firehouse the museum calls home, the program traces advances in firefighting from the colonial-era Rattle Watch to the heroes of 9/11 and beyond. One 28-minute video.
#877 The Return of the Child (Algonquin) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
An Algonquin legend about a young man who lost both his wife and child. So that the sorrow of the living will not haunt the spirit of the dead, Indian tradition limits the length of mourning. But Eshkebuc cannot tear himself away from the graveside, unable to sever the link between the living and the dead. His tears awaken his dead son but, though he appears healthy, the boy does not eat or smile or speak until the sap of the fir tree frees him from the bonds of death. (26 minutes)
#878 The Legend of Corn (Ojibway) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
An Ojibway legend that tells how the Great Manitou sent Mandamin-corn-to keep the Indian people from hunger. This is the story of how Zhomin was raised after his parents died in a terrible storm. He became an excellent hunter and fisherman, and learned to value effort, endurance, and perseverance, to kill only for food, and to understand that everything in nature is sacred. When Zhomin was a grown man, a stranger arrived one day and challenged the strongest warrior to a duel. Zhomin resolved to face whatever might lie ahead, and painted his face with the sign meaning that he would not utter a sound if hurt. But Zhomin was the victor, and from the stranger's grave came a plant. The stranger had chosen to give his life and then be reborn as corn for the good of the people, and as a reward for obedience. (26 minutes)
#879 The Winter Wife (Chippewa) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
A legend about a young Chippewa Indian of Lake Huron who has to lose his earthly possessions in order to learn the true meaning of life. Jibwes wanted above all else to be rich. One winter, when the hunting season came, Jibwes found a wigwam in the forest, and within it a beautiful woman. From then on, there was abundance at Jibwes' camp. But when spring came, the girl would not return with him but extracted, instead, a promise that he would marry no one else. Each winter she returned, and each spring Jibwes returned to the village without her. At last, wealthy through the efforts of his winter wife but still wanting more possessions, Jibwes married the daughter of the chief. When the winter wife saw that Jibwes had broken his promise to her, she fled and so did his children. Only when he became an elk was he reunited with his family. (26 minutes)
#880 Moowis, Where Are You, Moowis? (Algonquin) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
An Algonquin legend about two young people who lose each other's love through pride and jealousy. This is the story of a young warrior called "Handsome Fellow" and of the Chief's beautiful daughter Cochis who spurns him. Unable to win Cochis and unwilling that anyone else should, he connives with a spirit to turn a snow man into Moowis, a man so beautiful that Cochis falls in love with him. When Moowis melts, Cochis is heartbroken and her cries echo forever in the heart of the one they call "Handsome Fellow." (26 minutes)
#881 Glooscap (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
How men and animals were created to live in peace and plenty, and how evil intervened. Glooscap, chief of good and of power, came to earth together with his twin Malsum, who had been banished from the heavens for his misdeeds. Glooscap created the animals, and gave them their names, and prayed that they would live in peace and harmony. And then he created the Wabanaki, the first Indians. But his wolf-headed brother, out of jealousy and anger because he could not create anything, breathed suspicion, fear, and the threat of famine into the world. Though the world had been created for goodness, evil was here to stay. (26 minutes)
#882 The Path of Souls (Ojibway) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
An Ojibway story in three parts that relates how Gujek entered on the Path of Souls to find his beloved wife, Wabana. Gujek's lovely young bride has died and he is too heartbroken to return to his regular village life after the prescribed period of mourning. Instead, he seeks to find Wabana, to find the Path of Souls on which she has entered. (26 minutes)
#883 The World Between (Ojibway) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
Gujek travels along the path of souls, which is strewn with temptations and with obstacles to prevent the traveler from reaching the great land of the spirits. Everything conspires to frighten and confuse Gujek as he seeks to be reunited with his beloved Wabana. But only free spirits can enter the world of spirits, and Gujek's is still tied to his body. A magic potion enables him to proceed into the transitory world which lies between the land of the living and the dead, where the festivities for Wabana will soon begin. (26 minutes)
#884 The Path of Life (Ojibway) (Run Time min.) DVD $69.95
Gujek learns the meaning of life and death. Gujek is warned neither to drink nor eat nor say anything at the festivities for Wabana. But seeing Wabana overwhelms him. He is barely able to return to the land of the living, where he tells all who will listen that there is a time for life and a time for death, that he who weeps too long for the souls of the dead will never find the true path of life. (26 minutes)
#2308 Great Black Women (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
African-American women have two strikes against them-their color and their gender. Hosted by Tanya Hart, this program looks at the women who succeeded, asking what drove them to challenge the prejudices against them, what enabled them to succeed and to make significant contributions in politics, entertainment, civil rights, business, public service, music, and sports. Among those featured are Coretta Scott King, Lena Horne, Shirley Chisholm, Tina Turner, and Oprah Winfrey, as well as Marva Collins, Whoopi Goldberg, Patti LaBelle, and "Mother Hale." (52 minutes)
#3193 Thomas Jefferson: The Pursuit of Liberty (Run Time 38 min.) DVD $69.95
He hoped to be remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and as the founder of the University of Virginia. Today we celebrate Thomas Jefferson as the man who forged the American credo of human equality and of personal as opposed to government rights: a superb writer, an innovative thinker, a public servant of the highest order whose noble legacy is marred by the irreconcilable disparity between his idealistic words about the equality of all men while he was himself a slaveholder. This documentary, shot at all the major Jefferson sites, explores his life and career and offers insights into his achievements by former President Jimmy Carter, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, George F. Will, and Professor Merrill Peterson. Narrated by Edward Herrmann and produced for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. (38 minutes)
#3355 Windigo, Who Punishes Excess (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
How a young man is punished for his avarice by the great wind, Windigo, the spirit who represents the destructive nature of greed and wanting or keeping more than one needs. The evil spirit Windigo forces people of neighboring villages to unite and fight against their own excesses.(26 minutes)
#3369 Old World, New World (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
The story of 35 million Europeans who left their troubled homelands for the promise of freedom and opportunity, and the hardships of the transatlantic voyage they endured to reach America. (52 minutes)
#3370 On a Clear Day You Can See Boston (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
The city of Boston became the great focal point for those fleeing the Irish Famine of the 1850s. They worked incredibly hard to establish themselves, and became the first immigrant group in post-Colonial times to achieve a political foothold. (52 minutes)
#3371 Go West, Young Man (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
Around 1850, the vast fertile lands of the Midwest attracted nearly a million farmers from Norway, where land was scarce and often unfit to farm. Their life as pioneers was hard, but their descendants have prospered. (52 minutes)
#3372 The Biggest Jewish City in the World (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
From the Czarist persecutions to those of Hitler, America provided a haven for Jews. Their influx made New York the world's most densely populated city. They went on to become one of the most influential immigrant groups in America. (52 minutes)
#3373 City of the Big Shoulders (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
Polish immigrants were the driving force behind Chicago's remarkable industrial growth. But they never achieved political cohesiveness, and while a million Poles now live in Chicago, their political power is not commensurate with the number of votes they cast. (52 minutes)
#3374 A Place in the Sun (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
In 20 years, four million Italians entered the U.S.. While all immigrant groups were disdained by those who had come even a generation before, Italians suffered especially. Many became poorly-paid laborers, but many others made good. (52 minutes)
#3375 Where Have All the Germans Gone? (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
More than 10% of Americans have German blood in their veins. Their ancestors came as religious and political refugees, but their dream of building a German society within America was largely shattered by the two world wars. (52 minutes)
#3376 Made in Britain (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
The British had it the easiest of all. As long ago as the settlement in Jamestown, they came not to escape poverty but to find prosperity. As a group, they found it the easiest to reap the material rewards of an expanding America. (52 minutes)
#3377 Nation of Immigrants (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $69.95
The great immigration from Europe ended in the 1920s. Today these descendants of the immigrants are trying to rediscover their heritage. How do they now view the Old World? And how do they view America's future? (52 minutes)
#3392 The Pleiades (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
How Okt-kwa-tah, or the constellation the Greeks called the Pleiades, came to be from the dance of seven children who were transformed into stars. (26 minutes)
#3393 The Magic Box (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
The mysterious wisdom contained inside a magic box teaches a youth that true love does not require a test. (26 minutes)
#3394 Pitchie the Robin (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
The story of where the robin came from, and a young man's search for peace through the beauty of music. (26 minutes)
#3395 The Spirit of the Dead Chief (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
This story, about the obligations of a chief to his people and theirs to him, tells how a departed chief sets aside his anger and finds a way to tell his people of his magnificent experience along the Path of Souls. (26 minutes)
#3396 The Path Without End (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
How the spirit world plays a trick on a young man whose selfishness made him try to possess beauty. (26 minutes)
#3397 The Invisible Man (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
How an invisible man explained to the Indians where the rainbow came from. (26 minutes)
#3398 Megmoowesoo (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $69.95
Why we must not despise poor people but must help them, no matter what. (26 minutes)
#4906 In the Beginning (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
This program features discussions with three prominent historians about the roots of the Constitution and its impact on our society since its writing. Michael Kammen, Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of history at Cornell University, discusses the Constitution's place and role as a symbol in American life; Forrest McDonald, professor of history at the University of Alabama, talks about the intellectual origins of the Constitution; and Dr. Olive Taylor, professor of history at Howard University, discusses black Americans and others who were not part of the Constitution. (60 minutes)
#4907 Justice Harry A. Blackmun: Man of the Middle (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
This program provides an in-depth look at the late Supreme Court Justice who wrote the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, the case that granted women constitutional protection for abortion. Blackmun outlines a typical day in the Supreme Court, explains his own definition of what the court's role is in the life of Americans, and examines the issue of privacy, a word and concept not mentioned in the Constitution. In addition, Blackmun discusses the emotional and moral challenge of interpreting the Constitution today. (60 minutes)
#4908 Mortimer Adler: Teaching the Constitution (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
Students at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD, challenge Adler, the noted philosopher, author, and educator, on his views about fundamental ideas in the Constitution and their relevance today. Adler discusses Americans' lack of familiarity with the Constitution, the checks and balances provided by the Supreme Court, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and the welfare state, foreign policy, and legislating morality. (60 minutes)
#4909 Mr. Justice Brennan (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
A visit with former Supreme Court justice William J. Brennan, Jr., who has been called America's "most unyielding defender of individual rights." Brennan served through seven presidencies and wrote close to 500 majority opinions. Time and again, he argued that the protection of individual freedom is found in judicial enforcement of constitutional rights. In the early 1960s, Brennan's arguments turned the country's political map upside down and changed, forever, the Court's role in political matters. (60 minutes)
#4910 Ronald Dworkin: The Meaning of the Constitution (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
Ronald Dworkin, an American who is professor of jurisprudence at Oxford University, is regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of law in the English-speaking world. His views on the current debate over the meaning of the Constitution today are so robust and controversial, they make waves on both sides of the Atlantic. In this program, Dworkin shares his ideas on the Constitution and its meaning to Americans today. (60 minutes)
#4912 Strictly Speaking (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
In this program, former Attorney General Edwin Meese and Judge Robert Bork discuss the "original intent" of the framers of the Constitution-on abortion, presidential powers, and big government. Edwin Meese was Ronald Reagan's top advisor from his gubernatorial days through the White House. He discusses Presidential power and how Congressional law applies-or doesn't apply-to the Chief Executive. Robert Bork, a Reagan nominee to the Supreme Court, discusses his conservative jurisprudence and how the Constitution describes the Court's role. (60 minutes)
#4913 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
In this candid interview with Bill Moyers, Sandra Day O'Connor discusses women's rights within the context of her role as the Supreme Court's first woman Justice, and the Constitution. Justice O'Connor reveals her own difficulties in breaking into the male-dominated legal profession, how she balanced work with family, and how her ultimate ascent from assistant attorney in the Arizona State Attorney's Office, to the state's first female senator, led to her Supreme Court appointment. Citing Constitutional precedents, O'Connor defends several controversial opinions on the issues of affirmative action and abortion. (60 minutes)
#4914 For the People (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
This program examines the impact of the Constitution on the lives of American citizens, as seen in three landmark Supreme Court cases-Engel v. Vitale (school prayer), Keyishian v. Board of Regents (academic freedom), and Bowers v. Hardwick (sodomy). (60 minutes)
#4915 Contemporary Life v. the Constitution (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
When the authors of the Constitution met in 1787, they could not possibly have imagined what the world would be like 200 years later. This program examines two controversies today that have become tests of the Constitution-the use of mandatory drug testing by companies and the establishment of widely-accessible "dossiers" of personal information on computers, which the Supreme Court has ruled are not protected by the Constitution. (60 minutes)
#4916 Justice Lewis F. Powell (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $69.95
When Lewis Powell, Jr., was appointed to the Supreme Court, he appeared to be a true southern conservative. But once on the court, Powell proved to be his own man-hard to predict, bringing a complex mind to bear on complex issues-from affirmative action to the death penalty. In this program, Powell discusses a variety of issues including Watergate, the Constitution of the former Soviet Union, the death penalty, reverse discrimination, the working of the Court, and corporal punishment. (60 minutes)
#6976 Campaign Finance: Abuses and Reforms (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $69.95
This program, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hedrick Smith, provides an overview of Clinton-era campaign finance reform: the failed initiatives of the post-Watergate era, soft money scandals, and models for reform. Smith interviews John McCain, Bill Bradley, and Jack Kemp to determine how soft money corrupted the political process. The initial segment describes the campaign finance system in use during the 1990s-itself the result of reforms instituted after Watergate-and explains how that system broke down. A second segment originates in Florida's sugarcane fields and demonstrates how well-targeted campaign donations helped win passage of legislation that favored the sugar industry. A final segment, set in Maine, illustrates how a public-funding bill impacted the electoral process and considers the lessons the nation might learn from it. (49 minutes)
#8044 If I'm Elected: Modern Campaign Techniques (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $69.95
Did our founding fathers envision today's political campaigns? Do political races serve our democratic ideals? How do candidates get voters to choose them? Viewers learn how running a campaign has turned from the noble pursuit our founders planned into a manipulative science. Although campaigns from the beginning suffered from negative rhetoric, in the age of television they have become even more harsh and a lot less truthful. Viewers learn about the fascinating roles played by political consultants and the powerful influence they have on candidates. They learn how campaigns control and manage news-media coverage and the significant role money plays in backing the candidate. This video takes students through noteworthy campaigns to look at and analyze why politicians seeking office say and do what they do. A provocative and thought-provoking presentation.A Cambridge Educational Production. One 25-minute video.
#8045 The Price of Power: Money in Politics (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $69.95
This documentary zeroes in on the price candidates pay to win election to public office. Media drives campaigns; money drives media. As a result, modern political campaigns have become enormously expensive, with winners often decided by the size of their campaign expenditures. This video investigates where candidates get their money and what they trade in their quest for political power. This thought-provoking program takes a look at wealth and its influence on our First Amendment rights and analyzes the role of money in campaigns, including local, state, and national races.A Cambridge Educational Production. One 25-minute video.
#8052 Voting: A Right and a Responsibility (Run Time 40 min.) DVD $69.95
Why should I vote? Does my vote count? This program addresses these questions and reinforces the importance of voting to the political process. The program begins with a history of voting, and the struggles of women and African Americans to gain voting rights. It then offers examples of close elections. Students are encouraged to consider how history might have been changed if the outcomes had been different. Instructions on how to vote, how to register, absentee voting, and how to use a voting machine are presented. Both primary and general elections are discussed on the local, state, and national levels, as well as referendums and votes on constitutional amendments. Students learn how to critically evaluate candidates based on their positions, experience, and other factors. A Cambridge Educational Production. (40 minutes)
#11564 Considering Reparations: Paying the Debt for Slavery (Run Time 11 min.) DVD $69.95
In addition to harming those directly enslaved, slavery in America has stigmatized all black Americans and deeply wounded a nation committed to providing liberty and justice for all. This highly charged yet balanced NewsHour program broaches the subject of social and financial reparations for descendants of African-American slaves. Representative John Conyers (D-MI), the introducer of reparation legislation to Congress; proponent Lerone Bennett, author of Forced into Glory; dissenter Walter Williams, of George Mason University; and others talk about the horrors of slavery, post-traumatic slavery syndrome, and forms of reparation. (11 minutes)
#29444 Angel Island: A Story of Chinese Immigration (Run Time 12 min.) DVD $69.95
On Angel Island, the history is written on the walls. From 1910 until 1943, Chinese immigrants to America passed through Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, the Ellis Island of the West. Unlike other groups, the Chinese were legally discriminated against under an 1882 law called the Chinese Exclusion Act. This program looks at how two women-one an artist, the other a documentary filmmaker-are raising funds and awareness to have the old immigration station restored. Slated for destruction, the station was spared in 1970 when a park ranger discovered, beneath layers of paint, poems written by anxious detainees about their fears of deportation. (12 minutes)
#33255 Making a Case for Reparations to African-Americans (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $69.95
Although the concept of slavery reparations is not a new one in the U.S., a recent lawsuit has shifted attention to big corporations that may have profited from America's slave trade-and in the process, has raised broader questions that are polarizing public opinion. If other wronged peoples have received reparations, why not African-Americans? Has the nation already done what it can, through emancipation, the civil rights movement, and affirmative action, to set things right? Can there ever be a statute of limitations on human rights violations? This ABC News program uses this landmark case as a jumping-off point for a journey through American cultural and political history as it seeks to address these and other controversial questions. (23 minutes)
#37159 New York Divided: Slavery, the Civil War, and King Cotton (Run Time 12 min.) DVD $69.95
Although slavery was abolished in New York State on July 4th, 1827, America's slave-based cotton trade was not, as bales from the South continued to enter New York City for transshipment to Europe. In this program, James Oliver Horton, historian emeritus at the Smithsonian, talks with NewsHour correspondent Gwen Ifill about slavery's impact on New York City during the first half of the 19th century. Economically dependent on King Cotton, it was a place divided between abolitionism and African-American civil rights on the one hand, and immense commercial profits on the other. The proposed secession of New York City from the United States is addressed. (11 minutes)
#7984 Bill of Rights: Bill of Responsibility (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $79.95
Bill Maher hosts this witty inquiry into the meaning of the Constitution today. Drawing examples from current events and pop culture, Maher reveals the Constitution as "a living document." Beginning with a brief overview of the full document, then focusing on the Bill of Rights, Maher demonstrates history as an evolving process. Insightful commentary encourages students to relate current events to the First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments, and others. Archival footage provides historical context and familiar contemporary references. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)
#8093 The Executive Branch of Government: A Study of Federal and State Government (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $79.95
This fast-paced and informative program shows students how the Constitution established the Executive Branch, and provided for the separation of powers and the relationship of the Executive Branch to the Legislative and Judicial Branches of the federal and state government. Specific roles of the Chief Executive are defined such as Commander-in-Chief, Foreign Policy Director, Legislative Leader, Party Leader, Popular Leader, and Chief of State, interspersed with interviews of state and national Executive Office Staff, Legislators, Media, Historians, and others. In addition, the program explains how the role of the Chief Executive has evolved in terms of its influence and exercise of power since the Constitution was ratified. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)
#8094 How a Bill Becomes a Law (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $79.95
This program deciphers the legislative process by explaining how an idea metamorphoses into a law. In interviews, prominent legislators and lobbyists explain how a bill is conceived, moved through the House and Senate or killed in committee, amended, prepared for a vote, and sent for the President or Governor's signature. A Cambridge Educational Production. (27 minutes)
#8096 The Making of the Constitution (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $79.95
This is a compelling account of the events leading up to the creation of the Constitution. Conforming to civics and history curriculums, the program puts key events into historical perspective by examining the pressures faced by Loyalists, Patriots, and average colonists. Richly textured with historical art, compelling video footage, and insightful commentary, it explores a fascinating mix of individuals, political philosophers, and social issues of the day. Dramatized sections provide insights into what actually went on at Independence Hall while the document was being written. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)
#8097 The Bill of Rights: A Living Document (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $79.95
Brief animations introduce key issues in this up-to-date look at the Bill of Rights. A host weaves together past and present, while civics experts explore the complexity of the issue of individual rights versus common good. Related topics include hate speech, school newspapers, random drug testing, gun control, and terrorism. Historical segments discuss Colonial Militias, the Intolerable Acts, Freedom of Worship, the Rights of Accused Persons, and the origins of the individual rights concept. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)
#8277 The Judicial Branch of Government (Run Time 35 min.) DVD $79.95
This program focuses on the Judicial Branch and its role in government. The Supreme Court's decisions concerning school desegregation, school prayers, abortion, prison overcrowding, the death penalty, and the rights of criminal defendants are explored. Students see how the Court's decisions affect their daily lives, how it resolves disputes without bloodshed, how it interprets our laws and explains what they mean, and how it prevents the other branches from abusing their power. A Cambridge Educational Production. (35 minutes)
#29906 Amending the Constitution (Run Time 18 min.) DVD $79.95
This program is an indispensable tool for helping students to understand the constitutional amendment process and to see its importance in their own lives. It defines what an amendment is, explains why amendments have been needed down through the centuries, and describes the process for proposing and ratifying an amendment. Amendments used as illustrations of the process of changing the Constitution have been carefully selected for their interest value to today's students. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Standards for United States History Education. A Cambridge Educational Production. (18 minutes)
#752 Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
This documentary examines the career of the pioneer black nationalist; it ranges from his birthplace in Jamaica to the United States, Europe, and Africa. Garvey (1887-1940) captured the imagination of black Americans during the 1920s with his impassioned call for an independent black nation. The program shows how Garvey's legacy inspired the civil rights movement in the U.S. and liberation movements throughout the Third World. (42 minutes)
#788 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows the events of the Great Depression and explains how they prepared the way for the rise of Nazism, Japanese expansionism, and the altered role of government in the U.S. It covers the Bonus March in July 1932; the Boom of the 1920s and the Bust, speculation, overconfidence, and an economy out of control; and the end of the Dawes Plan. Would the New Deal solve the nation's problems or usher in the revolution? (20 minutes, b&w)
#1102 The Romantic Horizon (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
"Upon the boundless plains of the West I have viewed man in the innocent simplicity of nature," said George Catlin of the Indians. This program follows the path of Lewis and Clark, revealing the new lands through the eyes of artist-explorers George Catlin, Karl Bodmer, and Alfred Jacob Miller. Canvas and notebook in hand, they scoured the wilderness and returned East with the first glimpses of the frontier that would soon capture the world's imagination. (57 minutes)
#1103 The Golden Land (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
Here is the saga of Manifest Destiny, the banner under which Americans surged westward in the mid-19th century. It is the story of the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War that doubled the size of the young United States, the gold strikes that doubled its wealth, and the pioneer spirit that made the Oregon Trail into Main Street. (57 minutes)
#1104 Images of Glory (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
The Rocky Mountains were "like the stairs of heaven after the last soul has ascended earth," said Fitz Hugh Ludlow. Said Sitting Bull of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, "Our young men rained lead across the river and drove the white braves back." This is the time of the Civil War in the East, the last of the Indian Wars, the final spike in the transcontinental railroad. Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt paint a mythical Eden, while pioneer photographers Eadweard Muybridge and Timothy O'Sullivan whet America's appetite for Western adventure. It is the beginning of the end of the "Wild West." (57 minutes)
#1105 The Wild Riders (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
"If they are human, they're a separate species," said Charley Russell about cowboys. This episode shows us the West of Frederic Remington and Charley Russell, whose works transformed the working cowboy into the most enduring hero-figure in American folklore. Russell became a living representative of the West he portrayed, the poet laureate of the passing frontier. In their very different ways, he and Remington created a gallery of heroes that live on in the American imagination. (57 minutes)
#1106 Play the Legend (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
The West fueled an entire industry: the entertainment business. When the first Western movie was shown, the audience stood up, cheered, and shouted for a re-run. Said Bronco Billy Anderson, "That's it. It's going to be the picture business for me. The future has no end." This program shows the West as the subject of popular culture and show business, the greatest circus act in the world, from dime novels to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, from the movie cowboys to that modern embodiment of the cowboy spirit, the country singer. (57 minutes)
#1309 Private Yankee Doodle (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program was designed to help viewers understand the commitment and everyday sacrifice of Americans during the Revolutionary War. To show the daily routine of the common soldier, an entire Continental Army camp was recreated and 250 soldiers-all authentically dressed and equipped-were recruited from several of the nation's leading military reenactment groups. Historian Burt Kummerow walks across the camp and among the soldiers to explain the background and the purpose of camp activities. (28 minutes)
#1310 The Inventory (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program depicts the lives and lifestyles of a typical lower-middle-class family in the mid-eighteenth century. Showing the struggle for survival and likely course of events that follow the death of the father in early middle age, we learn what such a family had in the way of possessions and how it valued them, and what their range of options was. (28 minutes)
#1314 Antietam (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $89.95
When you walk the silent Antietam Battlefield in the cool of early morning with the mist undulating in the hollows of West Wood, they are there-the ghosts of the generals and the 26,000 young Americans who died on the day one of them said was so long that "the sun moved backwards." Putting the battle into historical perspective, historian William Brown brings the massive battle to life, explaining how the muskets and field cannons worked, what the men wore, and what the battle was like for the ordinary soldier. (56 minutes)
#1624 The Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962 (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
On October 29, 1962, the world breathed a little more easily as the U. S. and the Soviet Union stepped back from the brink. War-everyone assumed nuclear war-had been avoided, at least for the moment. In exploring the events that led up to the crisis, this documentary shows Castro's rise to power, his economic policies which the Cubans called social justice and expropriated foreigners called thievery, his brand of law and order which was as cruel and unjust as his predecessors' (though with different victims), and his relationship with the Soviets-whose decision to base nuclear warheads in Cuba led to the crisis. (20 minutes, b&w)
#1631 Rose Kennedy: A Mother's Story (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $89.95
Here is the heart-rending, soul-stirring story of the Kennedys, told by Rose Kennedy herself and through Kennedy family home movies, rare documentary footage, and interviews with major participants. It is a woman's story of pride in her status and shame at her husband's betrayal of her; a mother's story of joy in the birth and rearing of her children and grief barely eased by faith at the violent deaths of four of those children; a story filled with the history of her long years, from the Boston of the Gay Nineties and the fateful time just before World War II when Joe Kennedy was Ambassador to England, to the magical, glorious time when John and Bobby rode high-and the dreadful times when they were laid low. This is an extraordinary documentary about an extraordinary woman who has left an indelible imprint on 20th-century history. (46 minutes)
#2010 Senator Sam (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
This portrait of Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina is a portrait of the Constitution in action, a case study of one man who made an enormous difference. The program covers the life and career of this archetypical small-town lawyer with the folksy style and homespun humor that cloaked a razor-sharp legal mind, a deep philosophical devotion to the principles of the Constitution, and an abiding faith in democracy. His legislative record on behalf of First Amendment rights and the separation of church and state would have been enough to ensure his place in history. But it was his chairmanship of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, the so-called Watergate hearings of 1973-74, that showed America and the world how the Constitution works and why a society must be ruled by law. (58 minutes)
#2024 Mr. Lincoln of Illinois (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
This documentary portrait of Lincoln during the intellectually-formative prairie years begins with his farewell words to his neighbors in Springfield on his departure for the presidency in Washington, and concludes with his return on the "Lonesome Train" and W.C. Heath's "The Lincoln Funeral March" performed as it was at Lincoln's funeral. Period photographs, art, and memorabilia, visits to the Lincoln sites in and around New Salem and Springfield, the words of Lincoln and of his friends and associates, as well as commentary by Lincoln scholars, recreate an era and a very complicated man. (30 minutes)
#2459 The Battle of Yorktown: 1781 (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Between the first settlement at Jamestown and the final battle of the American Revolution at Yorktown lay 174 years and the development of an American spirit. This program traces the three distinct strains that made up that spirit-the slave-based, agricultural economy of the South, founded by seekers after wealth; the seekers after religious and political freedom who settled in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England, armed with determination and the printing press; and, geographically between the two, the merchants of New York and Philadelphia. The program explains the frustrations and complaints of the colonists; outlines the events leading to the Declaration of Independence; covers some of the major events of the war; and culminates in the last major battle, the battle of Yorktown, with credit for the victory belonging equally to American and French troops, to Washington and Lafayette. It would be another two years before the British admitted defeat. (30 minutes)
#2465 The Civil War (Run Time 42 min.) DVD $89.95
This program offers a portrait of the United States in 1860 and describes the events of the Civil War: secession and the election of Jefferson Davis; the attack on Ft. Sumter; the initial enthusiasm for a heroic, romantic war; the first two years of war, with most of the fighting taking place between Washington and Richmond; the modern aspects of the war-the use of trains, the telegraph, the camera, automatic arms, iron-clad ships and mines; the Emancipation Proclamation; and a detailed analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg-the turning point of the war which would rage on for two more years. (42 minutes)
#2608 From the Bay of Pigs to the Brink (Run Time 16 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers the events that began with the Bay of Pigs invasion and ended with a blinking contest between John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev, with nuclear war an apparently real alternative. The program follows the events, from the failed invasion, to the discovery through aerial photography of missile emplacements in Cuba, to the American blockade of Cuba; from speeches and marches and demonstrations on both sides, to Marine reenforcements arriving at Guantanamo, until the Soviets agreed to remove their missiles and the United States to lift its blockade. The political victory was John Kennedy's, the telephone hotline between Moscow and Washington was installed, and a new era of superpower relationships had begun. (16 minutes)
#2609 The Fateful Decade: From Little Rock to the Civil Rights Bill (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
First there was the law, and then there was enforcement of the law. This program begins at Little Rock's Central High School, when soldiers had to provide safety for black children exercising their legal right to go to school. Martin Luther King, Jr., already appears in 1958 at a meeting of black leaders with President Eisenhower. The civil rights movement accelerated: marches, clashes with the police and the jailing of demonstrators, the murder of Medgar Evers, the bombing of the Baptist church in Birmingham, sit-ins and protests, the Montgomery march, the Mississippi Freedom march, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" and "I Have Been to the Mountaintop" speeches, his funeral, and President Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Bill of 1968. (27 minutes)
#2663 Fire in Their Hearts: Individuals Who Made a Difference (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
This program looks at individual Americans who stood up for their beliefs and took action to effect change: Lois Gibbs, who led the fight against toxic dumping at Love Canal; Clementine Barfield, who organized Save Our Sons and Daughters after her teenage son was shot and killed; Elizabeth Terwilliger, an environmental activist who has been teaching kids and politicians about environmental concerns; Lydia Raynor, who provided safe houses for abused mothers and children; and Jean and Joe Gump, serving time for protesting a nuclear missile site. (58 minutes)
#2760 The Conservatives (Run Time 88 min.) DVD $89.95
This program chronicles the rise of the Conservative movement in America from the 1940s to the height of the Reagan era, explaining the intellectual premises of Conservatism while covering both the well-known and the less-chronicled back pages of Conservative history. It covers the Hiss-Chambers case, which galvanized the movement around the issue of anti-Communism; the organization of three Conservative think tanks; the birth of the Goldwater candidacy, the development of Conservative power within the Republican Party, and the conflict between Conservatives in the GOP and the "Eastern establishment"; the ideological evolution of Ronald Reagan; the birth of neo-Conservatism; Watergate; the emergence of the New Right; and the influence of supply-side economics. In addition to documentary historical footage, the program provides interviews with, among others, Jeane Kirkpatrick, William F. Buckley, Jr., Barry Goldwater, Norman Podhoretz, Milton Friedman, Clare Boothe Luce, Paul Weyrich, and Ronald Reagan. (88 minutes, b&w/color)
#2763 Adlai Stevenson: The Man from Libertyville (Run Time 88 min.) DVD $89.95
This portrait of the Democratic nominee for President who twice lost to Eisenhower traces Adali Stevenson's career from Governor of Illinois to UN Ambassador. In the process, it illuminates a whole political era in post-World War II American history and explores themes that remain predominant in politics today: the American ambivalence toward intellectuals in politics, anti-liberalism, the electorate's preoccupation with the personality of politicians, and the influence of television. The program is divided into two parts: the first, 1952, deals primarily with Stevenson's nomination by the Democratic Party-one of the few genuine drafts in American political history; the second, Dura Est Ovicipitum Via (The Way of the Egghead Is Hard), examines Stevenson's interest in the Third World and his quest for a resolution of Cold War tensions. (88 minutes, b&w/color)
#2797 A Portrait of Colin Powell (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
The son of Jamaican immigrants born in Harlem, Colin Powell grew up in the South Bronx. He says he didn't know he was a minority because everyone was a minority; that, yes, there were drugs in the neighborhood but that they were not tolerated among those with strong family ties; that he did not do well at college but found his mission in the army. General Powell comes across as an extraordinarily capable, intelligent, self-aware, and self-controlled man: an exceptional role model for those who must carve out their own road to success; a striking portrait of a U.S. Army with a great potential for doing peacetime social good. (28 minutes)
#2926 America at War (Run Time 35 min.) DVD $89.95
From Pearl Harbor to the Persian Gulf-the American effort during World War II in the Pacific and European theaters, followed by Korea, the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and Operation Desert Storm-this program covers 50 years of almost continuous action by America's military. (35 minutes)
#3074 Cry of the Yurok (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
The Yuroks, California's largest Native American tribe, have lived near the mouth of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers for 10,000 years. This program details the many problems that beset them as they try to survive: their lands overrun by prospectors and soldiers in the 19th century, the primeval forest cut by lumber companies, environmental destruction that has nearly wiped out the fish on which they traditionally depend. Some of the Yuroks remain on the reservation, others have moved to the cities; all are caught in a many-sided battle between the dominant white world and the world of the Indian. (58 minutes)
#3093 Now that the Buffalo's Gone (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
Ever since Christopher Columbus arrived in America, Native Americans have been forced to retreat in the face of the demand of whites for land and other resources. This program shows how Europeans, who came to America looking for freedom of speech and religion, forgot those freedoms when it came to the Indians, who did not view land as something to be owned and asked: "Sell land? Why not sell the air, the clouds, the great sea? Did not the Great Spirit make them for all his children? One does not sell the earth upon which people walk." (20 minutes)
#3192 The Battle of Glorieta Pass: Gettysburg of the West (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program uses contemporary journals and letters and battlefield reenactments to focus on the Western strategy in the Civil War and explain one of the most intriguing scenarios in American history. Union forces had abandoned Albuquerque and Santa Fe; the Rebels were headed West, their goal to reach California and secure the Southwest. The brutal Battle of Glorieta Pass on March 28, 1862, concluded when Union men slipped into the Rebel rear and burned the enemy wagon trains. With no more supplies, without food or ammunition, the Confederates abandoned their New Mexico camp: a bitter defeat made even more bitter by history's failure to accord these soldiers their full measure of glory. (28 minutes, b&w)
#3194 Digging for Slaves: The Excavation of American Slave Sites (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
Between the 16th and the 19th centuries, some ten million Africans were kidnapped and transported as slaves to America. Now archaeologists are digging up American slave sites for the first time, unearthing the realities of slave life and discovering the contributions of enslaved Africans to American society. This program provides many fascinating and surprising details at excavations of 18th-century slave quarters on Middleburg Plantation near Charleston; at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, whose slave holdings seem so irreconcilable with his expressed views on human freedom; and at Colonial Williamsburg, which until recently neglected to show the lives of the slaves who made up over half the town's population but where an entire slave quarters is now being accurately reconstructed. (50 minutes)
#3262 The Culture of Poverty (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Many Latino families are caught in the cycle of poverty: unemployment, poor education, and single-parent homes create a self-perpetuating cycle. The task of educating the child victims of this culture of poverty puts added strain on an already burdened school system. This program explores emerging strategies for meeting the needs of these children, and profiles an independent effort to keep kids off the street and instill in them a sense of pride. (26 minutes)
#3264 Bilingual Education (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines Latino consensus on the issue of bilingual education while also looking at efforts to increase literacy levels and English language skills among Latinos. It also looks at both the use of non-Spanish speakers as bilingual education teachers in some parts of the country and the increasing opportunities for Spanish speakers in the general workforce. (26 minutes)
#3266 The Status of Latina Women (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
This program looks at the differences between the U.S. Latina and her Latin American counterparts. It also examines how Latino men regard successful, professional Latina women, and the myths and mystique of machismo among Latinos in the age of two-income families and shared child-rearing responsibility. Finally, the program profiles a Latina feminist, who has shown that activism is not just a Latino male's prerogative. (26 minutes)
#3890 Beginnings (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
This program puts the Trail in historical perspective, relating the events that led up to it and explaining its role in American history. Topics covered include Lewis and Clark and the Astorians; the first emigrants and the Great Migration; the reasons why so many went west; and the beginnings and preparations for a typical journey. (29 minutes)
#3891 Across the Plains (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program follows the first leg of the journey along the Trail, from Independence, Missouri, to Fort Laramie, in what is now Wyoming. In addition to explaining landmarks along this route, the program covers the problems of camping in the wilderness, the perils of accidents, and encounters with Native American tribespeople. (28 minutes)
#3892 Through the Rockies (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
This program follows the journey from Fort Laramie to Fort Hall, in modern-day Idaho, explaining the problems of trail overcrowding and the dangers of disease (particularly cholera), showing cutoffs and alternate routes, and detailing the great trek of the Mormon pioneers. (26 minutes)
#3893 The Final Steps (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
The journey is finished in this program as it reaches Willamette Valley, Oregon. In addition to covering important sites en route, the program discusses the role of the British, the experiences of the 49ers on the Oregon Trail, and conflict with Native Americans in the later years of the Trail. (30 minutes)
#3958 Spirits of the Canyon: Ancient Art of the Pecos Indians (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Here is a rare look at 5,000 years of history as recorded on the walls of the majestic southwest Texas canyons-thousands of images painted in the aeries and on the canyon walls, the legacy of a people who flourished for millennia and then disappeared. Artist Amado Pena and archaeologists analyze the paintings and pictographs that date from about 3000 B.C. until the arrival of the conquistadors in the 16th century; we still know too little about Pecos culture to do more than surmise the meaning of their art. (28 minutes)
#3971 Kwanzaa: A Cultural Celebration (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Kwanzaa-a more and more widely observed holiday-provides African-Americans with a unique celebration that is rooted in the rich African tradition of their ancestors and the symbolism of the African harvest. This program offers a look-through the eyes of African-Americans-at the principles and practices of this joyous holiday. (29 minutes)
#4023 Bilingualism: A True Advantage (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
In today's global economy, being bilingual is a distinct advantage. This program looks at the nationally recognized bilingual education program at San Antonio's De Zavala Elementary School, where Spanish-speaking children are being prepared to compete in the marketplace by developing new skills in English while maintaining their skills in Spanish. The program also follows a group of college students who are realizing the professional and personal benefits of being able to speak two languages. It concludes with a conversation with Cheech Marin, who shares his views on the importance of cultural identity. (28 minutes)
#4026 Latino Parents as Partners in Education (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Latino families are often doubly disadvantaged: beset by the problems of alcoholism, gang involvement, and school drop-out, they often find language and cultural differences standing between them and the help they need. This program looks at how counseling can make a dramatic difference, how Latino parents' participation in their children's schooling can improve the Latino drop-out rate-the nation's highest-and how an "at risk" student made it to college with the help of the business community. (28 minutes)
#4027 The Latino Family (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows both the changes in and the endurance of traditional Latino families. In following the paths of three generations of one Mexican American family, it traces the patterns of migration and cultural change. It shows how the traditional roles of the Latino elderly are being altered by their families' needs, and also how the traditional pleasures can still be celebrated on a Sunday in the park with "la familia." (28 minutes)
#4029 The Three Stages of Latino Life (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Birth, adulthood, death-the stages are the same for all humans, but Latinos celebrate them in their own way. This program follows a Mexican-American mother through the final stages of her pregnancy and the birth of her fifth child; examines the replacement for the traditional milestones that mark maturity among Latino youth; and observes how modern-day Latinos faced with a death in the family are adapting traditional mourning customs with new strategies. (28 minutes)
#4549 U.S. Peacekeeping Mission: The Beirut Fiasco (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
As the U.S. government continues to become involved in conflicts around the world, it is time to remember the disaster that befell the American peacekeeping mission in Beirut on Sunday, October 23, 1983. In one devastating blast-the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever-241 Marines and other servicemen were killed. This program examines what happened and how, how it might have been averted, and what the effects of the disaster have been-on the individuals involved, on the Lebanese, and on American foreign policy. (50 minutes)
#4919 Money Talks: The Influence of Money in American Politics (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines what many people consider to be the scandal of American democracy-the influence of money on our political system. The 1992 Presidential election sent a strong signal: by voting for Bill Clinton or Ross Perot, both of whom ran on reform platforms, voters registered their disgust with the way laws are made, influence is bought, and an elite class of politicians control the system. This 1994 program examines the roles that financial contributions, corporate influence, and special interests played at the start of the Clinton administration, as well as in national, state, and even local political contests across the country. Issues raised in the program include: Has the "business" of politics in Washington changed since the election? What is the relationship between the Clinton White House and Big Business? What's the Clinton record on the effects of money, power, and privilege on policy? Is campaign financing reform for real? How can citizens effect change in the system at the grassroots level? (60 minutes)
#4930 Presenting Mr. Frederick Douglass: The Lesson of the Hour (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass comes back to life in this acclaimed theatrical performance featuring Fred Morsell, as he dramatically re-creates Douglass's famous speech on slavery and human rights. With an eloquence and intelligence rarely matched, Frederick Douglass became a giant in the struggle against racial injustice. He called upon all Americans of every color to work to fulfill the vision of a just society that was proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This program was filmed at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington, D.C., where Douglass delivered his celebrated last speech, "The Lesson of the Hour," over a century ago. A Bill Moyers special. (60 minutes)
#4943 The Broken Cord: Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program with Bill Moyers, authors Louise Erdrich and the late Michael Dorris explain how traditions of spirit and memory weave through the lives of many Native Americans and how alcoholism and despair have shattered so many other lives. The devastating effect of fetal alcohol syndrome on their adopted son and on the Native American community as a whole is also discussed. The issues discussed in the program are underscored by the tragedy of Dorris's untimely death. (30 minutes)
#4944 Resurrecting Party Loyalty: James MacGregor Burns (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
It was Benjamin Disraeli who told his countrymen, "Damn your principles! Stick to your party." In this program with Bill Moyers, James MacGregor Burns claims that the creative life of politics depends upon the resurrection of party loyalty. Burns, who has been called a historian's political scientist and a political scientist's historian, has probed the American political system, past and present, to understand its strengths and weaknesses. He cites transactional leadership as the source of many poor policy decisions. In Burns' opinion, the formation of temporary coalitions and alliances in the government leads to continual compromise and deadlock, and obscures a leader's responsibility for bad decisions. (30 minutes)
#4945 America's Leading Dissenter: Noam Chomsky (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
On the face of it, this seems the worst of times for the political radical. The consensus seems to be that dissent died with the '60s. People today are too contented and too rich, or too poor and put upon to protest anything; we've become a nation of couch potatoes. But stop a minute and consider this: in 1988, at the height of the Reagan-Bush era, more than 500 students were arrested in campus political protests and over 3,000 people were arrested protesting against nuclear arms. In this program with Bill Moyers, Noam Chomsky shares his thoughts about the meaning of protest today. Chomsky believes in the blunt scrutiny of national power, arbitrary government, and injustice. He discusses the decline of political democracy, and his admiration for the common sense and creativity of ordinary people. (52 minutes)
#4947 Henry Steele Commager (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Talking with Henry Steele Commager is the closest we can come to interviewing a Founding Father. This patriarch of American historians taught history for over 60 years. Among his scores of books are The American Mind, The Empire of Reason, and The Search for a Usable Past. In this program with Bill Moyers, Commager laments that the American democratic system, based on the founding fathers' belief in individual honor, has been eroded by our present leaders. They are businessmen and opportunists, not politicians, says Commager. (30 minutes)
#4949 Searching for a Native American Identity: Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
This program features the late Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich, a husband-and-wife team who collaborated as writers before his untimely death. They attribute their beliefs in family, community, and place to their Native American heritage: she is half Chippewa, he is half Modoc. As Native Americans, their writing reflects the difficulties of American Indians today. In this program with Bill Moyers, Erdrich and Dorris discuss faith and the search for a Native American identity in a pluralistic society. (30 minutes)
#4960 The Bureaucracy of Government: John Lukacs (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
A generation ago, liberal commentators decried the growth of mass society and bureaucracy, the despotism of government cloaked in the mantle of bureaucracy. Today, the same cry is heard from our leading conservative thinkers. Historian John Lukacs, an early refugee from Hungarian communism, is a well-known explorer of the destiny and progress of postwar America. In this program, he discusses the common political lament over the giant but invisible mechanism called bureaucracy. A Bill Moyers special. (30 minutes)
#4961 Challenging Hispanic Stereotypes: Arturo Madrid (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Arturo Madrid's ancestors made a home on American soil before the Mayflower arrived, but strangers still ask him, "And where are you from?" Weary of always being perceived as "the other," he has devoted himself to challenging the stereotypes that keep Hispanics outside the American mainstream. Madrid is a teacher and president of the Tomas Rivera Center, where he focuses on issues and policies affecting the Latino community. In this program with Bill Moyers, he discusses the controversy surrounding bilingual education and the state of education, in general, for Hispanic people. (30 minutes)
#4963 Style and the Intellectual Origins of the Constitution: Forrest McDonald (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
The debate goes back to the earliest days of the presidency. When George Washington chose for himself the modest title, "Mr. President," John Adams was furious; Adams believed that our highest official ought to have a title that reflected the pomp and circumstance of his position-"Your Mightiness," maybe, or at the very least "Your Elective Highness." To this day, we can't always decide whether it's more important for our chief executive to look high and mighty, or to know how to keep the machinery of government running. Professor of History Forrest McDonald has spent his career plumbing the intellectual origins of the American Constitution. He believes in pomp and circumstance; the ceremonial function of the presidency, he says in this program with Bill Moyers, is as important as the earthly practicalities of governing the country. (30 minutes, color)
#4969 Has America Lost Its Sense of Honor? Barbara Tuchman (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Over 200 years ago, Congress wrote its instructions for America's first presidential election, although everyone knew the only candidate would be the nation's greatest hero, George Washington. These days, America is rallying to different heroes: when high school students are polled to see whom they most admire in public life, Hollywood actors or sports figures routinely win. So, what explains this long leap from the revolutionary patriot to the Hollywood actor? In this program with Bill Moyers, the late distinguished American historian, Barbara Tuchman, explained her belief that Americans have lost their ability to distinguish between right and wrong. An advocate of the notion that it's worth knowing where we've been, she looked at the changes in America since the days of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson; at the root of our contemporary predicament, she concluded, is the absence of a sense of honor. (30 minutes)
#4973 Solving Black Inner-City Poverty: William Julius Wilson (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
The poorest neighborhood in the U.S. is not an isolated southern mountain hollow or a midwestern farm county blasted by drought, but a four-block stretch of public housing on the South Side of Chicago. Most of the residents are black, on welfare, and living in dysfunctional families. But as woebegone as that neighborhood is, the pattern is repeated on block after block in city after city. The problems of our inner cities have been growing worse with each year; some policymakers and scholars question whether these problems can ever be solved. In this program with Bill Moyers, Dr. William Julius Wilson, author and sociologist, argues that the time to throw up our hands in despair has not yet arrived; he believes that most inner-city blacks stay poor not because they are black, but because they live in the wasteland of the inner city. (30 minutes)
#4975 Democracy and the Nature of Power: Sheldon Wolin (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Sheldon Wolin has spent a long career as a scholar searching for the meaning of democracy, the nature of power, and the role of the state. As a teacher at Berkeley in the 1960s, he drew his political insights not from scholarship alone but from the noisy streets where theory confronts the realities of American life. Wolin is the founder of the journal Democracy and author of Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Western Political Thought, which influenced a generation of students in the 60s. In this program with Bill Moyers, he discusses the concept of democracy and the search for a collective identity. (30 minutes)
#4977 Another View of the Civil Rights Movement: Anne Wortham (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
Sociologist Anne Wortham is like nobody you've ever met, a distinction she's proud of. It's the basis of her political philosophy, her scholarship, and her self-esteem: that nobody exactly like her ever existed before, or will again. Her peers pressured her, but Anne Wortham could not bring herself to join the civil rights movement-it violated her own story, her particular individuality. As a black, she stands apart in criticizing the civil rights movement for promoting reverse racism and the welfare state. In this program with Bill Moyers, Wortham shares her experiences and argues that all black Americans do not share one common experience. (52 minutes)
#4984 Mobilizing the Latino Community: Ernesto J. Cortes, Jr. (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
Ernie Cortes isn't a business tycoon and he hasn't been elected to public office, but a Texas business magazine named him one of the five most powerful Texans, along with people like H. Ross Perot. Ernie Cortes' influence, though, reaches beyond Texas and he has been called "the most effective Latino grassroots organizer in the country today." He is a man who empowers, a member of the national staff of the Industrial Areas Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps "ordinary" people organize to make positive changes in their communities. In his home state of Texas, he teaches citizens to take on issues that matter to them: water and sewer systems, roads, education, worker safety, and health care. In this program with Bill Moyers, Cortes discusses individual participation in American politics and highlights the importance of agitation, confrontation, and compromise in the discourse of democracy. (50 minutes)
#4989 Victim of Two Cultures: Richard Rodriguez (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
Richard Rodriguez, the son of Mexican immigrants, calls himself "a comic victim of two cultures." He started out speaking nothing but Spanish, and now argues for education in nothing but English. A Fulbright scholar with degrees from Stanford and Columbia, he suddenly walked away from a promising career in academia; despite his ambition to teach, he rebelled against job offers that, he says, came to him just because of his Hispanic surname. Condemned by some for having forsaken his roots and for his negative views of affirmative action and bilingual education, he has been praised by many others for his intimate understanding of the impact of language on life. In this program with Bill Moyers, Rodriguez explains his opposition to bilingual education and talks about his experience growing up in America as the son of immigrants; he also discusses the differences between Mexican and American cultures. (52 minutes)
#5006 Religion, Rap, and the Crisis of Black Leadership: Cornel West (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
To practice his unique brand of scholarship, Cornel West moves in many worlds. As an academic, he teaches religion and Afro-American studies at Harvard. As an author, he has delved into subjects from liberation theology to postmodern architecture, from rap music to black politicians. As a lay preacher, he can be found speaking to community groups and high school students and in the pulpits of various faiths. In this program with Bill Moyers, West delves into such diverse topics as religion, rap music, and the crisis of black leadership in America. (30 minutes)
#5034 Can We Govern? (Part One) (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines both the disenchantment of American voters and the frustrations of members of Congress as they try to work within the system. Voters say they have heard too many promises, and have seen too few results; politicians say that a sensational press and uninformed voters make it hard to govern. The program features five politicians (former Senator Warren Rudman and representatives Barney Frank, Dave Obey, Susan Molinari, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen) and their responses to the exasperation of the American people. (60 minutes)
#5035 Can We Govern? (Part Two) (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers explores the uses and abuses of political language and how the democratic conversation has been frustrated and trivialized by the new jargon of politics. Appearing in the program are Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dean of the Annenberg School for Communications; noted media commentator Edwin Diamond; E. J. Dionne, author of Why Americans Hate Politics; and U.S. representatives Barney Frank, Dave Obey, Susan Molinari, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. (60 minutes)
#5037 Making Government Work (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers explores firsthand how citizens are taking action to improve their communities, focusing on Chicago, where citizens groups have joined with government officials to preserve manufacturing jobs, revitalize parks, and prevent crime. Members of the National Commission on State and Local Public Service provide a national perspective. (60 minutes)
#5038 Who Owns Our Government? (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines the effect of political contributions on public policy. The program shows how campaign contributions to key committee members of Congress helped cause the Savings and Loan debacle; how a loophole in the campaign finance law is permitting large cash contributions-so called "soft money"-to undermine the public financing of presidential campaigns; and how special interest money from the $700 billion health care industry is being used to undermine health care reform. (60 minutes)
#5039 Women in American Politics (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers looks at the rising number of women on the political scene and their impressions of politics. Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, former Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin, Senator Carol Moseley Braun, and other female politicians talk about the challenges women candidates face, describe their experiences in male bastions of power, why it's important for women to participate in politics, and what women bring to governing our nation. (60 minutes)
#5045 In Search of a Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines the status of black Americans, particularly in light of the rioting in Los Angeles that followed the Rodney King verdict. Featured in the program are rapper Sister Souljah; Robert Woodson, Chairman of the Council for a Black Economic Agenda; and Michael Cross, Director of the Male Responsibility Program of the Detroit Urban League. They are joined by Charles Hamilton (Columbia University), Jennifer Hochschild (Princeton), and Gerald Jaynes (Yale), academics who have been involved in studying the status of black Americans. (60 minutes)
#5052 Charisma, Personality, and Power (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines leadership, the presidency, and the presidential election of 1992. Featured in the program are Abraham Zaleznik, author of Learning Leadership; Steve Pieczenik, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; Fernando Moreno, editor of El Diario, who talks about the Latino voice in the elections; and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dean of the Annenberg School for Communications, who analyzes the campaign itself and how it was reported by the media. (47 minutes)
#5058 Getting Out the Vote (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers talks to Americans in San Antonio, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C., about why they don't vote, and to citizens who are trying to increase voter registration and turnout. Featured in the program are Father Andrew Greeley, author, priest, and sociologist; and Michael Franti, a rap artist. (39 minutes)
#5061 The Religious Right (Run Time 37 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers focuses on the conservative evangelical movement in the U.S., presenting an eye-opening report on the "National Affairs Briefing," a meeting of members of the religious right following the Republican National Convention in 1992. Members of the movement featured in the program include Rev. Don Wildmon, Oliver North, Pat Buchanan, and Phyllis Schlafly, who voice their opinions on Bill Clinton, "militant homosexuals," feminists, "abortionists," and the "liberal secular" media. (37 minutes)
#5229 Hopi Prophecy (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Handed down through ritual and chant long before it was recorded in the petroglyphs which are explained to us here, the Hopi prophecy is centered on the belief that humans must live in peace and harmony with the natural world. Through centuries of changing official policy with regard to indigenous peoples-destruction and extermination, separation and isolation, limited empowerment in islands awash with the roar and upheaval of modern machines-the Hopi prophecy has prevailed. In this program, tribal elders perform the chants and explain their hope that humankind can turn away from its own destruction and toward peace. (24 minutes)
#5435 The Role of the First Lady (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
What do Americans want of their first ladies? Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Hess, Gil Troy, and Suzanne Garment look at the varying roles that presidents' wives have played-and the public's perception of those roles. Are first ladies supposed to be just ornaments at public functions and limit their public efforts to acceptable charities? Will any leadership role necessarily invoke comparisons with Lady Macbeth or Madame Defarge? And what kind of power is Hillary Rodham Clinton exercising that wasn't exercised on a much broader scale long ago by Eleanor Roosevelt? (26 minutes)
#5436 Who Owns History? (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Every generation rewrites history in order to make sense of the present. Was Columbus a hero or a villain? Once you incorporate the history of African Americans or of women or other groups into the American Revolution or the Civil War, the story changes. Daniel Boorstin, Eric Foner, James Horton, and Robert Royal discuss revised history, new history, and the rewriting of history. (26 minutes)
#5438 The Legacy of Thomas Jefferson (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Judge Robert Bork thinks that if Jefferson's principles had prevailed, they would have destroyed the U.S.-and in this provocative program he explains his opinion. Bork, Professor of History James Oliver Horton, and Peter Onuf examine whether Thomas Jefferson was a champion of liberty or a dangerous radical, and how this very principled man could not always achieve what his principles dictated. Onuf believes that national self-determination, nation-making, and the independence of states are the great legacy of the American Revolution and of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. (26 minutes)
#5703 A Line Drawn on a Map (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
Living deep in the Canadian wilderness, the Lac La Croix band of Ojibway have fought to maintain their tradition of living in harmony with the land. This program looks at their dispute with U.S. game wardens who have denied them the right to guide fishermen on trips into their traditional waters; and their struggle to overcome past problems of alcoholism, murder, and suicide, in order to return to their traditional way of life. (60 minutes)
#5704 Indian Housing: Challenges and Solutions (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
The small islands around Alaska's Bering Sea are remote, bleak, and cold. The Aleut people living there are trying to maintain their community and livelihood in the now multinational fishing industry, but a housing shortage is keeping them out. This program examines a federal housing effort that is meeting the challenge of building homes that can withstand 110-mile-an-hour winds and snow, on an island with no trees or rocks, and the nearest building supply store 600 miles away. Part two of the program visits South Dakota's dry, dusty plain, where Lakota Indians join President Jimmy Carter, along with two thousand volunteers, in constructing thirty new homes on their reservation. (60 minutes)
#5705 Sacred Lands, White Man's Laws (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
In the middle of a university campus in California lies a sacred site for traditional Native worship, where ceremonies have taken place for generations, and the age-old creation story of the Tongva people originated. The university intends to build a shopping mall on the sacred site, while the Indian people are determined to stop them, using ancient ceremonies and prayers to their ancestors to help them win a complex legal battle. The program also offers an exciting view of the traditional style of 'opelu fishing from above and beneath the crystal blue waters of Hawaii. (60 minutes)
#5706 Our Children, Our Future (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
The future of Indian people lies with their children. A Minnesota museum introduces Indian children to the wonders of science by exploring the natural world through interaction with Native elders, and a Dakota tribe teaches traditional values as part of a Native curriculum that introduces Dakota language and culture to their children in preschool. The program also shows how Alaska is continuing the tradition of Native awareness. (60 minutes)
#5707 Our Identity, Our Land (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
The Kanaka Maoli, the original people of Hawaii, lost their land and have no treaties or offers of protection. The United States government set land aside for them, but it continues to be occupied by non-Natives. This program shows a portrait of the Native people of Ka'u, a rugged and remote district on the Big Island of Hawaii, and their attempts to keep the area kapu (sacred). (60 minutes)
#5744 The Decline of Politics: The Superficial Democracy (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
American democracy depends on enlightened voters making responsible choices. But most voters never meet in person the people they elect as government leaders. Therefore, the job of enlightening the public falls to the communication skills of the candidates, their advertising experts, and the news media. This program examines the ramifications of a political arena that favors the superficial exchange of slogans, personal attacks, and orchestrated appearances over the serious discussion of issues, problems, and ideas. Mark Shields, syndicated columnist; Gary Hart, former Presidential candidate; Washington Post columnist David Broder; and former Senator Warren Rudman discuss how to put substance back into American politics. (29 minutes)
#5865 The Dance to Souls Departed: Return to Wounded Knee (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $89.95
On December 15, 1890, the legendary Indian chief Sitting Bull was killed amidst fears of an Indian uprising. Panic swept through the reservation upon news of Sitting Bull's death, prompting hundreds of Sioux to flee to Wounded Knee creek. There, over 300 Sioux died at the hands of the United States 7th Cavalry during a frenzied eruption of violence surrounded by heightened tensions on both sides. This program chronicles the journey of a group of modern-day Sioux as they make a fourteen-day pilgrimage to honor their ancestors by retracing the route to Wounded Knee creek. The program provides a thought-provoking examination of the traditional, spiritual, and cultural values of the Sioux and the events that led to the Wounded Knee massacre. (53 minutes)
#5939 Evolution of the Congress (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
The United States Congress is among the most influential political bodies in the world. While it adheres steadfastly to many procedures and traditions, Congress is nonetheless a markedly different institution today than might have been envisioned by our Founding Fathers. This program examines how the legislative branch of the government has evolved, exploring the intended purpose of Congress and what challenges it faces in trying to remain an essential part of our democracy. Experts featured in the program include Dick Baker, Senate Historian; Ray Smock, former Historian of the House; and Dr. Michael Gillette of the Center for Legislative Archives. (29 minutes)
#5940 Congress: Political Partisanship vs. Serving the People (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Congress is an institution of the people and for the people. It forms the basis of our representative democracy-a clearinghouse for many voices and opinions of Americans. But is Congress today serving as an efficient method of determining the will of the people? Or has this multitude of diverse and competing interests choked the legislative branch to the point of being virtually ineffective? This program examines the recent phenomenon of congressional gridlock, and explores the role of political partisanship in helping-or hurting-efforts to improve our government. Among those featured in the program are Senator Robert Byrd, Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institute, and author Lou Fisher of the Congressional Research Service. (29 minutes)
#5941 Congress: A Day in the Life of a Representative (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
The 535 elected U.S. Senators and Representatives carry with them the desires and opinions of over 200 million Americans. Congress is often accused of being out of touch with the people-but what does the system demand of them? Is there enough time in the day to satisfy all of the varied interests and mandates of the job? This program explores the world through the eyes of those we elect. From the political meetings to the social functions to the time spent campaigning, this program examines what politicians really do-and have to endure-in Washington. Among those featured on the program are Rep. Tim Roemer (D-IN), and Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC). (29 minutes)
#6000 The Gold Rush (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $89.95
In 1848, a man named James Marshall noticed a faint glimmer in the bucolic American River. That glimmer was gold-and Marshall's chance discovery triggered the great gold rush and profoundly changed the destiny of America. This program tells the complete story of the California Gold Rush: the unlikely cast of characters that set the gold rush in motion; the interminable journey to California by land and sea; the surprisingly inventive ways that many became rich; the instant clash of international cultures; and the unexpected role of women, African Americans, and Native Americans. The program also explains the long-term impact of the gold rush on California and the entire nation-how the gold rush spurred a new type of high-risk entrepreneurialism that remains today a critical component of the American economy, and how foreigners attracted to California gold stayed to create the most diverse and dynamic culture in the world. (51 minutes)
#6040 The Values Issue and American Politics: Values Matter Most (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $89.95
This program, hosted by Ben Wattenberg, examines the "values issue"-crime, welfare, race, discipline, drugs, prayer, etc.-in American politics. Wattenberg believes that whichever party and candidates best understand the social concerns of a restless electorate, and act upon these issues, will be rewarded on the national, state, and local levels. The program travels around the country speaking to a wide range of average Americans: bicycle cops, welfare mothers, "deadbeat" dads, school teachers and students, and a group of typical voters. Experts and scholars featured on the program include John DiIulio of Princeton Univ., James Q. Wilson of the Univ. of California, Shelby Steele of the Hoover Institution, Diane Ravitch of the Brookings Institute, and Al Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers. (56 minutes)
#6178 Third Parties in American Politics (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
America is the only advanced democracy with a two-party system. Advocates says it helps unite a vast, multi-ethnic nation. But third-party candidates have had a major influence on American presidential elections. The coalitions that have held the two parties together in the past are now shifting. More so than in previous presidential elections, the 1996 race may see the emergence of one or more serious presidential candidates who say it's time for something new. This program features several political experts discussing the potential impact of a third party in 1996. (24 minutes)
#6179 Whatever Happened to George Washington? (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
The space devoted to George Washington in schoolbooks is decreasing. Attendance at Mount Vernon is declining. Yet George Washington's moral leadership and perseverance were responsible for America's independence. He later used his personal prestige to help forge a nation from a group of squabbling states. Why is George Washington no longer seen as indispensable in America? Eminent historians Daniel Boorstin, Stanley Elkin, Edwin Yoder, and James Rees explore the life and legend of George Washington with Ben Wattenberg. (26 minutes)
#6185 Lawmaking (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows the process of lawmaking. Through dozens of interviews at state capitols across the United States, we meet officials in state legislatures and learn about their respective roles in the making of laws. We meet the speakers of the Senate and House, the minority leaders, the chief clerks; see caucuses, committees, and lobbyists in action; and develop an understanding of how they interact. Students learn how legislators compromise to forge a new law. (30 minutes)
#6186 Lawmakers (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
This program focuses on those who choose to become legislators, and why. Many senators and representatives, from all walks of life, speak about what motivates them to seek public office. Interviews with factory workers, farmers, housewives, and policemen, who also serve in their state legislatures, dispel preconceptions about overly ambitious politicians. We learn that campaigning has become a nearly continuous process for representatives. The program also explores the impact of the growing numbers of female legislators. (20 minutes)
#6187 The Law (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows us how state government impacts virtually every moment of our lives. Day-to-day activities, from eating breakfast to driving a car, are impacted by state law. The program shows how, and shows which state agencies are responsible for making and enforcing the laws that govern these activities. The cycle of taxation, and how revenues from state taxes are used for many services that support us, is also explored. (20 minutes)
#6293 School of Assassins (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This Academy Award-winning documentary looks at a United States institution that trains Latin American military officers. Few Americans have heard of the school-the U.S. Army School of the Americas-nor are they aware that some of its graduates have gone on to become dictators and violators of human rights in their home countries. The program contrasts the mission statement of the school with the actions of its graduates, among whom are former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, numerous other strongmen throughout Central and South America, and a large number of lower-level officers who have been charged with the murders of thousands of civilians, including North American missionaries. (19 minutes)
#6393 The Presidency: A Personal Perspective (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
The President of the United States arguably holds the most powerful and influential role in the world. He is faced with the challenge of leading the country and responding to the critical domestic issues of the day, while at the same time serving as a world leader with responsibility for action on global issues. This program explores the very demanding role of the president through the personal insights of former president Gerald Ford; former presidential advisor Roger Porter, who served presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush; and Washington Post columnist David Broder. (29 minutes)
#6394 The Presidency: Hail to the Chief? (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Recent presidential elections indicate that more and more Americans are concerned with the quality of the candidates they are voting for, and there is an increasing influence from third parties. What is the future of the office of the president? This program examines the changing political environment and expectations related to the leadership role of the president. Among the experts featured in the program are former presidential advisor Roger Porter, who served presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush, and Washington Post columnist David Broder. (29 minutes)
#6775 Oren Lyons the Faithkeeper (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
This program features Native American Chief Oren Lyons, a leader in the international environmental movement, who shares with Bill Moyers the ancient legends, prophecies, and wisdom that guide the Onondaga tribe. They explore the view of the earth as sacred; the Great Law of Six Nations, which envisions humans and the earth as one; the importance of community to Native Americans; and the extent to which Native American philosophies have affected the dominant American culture. Lyons shares the spiritual basis of his environmentalism-a vision of the degradation of the earth that was revealed to the Onondaga nation in 1799. (58 minutes)
#6919 The Depression (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $89.95
This program features FDR's first inaugural address and "Grilled Millionaire" speech, as well as the flamboyant Huey Long's "Every Man Is a King." Other speeches include a call for honesty in government by Populist Wisconsin Senator Robert LaFollette; two speeches praising, then criticizing, FDR's policies delivered by demagogue Father Charles Coughlin; and Coughlin supporter Gerald L. K. Smith's eulogy for Huey Long. Smith's keynote speech as third-party candidate opposing FDR's 1936 reelection is presented, along with a rousing call for working-class tax reductions by Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge. (48 minutes)
#6920 World War II (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
This program features FDR's declaration of war on Japan, and General Douglas MacArthur's "Old Soldiers Never Die" retirement speech before Congress. Other speeches include FDR's humorous response to Republican allegations of budgetary waste surrounding his dog, Fala; General George Patton's controversial stump speech in support of World War II; and excerpts from John L. Lewis's five-hour pro-union filibuster before a congressional committee studying mine safety. (39 minutes)
#6921 The Cold War (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon argue the merits of democracy and communism in the impromptu Kitchen Debate, complete with on-screen translations. Also included are Nixon's famous "Checkers" speech; a 1960 campaign address to Wisconsin farmers by Senator Hubert Humphrey; and the verbal showdown between Senator Joseph McCarthy and attorney Joseph Welch at the Army-McCarthy hearings that helped end McCarthy's political career. (51 minutes)
#6922 Kennedy and King: Promises and Dreams (Run Time 45 min.) DVD $89.95
This program contains speeches by two of the 20th century's greatest orators: John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Included are Kennedy's inaugural address, the American University speech calling for an end to nuclear proliferation, and the politically-charged "Ich Bin ein Berliner" address delivered at the Berlin Wall. King's moving "I Have a Dream" speech to civil rights marchers in Washington and parts of his prophetic "When a Man Has Already Died" speech are also featured. (45 minutes)
#6923 The Turbulent Sixties (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
This program begins with a fiery speech by Malcolm X that reminds us of the polarization of American political life in the 1960s. Nelson Rockefeller's condemnation of 1968 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater as a political extremist; Goldwater's rebuttal of the charges; and Ronald Reagan's stump speech in support of Goldwater follow. Robert Kennedy's moving eulogy for Martin Luther King, Jr., concludes the program. (39 minutes)
#6924 Great Modern Political Speeches (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $89.95
This program features speeches by several major orators of the modern political era, including Representative Barbara Jordan's stunningly eloquent appeal for nonpartisan judgment at the Nixon impeachment hearings. Ronald Reagan shows why he was known as the Great Communicator in his 1981 inaugural address. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo's resounding keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention, as well as an emotion-charged 1984 campaign speech by Jesse Jackson, are also included. (53 minutes)
#7501 Pocahontas: Her True Story (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
As the tale goes, Pocahantas, age 12, saved the gallant John Smith from the "savages" in her tribe. The relationship blossomed into love, and Pocahontas went with Smith to London, where British society undoubtedly perceived her as an exotic creature. This program holds that legend up to historical scrutiny by examining questions such as: How gallant was John Smith? Who were these so-called "savages"? How could Pocahontas, from a culture with strict hygienic standards, possibly have tolerated Smith's Elizabethan aversion to bathing? And, what of her marriage to John Rolfe? Interviews with Pocahontas' descendants provide a new perspective on the life and times of this revered Native American heroine. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)
#7988 Latin and African Americans: Friends or Foes? (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
Hispanics and African-Americans-from politicians to poets to everyday people-speak candidly about the tensions between their communities. In Los Angeles, Mexican-Americans resent the African-American perception of them as mostly illegal immigrants who are taking their jobs. In Miami, the division between blacks and Hispanics leaves Cubans feeling culturally isolated. In New York, Puerto Ricans and blacks speak frankly about competition for educational and financial resources. Poet Maya Angelou, political activist Al Sharpton, Congressman Herman Badillo, actress Philicia Rashad, and others suggest solutions that emphasize cultural understanding. Hosted by actor Hector Elizondo. (44 minutes)
#7989 Hispanic Education at the Crossroads (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
Education is intrinsic to success in our society. But for members of Hispanic groups, good education may be hard to come by, because of either language barriers or under-performing schools. This program, hosted by actor Edward James Olmos, examines how Hispanic American children are faring in the educational system, with an emphasis on bilingual education. Two such programs in California and in New York are examined; students and teachers evaluate their effectiveness. (44 minutes)
#7991 Hispanics in the Media (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
From news anchors to editors, from actors to filmmakers-Hispanics are making their presence known. Discrimination still exists, however. In this program, Hispanics who have made it describe how they did it, the problems they encountered along the way, and the hurdles that remain. Those interviewed include Geraldo Rivera, Academy Award-winning director Moctesuma Esparza, and Clint Eastwood producer David Valdez. Actors Rita Moreno, Elizabeth Pena, Jimmy Smits, and Isiah Morales examine why Hispanic actors are still relegated to marginal roles, while MTV producer Robert Friedman discusses growth potential in the ever-expanding Hispanic media marketplace. (44 minutes)
#7992 Hispanic Americans: The Second Generation (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
Hosted by actor Jimmy Smits, this program examines how second-generation Hispanics are adapting to American society, and how they are maintaining their Latino roots while assimilating into the American cultural mainstream. A variety of famous and everyday Hispanic Americans are interviewed, including pop film director Richard Rodriquez. Hispanics from doctors and police officers to comedians, fashion designers, and rock stars discuss the continuing role of family, and the ongoing battles with ethnic stereotyping. (44 minutes)
#7993 Hispanic Entrepreneurs: Against All Odds (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, Geraldo Rivera and a host of Hispanic American executives discuss how they overcame racial and financial discrimination to turn their fledgling businesses into million-dollar corporations. The executives include construction mogul Linda Alvarado, owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team; the developer of the Simpsons and Garfield cartoon programs; the owner of Dial-a-Mattress; and others. Executives from Chase Manhattan Bank speak candidly about the practice of loan discrimination against Hispanic minorities. Measures being taken to counter inequities are examined. Hosted by actor Hector Elizondo. (44 minutes)
#7994 Hispanic Americans: One or Many Cultures? (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
Anglo-Americans tend to lump Hispanics together, forgetting that the category covers a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Mexican culture is different from Puerto Rican culture, and so on. In this program, three Hispanic Americans-New York Justice Frank Torres, a Puerto Rican; Cuban-born former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez; and Mexican restaurateur Gordino Velasco-discuss what unites and divides the various groups. The Puerto Rican perception of themselves as voting residents of a U.S. commonwealth is compared to the first-generation Cuban perception of themselves as Cuban citizens in exile. Velasco discusses problems related to Mexican immigration in California. Journalist Felipe Luciano stresses the importance of voting as a means of achieving common political goals. Hosted by actor Hector Elizondo. (44 minutes)
#8049 Organizing America: The History of Trade Unions (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
Using interviews, personal accounts, and archival footage, this program investigates the major events in the history of American trade unions, from the formation of the first "friendly societies" in the 18th century, to the challenges posed by new technologies in the 1980s and 90s. Important issues such as minimum wages, health and safety conditions, discrimination, benefits, job security, and strikes are addressed. Veterans of labor struggles, labor historians, and business and government officials reveal fascinating personal insights into labor's sometimes violent origins, and how its influences have changed the workplace over the past 200 years. A Cambridge Educational Production. (38 minutes)
#8054 Why History? (Run Time 35 min.) DVD $89.95
Why History? puts the viewer in the passenger seat for an adventurous field trip through the heartland of the United States. Traveling highways and byways through six states, our host visits a variety of people and places in search of the true meaning of history. Why History? dispels the myth that history is limited to the study of names, dates, and events from the distant past. Instead, it reveals how analyzing and interpreting history is an integral part of understanding the past, present, and future of human activity-including social, political, scientific, economic, and cultural endeavors. From South Dakota to Oklahoma, heading across Missouri and over to Tennessee, the host stops to interview professors, historians, curators, and many others who offer insight on the nature of history and its place in our lives. This traveling classroom visits such places as Mark Twain's home; the Truman Library; Sun Studios (birthplace of rock and roll); Graceland; the National Civil Rights Museum; as well as old cow towns, rodeos, and the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. As the host and viewers discover the history of the Heartland, they also come to a broader understanding of history and how it relates to their own lives, their own communities, and the world. A Cambridge Educational Production. One 35-minute video.
#8346 Black Communities after the Civil War (Run Time 17 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, historians trace the westward migration of former slaves to Oklahoma after the Civil War, where they built many thriving towns-and their subsequent exodus to Tulsa. The primary focus is on the towns of Clearview and Boley, where blacks operated thriving cotton-growing operations until 1907, when the most restrictive Jim Crow laws in American history were passed. As Ku Klux Klan activity intensified and the economy bottomed out in the 1920s, many blacks-once successful farmers and business owners-headed for Tulsa, where ghettos quickly sprang up. (17 minutes)
#8463 My People, My Prayers (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
The Catholic Church converted many of the native peoples of North America when they colonized the New World. Native beliefs, such as honoring the land and sweat lodge rituals, were suppressed and labeled "pagan" and "unorthodox." But now many of those same peoples are rediscovering their native religions after generations of Catholicism. This program examines the spiritual quest behind this return, and the Catholic Church's response as aspects of Native American religion are incorporated into the traditional liturgy. (25 minutes)
#8648 A Future Reborn: 1918 - 1945 (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
During the 20th century, post-World War I prosperity gave way to massive droughts, the Great Depression, and the Second World War. This program describes how the U.S. went from boom to bust and the ensuing political and economic adversities that followed, by focusing on several families who lived through those years: the Manoffs, Russian immigrants who settled in New York City; the Blankenships and the Wolfords, who survived the Oklahoma Dust Bowl by migrating to California; Malta-born Joe Mifsud and Georgia sharecropper Dave Moore, who found their separate ways to Detroit to work at and later reform the mighty Ford Motor Company; and the Peabodys, direct descendents of the original New England colonists. From this kaleidoscope of personal stories, the variety of experiences during this era reveals an America that did not always live up to its promise of peace and prosperity. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#8649 Great Expectations: 1946 - Late 1950s (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
As the material and social expectations of America grew during the halcyon days of the Eisenhower administration, blacks, displaced farmers, and impoverished Hispanics were fighting for equality and their slice of the American Dream. Against a backdrop of middle-class prosperity and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement, this program traces the continuing stories of advertising mogul Dick Manoff, sharecropper Jim Wolford, union activist Joe Mifsud, aspiring politician "Chub" Peabody, and their families. In addition, the Bakers, Detroit auto workers; the Veas, migrant laborers; and the Gages, a typical suburban family, are introduced, to underscore the variety of and disparity between America's diverse populations. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#8650 Tears of Rage: Late 1950s - Mid-1970s (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
The 1960s were marred by violent protests, massive race riots, and devastating political assassinations as the issues of racial equality, freedom of speech, and the Vietnam War caused Americans to vent their anger. In this program, assumptions about "the good life" in America are challenged as the Baby Boomers-the beneficiaries of the American Dream-become its most ruthless critics. Gregg Manoff, Harvard student, evaded the draft; John Gage, champion swimmer, became a protester at Berkeley; General Baker, Jr., labor activist, landed in prison; Marion Kramer joined the Civil Rights Movement; and Alfredo Vea served as a combat infantryman in Vietnam. Each narrative relates a different experience and perspective of one of America's most turbulent eras. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#8651 The Bottom Line: Mid-1970s - 1980 (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
Although America's exit from southeast Asia helped mend the rifts dividing the nation after the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, economic recession, and growing unemployment forced the U.S. to examine the gap between the American Dream and reality. In this program, the challenges of the Nixon and Carter years are recounted by a cross-section of people who experienced them firsthand-like John Gage, a radical on Nixon's "enemies" list who burned out and became a bookstore clerk before becoming a technology mogul; Gregg Manoff, son of a successful advertising man, who headed west to find himself; Gerald Wolford, who made a living driving trucks and repairing oil wells; ex-infantryman Alfredo Vea, who used the GI Bill to go to law school; and Jae-Yul Kim, a Korean who immigrated to America in search of opportunity but discovered instead the hardships of making ends meet in New York City. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#8652 Never Give Up: 1980s - Early 1990s (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
During the 1980s, the myth of struggle crowned by success was revived. This program explores the societal impact of Reaganomics, which was beneficial to some and detrimental to others. While John Gage helped pioneer the Internet as director of Sun Microsystems and Gregg Manoff found peace in a medical practice serving the poor, times got harder for the Wolfords, who made a fortune and then went bankrupt when the oil industry bottomed out; the Bakers, who had five children to support in Detroit, the automotive Rust Bowl; and the Kims, whose search for prosperity led them to L.A., where their store was looted and destroyed in the Rodney King riots. But in good times and bad, their uniquely American faith in the future has endured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#8667 The Louisiana Purchase (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
The American victory in the Revolutionary War left the U.S. in possession of all the land running west to the Mississippi River and south almost to Florida-but the rest was held by the Spanish, still a mighty power in the Americas. By 1802, control of New Orleans had become of vital importance to American trade, so in 1803 when France acquired it from Spain as part of the Louisiana Territory, President Jefferson moved swiftly to make an offer to buy it. This program covers the amazing purchase, in which Napoleon, to finance his wars, sold not only the port but the entire Territory for a pittance. Also discussed are Jefferson's subsequent effort to wrest from Spain the area called West Florida, which was a threat to the security of New Orleans, and the Lewis and Clark expedition. For the astounding price of mere pennies per acre, the United States doubled its size. (20 minutes)
#8675 Americans Build the Panama Canal (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
Once the United States had spread "from sea to shining sea," the need to move warships from coast to coast became a serious concern, as demonstrated by the Spanish-American War. This program provides a detailed study, complete with geographic perspectives, on the failed French attempt to build a canal in Panama, the American acquisition of the Canal Zone in 1903, and the construction of the canal itself. At a cost of 25,000 lives-lost to the dangers of tropical diseases and heavy construction-the 50-mile canal, with its ingenious system of locks, began operation in 1913. Today thousands of ships every year are saved the expense and dangers of the trip around the tip of South America-three times longer than taking this Central American shortcut. (21 minutes)
#8676 Clash of Cultures on the Great Plains: 1865-1890 (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
After the Civil War ended, soldiers and settlers began pouring into the vast hunting grounds of the Lakota Nation. After fighting to stem the tide, the futility of war against the United States caused the Lakotas to soon accept peace. As the intruders continued their extermination of the buffalo-the chief source of food for the nomadic Lakotas-they rose again in 1876 under Chief Sitting Bull, winning a stunning but short-lived victory over Colonel George Custer at Little Bighorn. Forcibly resettled on the small Pine Ridge reservation, the Lakotas attempted a final revolt in 1890, which ended tragically in the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek. This sensitively wrought program chronicles America's westward expansion and the subsequent destruction of the Lakota way of life. (21 minutes)
#8678 New Deal for the Dust Bowl (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
For several years during the 1930s, severe drought combined with windstorms made a desert of once-fertile farmlands in portions of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This program, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal, investigates the contributing climatic and environmental factors that set the stage for calamity; the effects of the Dust Bowl on the land and the lives of those who tilled it; and the efforts of the federal government, the Soil Conservation Service, and the Forest Service both to help farmers get back on their feet and to eliminate the conditions that might allow another Dust Bowl to occur. (21 minutes)
#8832 Shadow of Watergate: Campaign Finance Reform (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program produced to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Watergate, Carl Bernstein, Leonard Garment, Stephen Hess, Senator Fred Thompson, former senator Howard Baker, Charles Lewis, Elizabeth Drew, Brooks Jackson, and others reflect on the scandal. Former ABC News correspondent Gail Harris and National Public Radio's Ray Suarez draw on those reflections to better understand the scale of Watergate in comparison to the Clinton-Gore campaign financing investigation. A history of the events leading up to Watergate plus archival footage of Nixon, Haldeman, Dean, and past senators provide a historical context for this analysis of the toxic effect that campaign money abuse is having on the American political system. (26 minutes)
#8981 Black America and the Education Crisis (Run Time 45 min.) DVD $89.95
The demand for highly educated workers has made high-quality academics the most important challenge facing the U.S. today. In this provocative program, syndicated columnist Juan Williams moderates a town meeting of educators, politicians, and opinion-makers, including the chief-of-staff of the U.S. Department of Education; the presidents of Howard University, the College Board, and the NAACP; and retired NBA all-star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Together they discuss issues such as why black children score lower on standardized tests, how to improve academic performance, and Ebonics. (45 minutes)
#9180 Found Voices: The Slave Narratives (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
How did it feel to be bought and sold like cattle, only to be liberated with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help? In this profoundly moving program, Ted Koppel of ABC News presents the African-American slave experience in the voices of those who knew it firsthand. Thanks to tapes-now digitally remastered-from a project undertaken during the 1930s and 40s by John Henry Falke and others, 101-year-old Fountain Hughes, who was born in 1848, and other ex-slaves give their recollections of life before Emancipation and during Reconstruction. (22 minutes)
#9220 Looking Back: A Review of the Bill Clinton / Monica Lewinsky Matter (Run Time 33 min.) DVD $89.95
Initial reports that President Clinton had engaged in an extramarital affair with a White House intern threatened to topple his presidency. The scandal also brought into focus the growing and intrusive powers of the Independent Counsel's office and its newly politicized agenda. But did Clinton's indiscretion really meet the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors? This ABC News special with Ted Koppel examines the ramifications of the Lewinsky matter not only for Clinton and the office of the President, but for the American people. Is the personal life of a President fair game for the Independent Counsel and the press? Did Clinton commit perjury? Is the highest office in America above the law? These questions and others are discussed with guest Joe Klein, author of Primary Colors. (33 minutes)
#9224 The Independent Counsel Law: Should It Be Changed or Eliminated? (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
From Watergate to "Monica-gate," the Independent Counsel Law empowered 20 prosecutors to carry out top-level investigations. In this program, ABC News anchor Forrest Sawyer; Senator Joseph Lieberman, the ranking Democrat on the congressional independent counsel law committee; and retired judge Robert Bork, of the American Enterprise Institute, assess the statute that seems to have done the nation as much harm as good. Together they debate whether the expired law should be left for dead or revived through new legislation, suggesting alterations that would help to avoid abuses and ensure true independence. (22 minutes)
#10024 If You Can't Say Anything Nice . . . (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
From mud-slinging ad campaigns to the public airing of dirty laundry, the words coming from America's political class in recent years have done more to disillusion than inspire. At what point will cynicism, indignation, or outright anger cause substantive changes in the guidelines for attaining-and remaining in-office? This program appraises the alarming decline in popularity of politics among the electorate and suggests possible approaches to restoring faith in a venerable process. Experts include Jean Bethke Elshtain, professor of ethics; Andrew Kohut, of the PEW Research Center; Professor Michael Sandel, of Harvard University; and Washington Post columnists Mark Shields, David Broder, and E. J. Dionne. (29 minutes)
#10025 Campaign Finance Reform (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Campaign funding has grown to be an integral part of running for office in America. Is there a correlation between financial contributions and victory at the polls? And how are special interest groups repaid for their generous support once a candidate takes office? This program takes a bipartisan look at the urgent need to redefine and restrict the role of money in the electoral process. Experts include Ann McBride, of Common Cause; Fred Wertheimer, of Democracy 21; Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT); Professor Michael Sandel, of Harvard University; and Washington Post columnists Mark Shields, David Broder, and E. J. Dionne. (29 minutes)
#10026 A Day in the Life of a Senator (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Congress plays a vital role in hammering out the policies that shape everyday life. Why then do so many Americans feel that it exists in a world of its own, out of touch with the very constituencies that elected them in the first place? This program scrutinizes the political landscape through the eyes of America's elected elite, presenting firsthand what politicians really do-and endure-both in Washington and in their represented states. Featured Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) speak out on topics including whether bipartisan cooperation is possible in the Clinton post-impeachment era. (29 minutes)
#10134 The Unelected: The Media (Run Time 40 min.) DVD $89.95
In an environment increasingly dominated by network ratings and tabloid-driven stories, the line between journalism and entertainment is blurred. In this program, correspondent Hedrick Smith goes behind the hype and the headlines to show how the media affect the national agenda and the standards of political debate. Network personalities Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, Brit Hume, and Eric Engberg; former Washington Post reporters Paul Taylor and Richard Harwood; and others address topics such as the Clinton/Flowers story, a case study of news coverage gone out of control; the negative dynamic between the White House Press Corps and the President; and how increased competition from tabloids, talk shows, and cable TV is changing the mainstream media. (41 minutes)
#10135 The Unelected: The Lobbies (Run Time 42 min.) DVD $89.95
In America, a shadow government wields incredible influence over what gets done inside the Beltway-and who reaps the benefits. In this program, correspondent Hedrick Smith spotlights the powerful influence of the nation's special interest lobbies during the Clinton years. Majority Whip Tom DeLay; Charles Blixt, of R. J. Reynolds; Mike Pertschuk, of the Advocacy Institute; members of Congress; lobbyists; and others scrutinize how UPS paralyzed OSHA's efforts to improve worker safety and how the medical insurance lobby's "Harry and Louise" ads helped sink the Clinton healthcare reform bill. In-depth reporting reveals the stealth tactics used by the tobacco industry in its ongoing fight against federal legislation. (43 minutes)
#10136 The Elected: The Presidency and Congress (Run Time 78 min.) DVD $89.95
In an adversarial climate of polarization and power confrontations, how can the U.S. government get anything done? In part one of this program, correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the obstacles to bipartisan compromise between the Clinton administration and Congress as well as the difficulties parties have in disciplining their own members in Congress. In part two, Mr. Smith probes the rise and fall of Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution in Congress. Smith goes behind the scenes to get Vice President Gore; Clinton executives Leon Panetta and George Stephanopoulos; Congressional leaders Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, Dick Gephardt, and Tom Daschle; Democratic loyalists and rebels; Republican freshmen and incumbents; and academic experts to divulge how serious miscalculations torpedoed hopes for both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. (78 minutes)
#10292 The Immigrant Experience: 1900-1940 (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
The political and economic turmoil of Europe drove millions to leave their countries of origin and emigrate to the U.S. where a lady held a welcoming lamp "beside the Golden Door." This ABC News program anchored by Peter Jennings tells the dramatic story of the transformation of America into a truly multicultural nation, from the teeming ethnic neighborhoods of New York to the black migration to northern cities during the Great Depression. Also discussed are ugly incidents of racism spurred by the terror tactics of the Ku Klux Klan and the World War II fears that prompted the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese. (29 minutes, color)
#10303 African-Americans: Marching to Freedom (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
"The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line." These prophetic words of W. E. B. DuBois in 1900 were to echo through a century of Jim Crow segregation, denial of voting rights, public lynching, KKK rallies, lunch counter sit-ins, police brutality, Black Panther militancy, urban riots, forced busing, and brave marches in the streets of Selma and Washington, D.C. This ABC News program anchored by Peter Jennings traces the rise of the Civil Rights movement-and of a black political consciousness, born on the tenant farms of the old South, that resulted in 1995's Million-Man March. (54 minutes)
#10351 Oral History: A Century of Living (Run Time 59 min.) DVD $89.95
What was it like to be a kid in the early 1900s, a teen in the 'teens, and an adult from the Roaring Twenties to the Digital Age? Using compelling interviews, this documentary tells the fascinating story of the 20th century in the words of those whose lives have spanned it. Assisted by archival footage, these vibrant centenarians candidly recall the lifestyle of an old-fashioned America and provide a unique perspective on the events that shaped the past hundred years, from the labors of a pre-electric society, to World War II, to the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. This program is an excellent resource for teaching the value and art of oral history. An HBO Production. (59 minutes)
#10444 Duke Ellington's Washington: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Neighborhood (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
During the early 20th century, Washington, D.C., was the cultural capital of black America. Prefiguring Harlem in the 1920s, D.C.'s Uptown area nurtured dynamic figures such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Mary Church Terrell, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Dr. Charles Drew. In this program, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith tells the often-overlooked story of the heyday, decline, and renewal of Uptown. Combined with rare photographs and archival footage, sparkling interviews with jazz pianist Billy Taylor, Ellington biographer John Hasse, historians James Horton and Edward Smith, and others describe the community's halcyon days, the post-desegregation exodus that opened the door to urban decay, and efforts that are reclaiming and renewing the neighborhood. (57 minutes)
#10467 Constant Combatants: The President and Congress (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $89.95
Moderated by Harvard Law School's Charles Nesson, this Fred Friendly Seminar focuses on the tension between the President and Congress during a policy crisis in the fictional European country of Nukraine, involving issues such as the power to wage war, conduct diplomacy, and operate in secrecy, as well as the media's responsibilities in matters of national security. Panelists include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; former Secretary of State Alexander Haig; former Senator Warren Rudman; Professor Michael Sandel, of Harvard University; Richard Holbrooke, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and former Assistant Secretary of State; James Fallows, former editor at U.S. News & World Report; and others. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/federalist. (56 minutes)
#10468 Whose Law, Whose Order? (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
In this Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Harvard Law School's Charles Ogletree, panelists including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; Professor Alan Brinkley, of Columbia University; William Webster, former director of the CIA and FBI; William Bratton, former New York City police commissioner; and others confront the contentious relationship between federal control and states' rights in the fictional town of Mayberry. Discussion points include the constitutional limits of the federal government on gun control, the influence of federal funding on state policies, the federalization of state crimes, and the resurgence of organized militias. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/federalist. (57 minutes)
#10470 The Price of Politics: Electing Our Leaders (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
Does the current electoral system undermine the democratic process envisioned by America's founding fathers? This Fred Friendly Seminar, moderated by Stanford Law School's Kathleen Sullivan, delves into the political concerns of the fictional town of New Crossroads. Issues under scrutiny, including campaign finance reform, adherence to campaign platforms, Congressional term limits, the influence of lobbies, and the media's role in the political process, are addressed by presidential adviser Doug Sosnik, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), CNN's Jeff Greenfield, and other panelists. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/federalist. (57 minutes)
#11118 Empire of the Bay: Ambition, Wealth, and the Hudson's Bay Company (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $89.95
It searched for the mythical Northwest Passage. It clashed with American interests during the War of 1812. It even had a hand in the division of Oregon. This program chronicles the epic history of the Hudson's Bay Company, the world's oldest continuous commercial enterprise still in existence. Adapted from Peter C. Newman's best-seller and narrated by former NewsHour anchor Robert MacNeil, this story of exploration and exploitation uses stunning photography as well as paintings, drawings, maps, journals, and memoirs to tell the company's story in the authentic voice of the people who were a part of it. (87 minutes)
#11875 Election 2000: The Florida Squeeze (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
The sensational presidential election that dragged Florida into the media spotlight and made "butterfly ballot" and "chad" household words caused an uproar over the malfunctioning mechanics and overall validity of America's electoral process. What is being done to see that major voting irregularities cease to occur in Florida and throughout the nation? In this program, David Gergen, adviser to four former presidents; David Leahy, supervisor of elections for Miami-Dade County; and Mark Seibel, managing editor of The Miami Herald, suggest ways to reform America's voting system. (30 minutes)
#29650 Bill Moyers Reports: Trading Democracy (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
While the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement are still being argued, the perils of one of the treaty's most powerful secrets are beginning to emerge. Bill Moyers Reports: Trading Democracy is the first television investigation of what has been called an "end run around the Constitution." Corporate investors are using the obscure NAFTA provision to challenge laws designed to protect the public health, environmental regulations-and even jury verdicts. The cases are heard not in open court, but before international trade tribunals that make rulings in secret. The program details a system of private justice that is enabling companies to obtain covertly what they have failed to achieve publicly in America's legislatures or courts. (58 minutes)
#29762 Voices of Dissent as America Fights Back (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Freedom of speech, one of America's most cherished political principles, can be an unpopular right to exercise in times of war and crisis. In this program, ABC News correspondent Ted Koppel presents several voices in the minority regarding the political and cultural reactions of the U.S. to the events of September 11th, including "Boondocks" cartoonist Aaron McGroder; Arundhati Roy, Indian author of The God of Small Things; and a group of Arab graduate students studying in the U.S. on Fulbright scholarships. (22 minutes)
#31064 What Kennedy Didn't Know: The Cuban Missile Crisis Revisited (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
In 1962, President Kennedy knew that nuclear missiles had been deployed in Cuba. What he did not know was how many, or that 36 of them were capable of reaching as far as Washington, D.C. In this ABC News program, George Stephanopoulos reports on another danger that also went unrecognized at that time: Soviet submarines armed with nuclear torpedoes-and the authorization to fire them. In addition, Barbara Walters elicits Fidel Castro's views on the crisis in an exclusive interview, and Ted Koppel talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Haynes Johnson about what it was like to be on the scene during the most dangerous confrontation in history. (22 minutes)
#32702 The Forgotten War: Korean War Veterans Remember (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Overshadowed by the wars that came before and after it, the Korean War has received little of the attention it rightly deserves, yet its legacy endures: armies still face each other across the demilitarized zone—and nuclear saber-rattling, this time coming from North Korea, is still a factor. In this ABC News program, correspondent Phil Ittner embeds himself with a group of veterans making a pilgrimage to Korea for the first time since they saw action there more than 50 years ago. (23 minutes)
#32930 NOW with Bill Moyers: John Nichols and Robert McChesney on the Media and Democracy (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, media experts John Nichols and Robert McChesney join Bill Moyers to examine America's corporate media machine and the dire implications of closed-door deregulatory decisions. Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation, and McChesney, author of Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times, discuss, among other topics, the pernicious influence of corporate interests on the free press, which they contend have become a major barrier to the exercise of democracy. (50 minutes)
#33103 Ancient Warriors: The Sioux (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Forced onto the sprawling prairies by woodland tribes in the east, the Sioux Indians did more than adapt: they ousted rival tribes, seized the best hunting grounds, and became known as fearsome fighters. Using photographs, daguerreotypes, reenactments, and scholarly commentary, this program homes in on the training and tactics of the Sioux warriors, tracing the history of the tribes up to the massacre at Wounded Knee, which ended the Sioux nation. A Discovery Channel Production. (23 minutes)
#33191 The Patriot Act Under Fire (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
To many, worrying about constitutional rights seemed like an archaic luxury while Ground Zero was still smoking. The need for tighter homeland security made civil liberties take a back seat to urgent measures such as the USA PATRIOT Act designed to defend America from terrorists. But two years later, that piece of legislation came under fire from both the left and the right. In this ABC News program, Ted Koppel takes a hard look at the law with representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, the ACLU, and others. (23 minutes)
#33593 And That's How a Bill Becomes a Law (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
When the president signed the Medicare bill into law in December 2003 it was thought to be a victory that could be savored all the way through the election. But Richard Foster-chief actuary of the Medicare program-didn't think so: he knew the estimated price of the legislation was $130 billion more than what had been claimed. When Foster made this estimate public a month later, people of both parties on Capitol Hill were furious; accusations of bribery, lying, intimidation, and political shenanigans ensued. Most important, it seemed to push public outrage with the congressional process to an emotional peak. This ABC News program captures the moods of citizens and their thoughts on what could have been a landmark achievement for America. (23 minutes)
#33607 Primaries: Defining the Battle in New Hampshire (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
After establishing the historical background of primary elections in the U.S., this fast-paced program focuses on the 2004 primary in New Hampshire to study the role of communication in the electoral process. Dr. Kathleen Kendall, author of Communication in the Presidential Primaries; The Washington Post's David Broder; and other prominent experts analyze speeches, ads, news broadcasts, and all manner of interpersonal interactions as the candidates, their constituents, and the media construct a campaign dialogue. The key role of TV coverage, the media's fascination with polls, and the impact of technologies such as digital cameras and the Internet are spotlighted. (23 minutes)
#33621 Image Crisis: How Is the U.S. Viewed in the Middle East? (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This ABC News program explores how U.S. involvement in Iraq and Israel post-9/11 has affected-fairly or unfairly-its image in the Arab world. U.S. hopes to boost its impression there by installing a democratic government in Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein have been plagued by insurgent combat, especially in Fallujah and Najaf. And President Bush's support of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral policies against the Palestinians' collective future has only seemed to enflame Middle Eastern mistrust. Ted Koppel speaks with Senators Richard Lugar and Joseph Biden, the top senators from both parties on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (23 minutes)
#35297 Classroom Challenge: Debating Darwin in the 21st Century (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
As the controversy over intelligent design and science education heats up, open-minded discussion about the issue can be in short supply. This ABC News program sorts through arguments on both sides, examines the debate in the context of America's larger political climate, and explores its fundamental questions: Are evolution and I.D. incompatible? Is exposure to both ideas harmful or beneficial to schoolchildren? Does fossil evidence make evolution immune to challenge? Astute commentary from ABC News' George Stephanopoulos sums up I.D.'s implications for students, teachers, and parents. (22 minutes)
#35972 Moyers on America: Capitol Crimes (Run Time 118 min.) DVD $89.95
The fall of super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff has exposed what may be one of the biggest political scandals in America's history. What does the dizzying scope of corruption say about how laws are made and who really owns the U.S. government? In this program, Bill Moyers and his team of investigative journalists untangle the web of relationships, secret deals, and political manipulation-including thousands of e-mails, reports, and facts on the record-to open a disturbing window on the dark side of American politics. A roundtable discussion with Thomas Frank and Norman Ornstein follows the documentary. (118 minutes)
#36176 The Bill of Rights (Run Time 69 min.) DVD $89.95
It upholds freedom of speech and religion, guarantees a free press, grants the right to keep and bear arms, preserves the right of trial by jury, establishes states' rights, and more. It's the Bill of Rights. This program presents the ten key Constitutional amendments that have defined the fundamental liberties that are the American birthright-and examines the controversies and challenges they have withstood. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A Cambridge Educational Production. Recommended for middle school through college. (69 minutes)
#36177 Human Rights (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $89.95
This program sets two crucial human rights-related Constitutional amendments within the context of their historical times: Amendment 13, abolishing slavery throughout the U.S., and Amendment 14, defining U.S. citizenship and stipulating due process and equal protection under the law. Four additional amendments-11, judicial powers construed; 16, federal income tax; and 18 and 21, Prohibition and its repeal-are included as well. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A Cambridge Educational Production. Recommended for middle school through college. (48 minutes)
#36178 Democracy in Action (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
The ability to vote-to have a legal say in the affairs of America, large or small-is one of the greatest powers a U.S. citizen can have...and, too often, it's one of the most neglected. This program reemphasizes the value of universal suffrage through the stories of Amendments 15, 19, 23, 24, and 26, which, taken together, enfranchise citizens 18 years of age and older and forbid denying the vote on the basis of race, sex, locale, or tax arrears. Profiles of Amendments 12, 22, and 25 (the Presidential Amendments) and Amendments 17, 20, and 27 offer additional insights into how the principles of democracy are put to work. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A Cambridge Educational Production. Recommended for middle school through college. (64 minutes)
#36214 America Becomes a World Power (Run Time 32 min.) DVD $89.95
While Progressive leaders showed their distrust of power in their dealings with large corporations at home, they still grasped the growing need for an aggressive national stance in world relations. This program covers the opening of Japan, the acquisition of Alaska and Hawaii, the Open Door Policy in China, the Spanish-American War, and the Boxer Rebellion. The doctrinal struggle between Expansionists and Anti-Imperialists is also discussed. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (30 minutes)
#36215 The Progressive Era (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
During the presidencies of Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, America was witness to so many political, corporate, and social reforms that the period came to be known as the Progressive Era. This program provides an excellent overview of the times, underscoring the importance of women's suffrage, the Square Deal, the temperance movement, and other signal initiatives. In addition, many of the era's movers and shakers are spotlighted, including Upton Sinclair, Eugene Debs, Jane Addams, Jacob Riis, Ida Tarbell, and "Battling Bob" LaFollette. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (31 minutes)
#36217 World War I: On the Home Front (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
While the doughboys were fighting the war "over there," Americans at home were busy supporting it. This program looks at the domestic issues facing the United States during its involvement in World War I. Included are discussions of the changing industrial workforce, the growth of the women's suffrage movement, African-American migration to the North and the racial tensions that followed, erosion of American civil liberties during the war, Wilson's idealistic Fourteen Points, and the punitive Treaty of Versailles. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (29 minutes)
#36218 The Roaring Twenties (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
Best known for its flappers, gangsters, and jazz, the Roaring Twenties was also an era of social tensions and political change. This program is a time capsule of a boisterous era that began with a surge of hope and ended on the verge of the Great Depression. Topics include the presidencies of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, the post-World War I "return to normalcy," the economic boom and the affordable Model T, the Red Scare, Garveyism, the Scopes trial, Prohibition, and the unique pop culture of the decade. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (31 minutes)
#36220 World War II: The Road to War (Run Time 31 min.) DVD $89.95
This program chronicles the global events that ultimately led to U.S. action in World War II. Discussion points include Hitler and the Nazi Party, fascism in Italy, and Communism under Stalin; British appeasement and American isolationism; blitzkrieg; the Lend-Lease Plan; and the Holocaust. The program ends with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor-"a date which will live in infamy"-and America's declaration of war. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (31 minutes)
#37361 Bill Moyers Journal: Jon Stewart on Humor and an Informed Public (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $89.95
Jon Stewart is considered one of America's top social and comedic voices. In this program, veteran journalist Bill Moyers interviews Stewart, the long-standing anchor of the award-winning Daily Show with Jon Stewart, about why so many viewers get their news and analysis from his fake news show. Does humor have a role to play in ensuring an informed public? Also on the program, Josh Marshall, influential political blogger, gives his perspective on the role of politics in the recent firings of federal prosecutors and Bill Moyers remembers David Halberstam. Broadcast date: April 27, 2007. (55 minutes)
#37436 The Sand Creek Massacre: Seven Hours that Changed American History (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
On November 29, 1864, Col. John Chivington and 800 troops of the First Colorado Cavalry attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho camp-massacring women, children, and the elderly. This program introduces the Sand Creek atrocity to viewers in a way that written texts and dramatizations cannot. It consists of oral histories passed down from firsthand accounts through the generations and movingly conveyed by descendants of Native American eyewitnesses. In addition, professional historians of the region and time period give background information on possible causes of, and twisted motivations for, the genocidal slaughter. Informative maps and an impressive array of archival photos are also included. (22 minutes)
#37533 Stryker's America: Photographing the Great Depression (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Roy E. Stryker headed the Historical Division of the Farm Security Administration from 1935 to 1943. This program tells the story of how Stryker, a low-level federal bureaucrat with integrity and vision, managed a massive New Deal project to document the Great Depression. These photos-nearly 200,000 by both established and aspiring photographers, including Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Arthur Rothstein, and many others-became the defining statement of the era. Many signature images of poverty and hardship are included. Narrated by Beverly Brannan, curator of photography at the Library of Congress; Alan Fern, retired director of the National Portrait Gallery; and Peter Kuznick, professor of history at American University. (23 minutes)
#37584 They Were There: Remembering the Civil Rights Movement (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Although many of the movers and shakers of the Civil Rights era are gone now, their names will live forever through their achievements. This NewsHour program describes the courageous actions of Rosa Parks and Hamilton Holmes and picks the brain of John Lewis about what it was like to take part in the Freedom Ride and to lead the Selma march on Bloody Sunday. Episodes include... • Remembering Hamilton Holmes: Jim Lehrer talks with NewsHour correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault about the achievements of the late Hamilton Holmes. She and Holmes made history as the first African-Americans to attend the University of Georgia. • Gergen Dialogue-John Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement: David Gergen, editor-at-large of U.S. News & World Report, interviews Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), author of Walking with the Wind, about his experiences during the Civil Rights movement. • Remembering Rosa Parks: After a look at the life of Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, Jeffrey Brown reflects on the far-reaching impact of her actions with the Reverend Joseph Lowery and Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressional delegate for Washington, D.C. (28 minutes)
#37593 Bill Moyers Journal: June 29, 2007 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
With mortgages entering foreclosure at a record pace, the implications for financial markets-and for ordinary Americans-are far-reaching and severe. For insight into this potential meltdown, Bill Moyers talks with New York Times assistant business and financial editor Gretchen Morgenson, who has covered the story. In addition, Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, shines light on the secret "Deathstar" trade deal between the White House and Democratic Party leaders; Victor Gold, former Republican-party insider, discusses his new book Invasion of the Party Snatchers: How the Holy-Rollers and the Neo-Cons Destroyed the GOP; and a Bill Moyers essay sizes up Rupert Murdoch's bid for The Wall Street Journal. Broadcast date: June 29, 2007. (58 minutes)
#38817 Bill Moyers Journal: September 7, 2007 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
Has the U.S. government exceeded the limit of its rightful power in the fight against terrorism? In this program, Bill Moyers interviews ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero and former Congressman Mickey Edwards (R-OK) about legislation expanding the government's domestic surveillance program. In addition, Jack Goldsmith, author of The Terror Presidency and former head of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, gives an insider's view of advising the President on the limits of executive power during the war on terror. A report on evangelical Christians in West Virginia who are opposing expanded mountain top removal mining is also included. Broadcast date: September 7, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39059 The Kennedy Inauguration: January 20, 1961 (Run Time 69 min.) DVD $89.95
This classic NBC News program anchored by Chet Huntley and David Brinkley will take viewers back to the inauguration of John F. Kennedy to witness the birth of Camelot and the New Frontier-and to hear one of the most stirring inaugural speeches in U.S. history, as JFK challenges Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Not available in French-speaking Canada. (69 minutes)
#39060 Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Tour (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
In this classic program, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, just 32 years old, gives a guided tour of the newly redecorated White House. Jointly produced and broadcast by NBC and CBS, this program aired on Valentine's Day, 1962. One of the most popular newscasts in all of television history! President John F. Kennedy makes a brief appearance. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (58 minutes)
#39061 John F. Kennedy: In His Own Words (Run Time 40 min.) DVD $89.95
Drawing on rare, exclusive, and long-unseen interviews, this NBC News program tracks JFK over the course of his political career, from his years in Congress to his brief tenure as President-including a conversation with Chet Huntley and David Brinkley just weeks before his assassination. Hosted by Brian Williams. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (39 minutes)
#39062 The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy (Run Time 74 min.) DVD $89.95
Bobby Kennedy was shot to death on June 4, 1968-the very night he won the California presidential primary. This NBC News program, painstakingly assembled from newly restored footage, follows the story as it developed: the tragic events at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; the funeral service at St. Patrick's Cathedral, with Edward Kennedy's moving eulogy; and the emotional journey by train from New York to Arlington National Cemetery. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (74 minutes)
#39063 The Summer of Love: 1967 (Run Time 33 min.) DVD $89.95
The "Summer of Love" is remembered today through a haze of nostalgia, hindsight, and hype. But how was the emergence of the youth counterculture actually covered at the time? In this program, selections from the NBC News archives offer an insightful look at the beginning of a cultural shock wave that is still being felt and debated today. Reporter Aline Saarinen offers a reality check as she covers the scene in Haight-Ashbury, while Hugh Downs talks with LSD advocate Timothy Leary and Jack Perkins reports on the prevalence of drugs in the hippie culture. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (32 minutes)
#39064 Apollo 11: The First Moon Landing (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $89.95
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon. This NBC News program hosted by Jane Pauley captures the monumental Apollo 11 mission-from launch, to moonwalk, to splashdown, and beyond. In addition, Brian Williams provides a brief history of the space program. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (46 minutes)
#39065 Nixon Resigns: August 9, 1974 (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
Facing the near certainty of impeachment by the House of Representatives and probable conviction by the Senate for his role in the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in disgrace on August 9, 1974. This NBC News program tracks the unfolding events throughout that difficult day, including Nixon's emotional farewell speech to his staff, shown in its entirety. Hosted by Jane Pauley. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (52 minutes)
#39066 The Fall of Saigon: April 29-30, 1975 (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
The end of the Vietnam War came abruptly on April 30, 1975, the day the American-supported government of South Vietnam collapsed and the capital, Saigon, fell to communist forces. This program presents those dramatic events as captured by an NBC News team on the scene, culminating in the exclusive footage of enemy tanks overrunning the presidential palace. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (53 minutes)
#39067 The Reagan Inauguration: January 20, 1981 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
January 20, 1981, marked the departure of Jimmy Carter from the White House and the end of a national trauma as the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days were released from captivity. In this NBC News program, John Chancellor and Roger Mudd cover the inaugural ceremony of Ronald Reagan-and the beginning of the Reagan era. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (57 minutes)
#39068 Richard M. Nixon: In His Own Words (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
Spanning 40 years, this program from NBC News reveals the many faces of Richard M. Nixon. Highlights from 12 exclusive interviews-some rare, some long-unseen-follow him from his early days as Vice President to Dwight D. Eisenhower, through his tumultuous presidency, to the years following his resignation, when he was eager to rehabilitate himself after the Watergate scandal. Hosted by Brian Williams. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (39 minutes)
#39070 John F. Kennedy: December 2, 1951 (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
December 2, 1951, marked the first of eight appearances on Meet the Press for John F. Kennedy. In this edition, Kennedy addresses government corruption, the likelihood of General Eisenhower running for President, and his own aspiration to a seat in the Senate with measured answers. But he pulls no punches in his explanation of why America is not generally liked in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, gives a thorough response to the question of whether the U.S. should have fought for unconditional surrender in Korea, and makes prescient observations on the likelihood of defeat of any field army that opposes the Communist guerillas in French Indochina. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#39071 Richard M. Nixon: September 14, 1952 (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
When Richard Nixon made his first appearance on Meet the Press, he was a 39-year-old first-term senator and Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice-presidential running mate. Two months later the pair would win the election, but not before Nixon was almost dropped from the ticket in the wake of controversy over what was characterized as a campaign slush fund-a story that broke immediately after this broadcast. In this edition of Meet the Press, Nixon speaks about the campaign, little knowing that only nine days later he would be scrambling to save his political future with his now-famous "Checkers" speech. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (25 minutes)
#39072 Herbert Hoover: December 11, 1955 (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Largely dismissed as a President, Herbert Hoover is remembered today as a humanitarian with progressive views and a deep belief in the necessity of efficient government. In this edition of Meet the Press, the 81-year-old Hoover smoothly handles the give-and-take with the panel as he discusses the work of the Hoover Commission and promotes his idea for a new Executive Branch office: the Administrative Vice-President, whose duty it would be to help operate the federal government-"the biggest business in the whole world." Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (26 minutes)
#39073 John F. Kennedy: January 3, 1960 (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
One day after announcing his candidacy for President in 1960, John F. Kennedy appeared on Meet the Press. In this edition, the Massachusetts Senator talks politics, including matters of campaign finance, the prospect of running against Richard Nixon, the role his Catholic faith might play in the campaign ahead, the historical importance of a Democratic Party win in the upcoming election, and his respectful but firm resolve to decline the Democratic nomination for Vice President if he is not nominated for President. Kennedy also touches upon the possibility of dying in office. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#39074 Lyndon B. Johnson: October 9, 1960 (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Lyndon B. Johnson tried and failed to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960. Instead, he was chosen as a running mate by the man who beat him: John F. Kennedy. In this edition of Meet the Press, Senator Johnson circumspectly discusses aspects of the Kennedy/Johnson presidential platform as he states his views on the civil rights movement, Vice President Richard Nixon, the federal budget under the Eisenhower administration, and whether Senator Kennedy is justly called an "apostle of appeasement" in foreign policy. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (28 minutes)
#39075 Ronald Reagan: January 9, 1966 (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
In this edition of Meet the Press, former actor Ronald Reagan, candidate for Governor of California, faces tough questions about his qualifications while displaying his familiar ease and confidence in front of the camera. Put on the spot by panelist Lawrence Spivak-"Don't you yourself think it might have been better if you'd gotten some political experience running for a lower office?"-Reagan speaks with the genial candor that would contribute to his future characterization as the Great Communicator: "Well, this might be true if I had set out to have a political career," he says. "But frankly, until last November, it had never occurred to me." Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#39076 Gerald R. Ford: November 9, 1975 (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
When in office for just over a year, Gerald Ford became the first sitting president ever to appear on Meet the Press. In this edition, President Ford speaks candidly about the issues facing his administration. Topics of discussion include his major accomplishments; the nation's mood at the outset of the post-Watergate/post-Vietnam era; the state of detente between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.; budgetary and economic challenges facing the country; his views on George H. W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Ronald Reagan; and his optimism about winning the 1976 election. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (52 minutes)
#39077 George H. W. Bush: February 22, 1976 (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
In response to the shocking exposure of the domestic espionage action known as Operation CHAOS, the CIA came under the fierce scrutiny of the Church and Pike Committees and the Rockefeller Commission. In this edition of Meet the Press, the panel grills the newly installed Director of the CIA, George H. W. Bush. Heated discussion centers primarily on leaked information about covert operations in Angola and more attentive governmental oversight of the CIA. Bush's motivation for accepting the controversial CIA appointment is also questioned, and Richard Nixon's post-resignation visit to China is discussed. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#39078 Ronald Reagan: March 7, 1976 (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
In 1976, former California Governor Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent Gerald Ford for the Republican presidential nomination. In this edition of Meet the Press broadcast two days before the Florida primary, Reagan provides circumspect answers to questions on the "horse race" between him and Ford and on how, if President, he would deal with the U.S. economy, the process of detente with the Soviet Union, and relations with Cuba. The candidate also gives his views on Henry Kissinger and considers whether he would have granted Richard Nixon a pardon. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (26 minutes)
#39079 Jimmy Carter: January 20, 1980 (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
"We still have 5.8% unemployment; inflation has risen from 4.8% to 13%. We still don't have a viable energy policy. Russian troops are in Cuba and Afghanistan. The dollar is falling, gold is rising, and the hostages after 78 days are still in Tehran. Just what have you done, sir," asks panelist David Broder, "to deserve renomination?" In this episode of Meet the Press, Jimmy Carter makes his case for a second term in the White House. The President also talks about the ongoing Iran hostage crisis and the Olympic boycott against the Soviet Union. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (26 minutes)
#39080 Richard M. Nixon: April 10, 1988 (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
This episode of Meet the Press marks Richard Nixon's final appearance on the show. Over the course of the program, Nixon reflects on a mixed and uphill political career, including his years in the Oval Office. Using his political acumen, he offers penetrating insights into the issues and candidates shaping the 1988 election, the situations in the Soviet Union and the Middle East, the U.S. economy, the Iran-Contra affair, the Reagan Revolution, the "sleaze factor" in politics, the Watergate scandal, his place in history, what he wished he'd done while in office, and more. This is a truly changed Nixon. Introduced by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (52 minutes)
#39081 Bill Clinton: November 9, 1997 (Run Time 39 min.) DVD $89.95
Like George H. W. Bush before him and George W. Bush after him, President Bill Clinton had to contend with Saddam Hussein in Iraq and questions of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. These issues top the agenda in this edition of Meet the Press and are followed by discussion of hot-button topics of the day-aspects of which still resonate: the restructuring of Medicare and Social Security, campaign finance reform, gay rights, a flat income tax and a national sales tax, and fast-track trade authority. With a new introduction by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (38 minutes)
#39082 George W. Bush: November 21, 1999 (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
In this episode of Meet the Press, George W. Bush stands on his record as Governor of Texas and decisively answers questions from moderator Tim Russert about what he would do if elected President. Discussion points range from Social Security and healthcare system reform, to his resolve to stand by Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression and his plans for world security, to the promotion of abstinence among unwed couples. The Governor also expresses his views on hate crime, affirmative action, and abortion while decrying cynicism on Capitol Hill and "the politics of personal destruction." With a new introduction by Tim Russert. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (50 minutes)
#39110 Bill Moyers Journal: The Rise of Unitary Executive Power (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
How far can a President go to defend the nation? This program examines the unprecedented presidential power that some say has been amassed by the Bush administration-and wielded, often secretly, in the name of national security. Bill Moyers gets perspective from two experts on the limits and abuses of federal power: Charles Fried, who teaches Constitutional law at Harvard Law School and served as solicitor general in the Reagan Administration, and Fritz Schwarz, who served as chief counsel to the Church Committee, which uncovered decades of abuse by the CIA and other intelligence agencies. Broadcast date: October 26, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39121 Bill Moyers Journal: November 2, 2007 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
Big Media is pushing the FCC to relax ownership rules again to give corporations even more control over what Americans read, view, and hear. In this program, Bill Moyers reports on the real-world consequences of media policy skewed toward conglomerates through the lens of how it affects minority media ownership in the U.S. Also on the program, Katherine S. Newman, coauthor of The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America, talks about the nation's millions who, despite better-than-subsistence wages, are one paycheck away from poverty. A Bill Moyers essay on the pivotal 1967 anti-Vietnam War march on the Pentagon is also included. Broadcast date: November 2, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39205 Bill Moyers Journal: New Media, Religion, and Their Impact on Elections (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
No one can dispute the importance of new media in the battle to win the White House in 2008. But what does it all mean for American democracy? Bill Moyers gets perspective on the impact of blogs, YouTube, and social networking on the election process from Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Then, with evangelical pastor Mike Huckabee surging in the polls and Mitt Romney giving a widely anticipated speech on his Mormon faith, Moyers and Jamieson are joined by scholar Melissa Rogers for a discussion of religion in politics. Rogers is visiting professor of Religion and Public Policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School. Broadcast date: December 7, 2007. (54 minutes)
#39214 Bill Moyers Journal: December 14, 2007 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
Joined by MSNBC's popular and provocative Keith Olbermann, Bill Moyers explores the changing face of journalism while gaining insight into the defiant stance of Olbermann's political commentaries. Also on the program: Dr. Ronald Walters, director of the African American Leadership Center at the University of Maryland, discusses racial issues intertwined with the 2008 presidential campaign. And: Bill Moyers Journal continues its reporting on media consolidation. Topics include the debate over relaxing ownership rules and the real-world implications of increasing cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast outlets in the same markets. Broadcast date: December 14, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39219 Bill Moyers Journal: December 21, 2007 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
As holiday cheer vies with rampant consumerism, Bill Moyers interviews political theorist Benjamin Barber about the dangers of capitalism run wild. Barber-best-selling author of Jihad Vs. McWorld and Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole-deplores an economic system that manufactures consumer needs rather than goods that meet real human needs. Also on the program: University of Texas Law School professor Sanford Levinson discusses his most recent book, Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It); plus, a Bill Moyers essay highlighting the implications of the Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball. Broadcast date: December 21, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39220 Bill Moyers Journal: January 4, 2008 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
The Iowa caucuses drew thousands of media outlets, resulting in a powerful wall of TV cameras and reporters between the voters and the candidates. In this program, Bill Moyers interviews Representatives Ron Paul (R-TX) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), presidential hopefuls who know well the power of the press to set expectations and transform the agenda. In addition, Moyers and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and coauthor of unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation, examine the campaigns and coverage in Iowa and look at the media's power to benefit some candidates and disadvantage others. Broadcast date: January 4, 2008. (58 minutes)
#39274 Bill Moyers Journal: February 1, 2008, and March 14, 2008 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
What are the people in power doing with the public's trust and the taxpayers' money? In this program, Bill Moyers interviews Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to examine the waste and abuses of power in Washington, D.C. Also on the program, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, one of the nation's leading experts on media and politics, analyzes the use of political endorsements and provides insights into what may be expected from the media going into Super Tuesday '08. Broadcast dates: February 1, 2008, and March 14, 2008. (58 minutes)
#39334 Bill Moyers Journal: February 22, 2008 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
"Journalism's job is to cover the news, but it's the work of investigative reporters to uncover the news powerful people prefer to keep hidden," says Bill Moyers. This edition of the Journal takes a hard and fresh look at how earmarks really work with "Mr. Heath Goes to Washington," a segment produced with the public TV series Expose: America's Investigative Reports. It profiles Seattle Times reporters on the trail of how members of Congress have awarded federal dollars for questionable purposes to companies in local Congressional districts. Also on the program, Sarah Chayes, author of The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban, offers a penetrating look at the front lines of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Broadcast date: February 22, 2008. (58 minutes)
#39347 Bill Moyers Journal: February 29, 2008 (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
In the run-up to the pivotal 2008 Ohio and Texas primaries, political ads are everywhere. In this edition of the Journal, Bill Moyers and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, analyze the substance and subtext of ads being used in the Obama, Clinton, and McCain campaigns. Afterward, Moyers and historian Nell Irvin Painter, author of Standing at Armageddon: The United States, 1877-1919, discuss what the history and the legacy of populism reveal about the current state of inequality in America. Broadcast date: February 29, 2008. (54 minutes)
#39381 Bill Moyers Journal: March 7, 2008 (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
John McCain has secured the Republican nomination, but after denouncing religious extremism eight years ago, can he win the hearts and minds of the Christian right? In this program, Bill Moyers reports on popular conservative evangelist John Hagee-leader of the politically powerful group Christians United for Israel-and his controversial endorsement of McCain. Afterward, Moyers talks about the state and future of conservatism in light of McCain's nomination with former Congressman Mickey Edwards (R-OK), author of Reclaiming Conservatism, and Matt Welch, editor of Reason magazine and author of McCain: The Myth of a Maverick. Broadcast date: March 7, 2008. (54 minutes)
#39481 Bill Moyers Journal: Farm Subsidies and America's Hungry (Run Time min.) DVD $89.95
As food prices skyrocket and millions go hungry in America, why are tax dollars being spent on farmers who don't farm? Teaming up with the PBS series Expose: America's Investigative Reports, Bill Moyers Journal sheds light on more than $15 billion in "wasteful, unnecessary, or redundant expenditures" that have flowed from Washington to America's farmers. Then, Bill Moyers looks at shortages in America's food banks and speaks with David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, about the challenges of combating hunger and the new farm bill being negotiated in Congress. Broadcast date: April 11, 2008. (58 minutes)
#39544 Bill Moyers Journal: May 16, 2008 (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
Facing John McCain in the 2008 presidential election will be a status quo-shaking candidate: a woman or a black man. Could the candidate who has won more votes, more states, and more delegates lose in November, and could the reason be gender or race? In this edition of the Journal, Bill Moyers moderates as Obama adviser Chris Edley and Clinton superdelegate Maria Echaveste-Edley's wife-debate this question and related issues. In addition, award-winning journalist Melody Petersen, author of Our Daily Meds, talks about the dangers of Big Pharma, which she says has become market driven. A Bill Moyers essay on the Senate's "resolution of disapproval" against the FCC's recent vote to let one company own both a broadcast station and the major daily newspaper in the same market rounds out the program. Broadcast date: May 16, 2008. (58 minutes)
#39597 Bill Moyers Journal: Misleading the Public about Iraq / Race and Gender in the Primaries (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
In What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan charges that the Bush Administration, with the media's help, misled the American public into supporting the invasion of Iraq. In this program, Bill Moyers is joined by award-winning journalists Jonathan Landay and John Walcott and Editor & Publisher's Greg Mitchell to examine issues raised by McClellan's book. Also, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and Ron Walters, director of the African American Leadership Center at the University of Maryland, examine how race and gender have played out in the Democratic presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Broadcast date: June 6, 2008. (54 minutes)
#2559 From the Ku Klux Klan to the Black Panthers (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $99.95
Beginning with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, this program illustrates the background of that speech with scenes filmed during the prison uprising at Attica, NY, in 1967; a Klan rally and a cross-burning; scenes of black life in the South that led to the mass migrations to the cities of the North; the desegregation of Little Rock High School; the Black Nationalist movement and the Black Muslim movement; Montgomery, Birmingham, and the civil rights movement; Malcolm X; the Newark, New Jersey, riots; and Eldridge Cleaver, Huey Newton, and the Black Panthers. (15 minutes)
#5198 El Camino Real (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $99.95
The royal road, the trail followed by Juan de Onate in 1598 when he led his troop of Spaniards up from Mexico in search of gold and glory... Used by conquistadors, native peoples, settlers, armies, merchants, and outlaws, the 1,800-mile artery of commerce and culture known as El Camino Real connected Santa Fe to Spain's New World capital, Mexico City. For hundreds of years, it was the longest road in North America, traversing vast uninhabited or often hostile territories. This program recounts the story of the trail-only recently rediscovered, its archaeology still only hinted at-and in the process provides the flip-side of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral kind of history: the campsite debris and misshapen mule shoes that give evidence of the hard and dangerous life of the people who traveled here-the Nahuatl-speakers and Pueblo and Spaniards and Mexicans and Anglos who built this country. (20 minutes)
#6558 Women of Hope: Latinas Abriendo Camino (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
This program tells the story of Latina women in the U.S. through portraits of twelve unusual women who have broken new ground in their lives and achievements. Among those featured in the program are Miriam Colon, actress and founder of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater; Nydia Velazquez, the first Puerto Rican Congresswoman; and Sandra Cisneros, Chicana novelist and poet. Describing their hopes, their dreams, and the paths they took which shaped their lives, the twelve women share their stories in the context of their families, their common histories, and their careers. The program includes a wealth of historical archival footage, and features a soundtrack of diverse and important Latin music from the 1940s through today. Produced by the Bread and Roses Cultural Project, Inc. Study guide and poster set also available (see item #501). (29 minutes)
#6840 Crisis of Democracy (Run Time 80 min.) DVD $99.95
Bill Moyers assesses the state of democracy in America with linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky, novelist Tom Wolfe, and other renowned thinkers. Big government; control of political parties by the power elite; government deceit; ideology-based political groups; and mounting disillusionment in the democratic political process are discussed as detriments to democracy. Catch-22 author Joseph Heller talks about how political campaigns conducted in the media have turned democracy into a spectator sport. (80 minutes)
#6860 The National Soul (Run Time 91 min.) DVD $99.95
Bill Moyers discusses myths, morality, and ethics in American life with several prominent American thinkers. Novelist E. L. Doctorow, historian Barbara Tuchman, playwright August Wilson, child behavior specialist T. Berry Brazelton, and others address issues such as racism, sexism, America's loss of moral purpose, and the disintegration of the American family. (91 minutes)
#6861 Dissolving Boundaries: Solving Global Problems (Run Time 89 min.) DVD $99.95
Transportation and mass communication are dissolving borders between countries. Problems that used to be national ones now must increasingly be solved on a global level. In this program, Bill Moyers and international experts discuss a host of global issues, from the environment to racism and sexism. Isaac Asimov discusses the need for cooperation among nations in controlling population growth. Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes cites U.S. racism against Mexicans and Mexico's historical bitterness over U.S. territorial acquisitions as obstacles to the resolution of current border problems. A discussion of the greenhouse effect advocates international controls on polluting technologies. (89 minutes)
#1311 Chesapeake Planter (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
A tour through the world of the colonial farmer in the year 1777, when most of the 13 original colonies were still one vast forest. Farms consisted of small, rough clearings cultivated by hand or with primitive tools. Farm animals were smaller, wilder, and tougher than they are today. There were few roads of any kind. Historian Burt Kummerow shares his extensive and enthusiastic knowledge of the time in a stroll through an authentic recreation of a Chesapeake farm of the period, and the people who worked it. (28 minutes)
#2986 Resurrection (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
This program opens in Haskell Ward's hometown of Griffin, Georgia. A prominent African American with vast experience in government, Ward narrates a personal story of accomplishments, struggle, and joy. Conversations with his ninth-grade teacher, a former classmate who is now a police captain, a 90-year-old resident, and other citizens of this community of 25,000 recapture the ambience of black life in a small Southern town between 1900 and 1950-a marked contrast with the present. (47 minutes)
#2987 Stirrings (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
College students played a pivotal role in the protest movement of the '50s and '60s. Haskell Ward recalls his own college years, discusses new trends and developments with students at Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and Clark Atlanta University, and evaluates African-American progress with student activists, elected representatives, educators, and civil rights leaders, including Vernon Jordan, Jr. In the process, the program shows how Atlanta has become the cathedral city of American success. (47 minutes)
#2988 Origins (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
This program begins with the arrival of 20 enslaved Africans brought to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619 and examines the impact of slavery on African Americans. C. Eric Lincoln, professor of philosophy and religion at Duke University and a noted authority on African-American religion, explains why African roots are important to African Americans and shows how the African cultural heritage-music, dance, art, blues, and storytelling-manifests itself in American life. (46 minutes)
#2989 Saviors (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
This program provides insight into the role of the federal government in legislating and enforcing rights for African Americans. It tells the story of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, a landmark in the battle to end segregation in public schools. Rep. William Gray, William Coleman, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vernon Jordan, Jr., and Rep. John Lewis assess the Supreme Court's role in civil rights and the impact of the Reagan/Bush era on the civil rights movement. (47 minutes)
#2990 Inspirations (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
In economically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the nation, local leaders, working through formal and informal groups, are pulling together to improve the quality of life by addressing such critical problems as child care, urban violence, "black on black" crime, housing, teenage pregnancy, economic inequities, and community development. Alice Lipscomb, Rachel Bagby, Sister Falaka Fattah, and David Fattah address the problems and the search for solutions. (47 minutes)
#2991 Liberty (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
To what extent should African Americans strive to maintain their unique cultural heritage, and to what degree should they seek to become assimilated into the hegemonic culture? Rep. Charles Rangel provides perspective on Washington, D.C., and Harlem, and psychologist Kenneth B. Clark assesses the terrain and the hurdles ahead. Participants in previous programs in this series, and black and white high school and college students, discuss the broad spectrum of race relations in the 1990s. (46 minutes)
#4090 The Anasazi and Chaco Canyon (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
This program looks at the fascinating finds at Chaco Canyon: the extraordinary city itself, the strange cult objects, the proofs of their mastery of astronomy; and at the many unanswered questions about the meaning of their depictions of humans, and the possible explanations for the disappearance of the Anasazi-leaving barely a trace of their highly advanced culture. (23 minutes)
#6176 In the Footsteps of the Inuit: The History of Nunavik (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $129.95
This program traces the history of the Inuit people, from the arrival of their ancestors, who came across the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska some 8,000 years ago, through the 20th century. The program examines the development of Inuit culture, the first contacts with European settlers, the impact of the Hudson Bay Company on the Inuit economy, the role of whaling, the arrival of the first missionaries, and the development of the first Inuit writing system. Finally, the program explores how the old customs of the Inuit have all but disappeared at the end of the 20th century. (55 minutes)
#6550 A Third Choice (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
This program examines America's fascinating national experience with third parties and independent candidates, covering more than 200 years of American political history. The program looks back to the birth of the two-party system and explores the most influential third-party movements in American political history, including Abraham Lincoln and the rise of the Republicans, Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party, Strom Thurmond's Dixiecrats and Henry Wallace's Progressives in the 1948 elections, George Wallace's American Independent Party in 1968, and Ross Perot. The program features interviews with leading academic experts on American politics, a rich collection of campaign memorabilia, rare archival footage, artwork, political cartoons, and campaign songs. (57 minutes)
#6551 Can the States Do It Better? (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $129.95
This program explores the history and anatomy of the ongoing political debate over the idea of shifting power and authority from the federal government to the states and individuals. The program goes back to the founding of the country and examines the split between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton over how much power the federal government should have, through the Civil War, to the rapid expansion of federal powers during the Great Depression and World War II, to the Great Society programs of Lyndon Johnson, to the present. The program looks at the idea of "devolution" today, and examines in detail two of the most contentious aspects of it: welfare reform and school vouchers. The program draws on documentary footage and archival materials, and features numerous experts including several governors and a wide range of leading academics. (56 minutes)
#7427 Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $129.95
The remains of more than 10,000 Native Americans unearthed at archaeological sites across the U.S. are in the possession of museums such as the Smithsonian. Is the analysis of the bones valid scientific research, or is it a desecration of Native American culture? This program focuses on the tensions between scientists, historians, and museum curators and Native American groups, as the bones take on a central role in a war of alternate perspectives. In examining this debate, the program provides an excellent survey of Native American archaeology in the U.S. A BBC Production. (49 minutes)
#7613 The American Civil Liberties Union: A History (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
For 80 years, one legal organization has supported the rights of the individual against the majority and the government, igniting rage in conservatives and liberals alike. That organization is the ACLU, and it has virtually molded our national ideal of liberty. Its history reads like a case study of freedom of expression and minority rights in the 20th century. This program, with commentary from Oliver North, Dave Barry, and Molly Ivins, traces the tumultuous history of that organization from its inception by founder Roger Baldwin, through dozens of legal challenges over the past century, including the Scopes trial, the 1930s labor strikes, Japanese internment, the HUAC hearings and blacklisting, the Vietnam war crimes trials, the American Nazi Party's bid to march in Skokie, Illinois, and others. Baldwin's story is interwoven throughout. (57 minutes)
#7895 By River, By Rail: History of the Black Migration (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $129.95
In the early 20th century, blacks moved north in hope of a better life with little more than a prayer and the shirts on their backs. In this program, poet Maya Angelou, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, and a host of other African-Americans recount the story of the migration, of separated families, and of the hardships, prejudice, and struggle for acceptance in the North that resulted in disillusionment. Black luminaries include James Cameron, author of A Time of Terror; Jacob Lawrence, artist and creator of The Black Migration series; and Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Back to Africa movement of the 1920s. (22 minutes)
#8334 Remember the Maine": The Roots of the Spanish-American War" (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
"The U.S.S. Maine Blown Up in Havana Harbor-268 Men Lost" shouted the headlines of the day. Using archival footage, newspaper excerpts, and historical documents, this program traces the roots of the Spanish-American War to Spain's quest to preserve its flagging empire, American imperialism, and the genuine desire on the part of Cubans to shake off the yoke of Spanish domination. It closely examines the role of Cuba's poet/patriot Jose Marti, exposes American expansionist policies that contributed to our decision to enter the war, and reveals Spanish attempts to thwart open conflict. (50 minutes)
#8335 The Spanish-American War: A Conflict in Progress (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $129.95
This program examines the conduct of the war, from Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, to the defeatist attitude of Spanish commander Admiral Cerveras, to Cuban General Gomez and his decision to side with the Americans. Actual footage taken at the battles of Las Guasimas, El Caney, and San Juan Hill supports excellent historical commentary, including photos, sketches, and firsthand accounts of the war by publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst. The precise sequence of political and military events leading to the Spanish defeat is carefully traced up to the Treaty of Paris, where Spain relinquishes all rights to Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. (52 minutes)
#8680 Moving North to Chicago: The Great Black Migration (Run Time 21 min.) DVD $129.95
In 1900, more than 90 percent of all African Americans lived in the South under harsh discriminatory laws and segregated conditions. The opportunity for a better way of life motivated more than seven million African Americans to move west and north, with hundreds of thousands settling in Chicago. Here work could be found in factories, with the railroad, and in stockyards. This program examines rural-to-urban migration, the growth of cities, racial conflict, and the transmittal of ethnic culture, as demonstrated by the mass movement of African Americans during the first half of the 20th century. (21 minutes)
#8829 1968: The Year That Shaped a Generation (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
War. Assassinations. Riots. This dramatic program examines the turbulent political and social landscapes of 1968 by combining dramatic archival footage and interviews with many key participants, including Walter Cronkite, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Tom Hayden, Barbara Ehrenreich, Carlos Fuentes, and Pat Buchanan. Individual sections spotlight topics such as Vietnam, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, student revolts, the counter-culture, the Democratic National Convention, the Prague Spring, the Mexico City student massacre, and the '68 presidential campaign and election. A powerful educational resource about one of the pivotal years of the 20th century. (57 minutes)
#9181 Who Was Abraham Lincoln? (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Obscured by competing images stemming from popular and revisionist history, the real Abraham Lincoln can be difficult to know. In this program, three leading American historians-Pulitzer Prize-winner David Herbert Donald, of Harvard University; Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Boorstin, of the Library of Congress; and Eric Foner, of Columbia University-join syndicated columnist and author Ben Wattenberg to separate the man from the mystery by exploring Lincoln's appeal as the common man of the people, his belief in freedom for all Americans, and his commitment to preserving the Union and its principles. (26 minutes)
#9208 Watts, Then and Now: 1965-1991 (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
In the summer of 1965, tensions in South Central Los Angeles exploded: high unemployment, poverty, and racism ignited a tinderbox of frustration after a routine traffic arrest. In 1991, the same conditions once again resulted in riots, violence, and looting after the acquittal of four white police officers in the beating of Rodney King. This program examines the socioeconomic conditions in Watts that have made it an ongoing hotbed of violence. Community activists and long-time residents, along with younger residents, address the question of why it happened in 1965 and 1991-and what can be done so that it does not happen again. (47 minutes)
#10374 Wilderness (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
Archaeological and historical evidence confirms that Native Americans lived in highly developed societies-and that vastly more tribe members died as a result of European settlement than had previously been suspected. In this program, historian William Cronon of Yale University, author Alvin Josephy, and others examine the physical, spiritual, and cultural destruction of the Native Americans, beginning with the 17th-century Puritan prejudices that helped generate the pernicious image of the "savage Indian" and ending with the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee. (50 minutes)
#10375 Civilization (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
With the closing of the western frontier began the new Indian Wars: the systematic cultural persecution of the Native Americans. This program documents the struggle of the scattered indigenous nations to reclaim and retain their language, history, and identity in the face of historical revisionism, coercive evangelism, and forcible assimilation. Indian rights advocate Vine Deloria, Jr.; members of the Oglala, Hunkpapa, and Sans Arc Sioux; and others describe the misguided practices, unscrupulous dealings, and outright cruelties of the United States against them and their peoples-and reveal an indomitable will to be who they are. (50 minutes)
#10557 Disconnected: Politics, the Press, and the Public (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Has America's electoral process been hijacked by today's overheated media marketplace? This Fred Friendly Seminar, introduced by ABC News' Peter Jennings and moderated by Harvard Law School's Arthur Miller, grapples with questions including: Are unsubstantiated Internet sources, tight deadlines, and a drive to boost profitability distorting journalism? Are candidates' personal lives fair game? And will the media's preoccupation with scandals and "horse race" coverage alienate an already disconnected public? Panelists include CBS News' Dan Rather, CNN's Jeff Greenfield, Gwen Ifill of Washington Week in Review, Congressman Barney Frank, political analyst Ed Rollins, activist and rapper Chuck D, and others. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.pbs.org/inthebalance/archives/disconnected. (57 minutes)
#11895 The Blending of Culture: Latino Influence on America (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Recent U.S. Census figures provide dramatic testimony to the growth of the Latino population. This program looks at the "Three Houses of Latino Culture"-Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American-and their widespread influence from entertainment to politics to economics. Key issues include how long Hispanics have been in America and how U.S. immigration laws affect their assimilation. Interviews with Latino community leaders-university presidents, professors, artists, doctors, CEOs, bishops, and ministers-bring home the diversity and achievement of this rapidly expanding segment of the American populace. (30 minutes)
#11896 Issues of Latino Identity: The Yearning to Be ... (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Though Hispanic people journey to the United States from different homelands, do they all share the same heritage and concerns? This program takes a detailed look at the fastest-growing minority in the U.S. and what it means to be Latino and American. The documentary contrasts the experience of being a Latino in a flourishing ethnic neighborhood of a big city with living in a small town, where many Latinos feel isolated. Interviews with individuals stepping up to the roles of leadership in the Hispanic community cover a large spectrum of subjects, including social services, churches, business, and the arts. (30 minutes)
#12107 Native Americans: Celebrating Traditions (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
Once forced to hide their heritage, Native Americans now enjoy both an acceptance and a celebration of their history and culture. By presenting the experiences of Native Americans from a wide array of fields including artisans, performers, and teachers, this program shows how many tribes are returning to the traditions and spirituality of their ancestors. Among those interviewed are Kevin Locke, award-winning Native American vocalist; Wilma Mankiller, the first woman in modern history to lead a tribe; and Richard West, Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. (30 minutes)
#14440 Civil War Amendments (Run Time min.) DVD $129.95
These programs trace the dramatic history of the Civil War Amendments, their impact in the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century, and crucial court decisions that have established these amendments as a vital part of the nation's identity. Includes: Amendments 13 (Abolition), 14 (Civil Rights), and 15 (Prohibiting Discrimination in Voting on Basis of Race). Programs range from 10 to 12 minutes. A Cambridge Educational Production. Three videos, 33 minutes total.
#29936 The Americas in the 21st Century (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
Bringing together 24 government leaders, top policymakers, and noted experts, this landmark documentary hosted by journalist Charles Krause outlines the key political and economic challenges facing the Americas and the issues that will test the leadership of the U.S. and Canada. Topics debated by James Baker III; President Andres Pastrana, of Colombia; Canada's former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; Foreign Policy editor Moises Naim; former U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson; the National Council of La Raza's Raul Yzaguirre; the inimitable Sol Linowitz; and others include economic integration, free trade, and cultural nationalism. (58 minutes)
#30479 Justice Delayed...But Not Denied (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $129.95
They were some of the most sensational crimes of the century, involving the deaths of innocent black children and leaders of the civil rights movement. Many of the accused went free, beneficiaries of mistrials or acquitted by all-white juries, but in recent years, there has been a renewed zeal for bringing these perpetrators to trial. Why is it so important to the new generation of Southerners to see that justice is exacted after all this time-especially when many people have resisted the opening of old wounds? This ABC News program spotlights the trials of Byron de la Beckwith, Sam Bowers, and Bobby Cherry while profiling those who refused to let time obliterate these perpetrators' guilt. (23 minutes)
#30606 Wrapped in Pride: The Story of Kente in America (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Once reserved for African royalty, kente cloth has become a familiar pattern in American culture. Narrated by Tony Award-winning actress Ann Duquesnay, this program traces how kente cloth crossed the Atlantic from the West African Republic of Ghana at the beginning of the civil rights movement to literally become part of the fabric of American life. Film footage shows Ashanti and Ewe weavers making kente, while several scholars and experts discuss the cultural and political significance of this distinctive cloth. (27 minutes)
#31450 ROOTS: The Saga of an American Classic (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $129.95
For eight nights in 1977, America came face to face with slavery depicted, for the first time, from the black point of view. It was an unforgettable experience. This penetrating retrospective considers the impact of the landmark miniseries ROOTS, the catalyst for a long-overdue dialogue on race relations in the U.S. Interviews with producer David L. Wolper and cast members LeVar Burton, Ben Vereen, Leslie Uggams, Maya Angelou, Richard Roundtree, and Ed Asner are featured. Powerful clips from ROOTS-one of the highest-rated TV events ever-are included, as well as interviews with Larry King, Will Smith, Michael Jordan, and others who discuss how the miniseries affected their lives. (48 minutes)
#33265 Letter to America: How Arabs View the United States (Run Time 45 min.) DVD $129.95
Is America's "war on terrorism" a defensive reaction to the events of September 11th or a smokescreen for an attempt to secure oil and spread Western culture throughout the Middle East? Syrian-born BBC correspondent Rana Kabbani takes a personal journey through the region to explain Arab anger with the United States and how Muslims in the region have come to view America. Kabbani tours Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, canvassing opinions of citizens from all levels of society, as well as those of Americans living abroad. Original BBCW broadcast title: Correspondent: Letter to America. (45 minutes)
#33500 The Story of Nanook (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
In 1920, explorer Robert Flaherty arrived on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay to film a year in the life of an Inuit hunter. This is the story of the making of the world's first documentary, Nanook of the North-and of the Inuit people who would become the stars of it. Clips from Nanook are interspersed with dramatizations in which Adamie Inukpuk, Nanook's great-grandson, plays the famed hunter. Flaherty's life among the Inuit is also dramatized, capturing in great detail the near-impossible feat of filming and printing a movie in the Canadian North of that time period. Passages from Flaherty's diary are also included. (50 minutes)
#34223 The Balancing Act: Security and Liberty Post-9/11 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
CNN journalist Frank Sesno moderates this energetic and informative program exploring the post-9/11 relationship between security and personal freedom in America. Seven distinguished panelists-including USA PATRIOT Act author Viet Dinh, bioterrorism specialist Margaret Hamburg, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government professor Juliette Kayyem-confront scenarios involving hypothetical attacks on American soil. Their discussions examine such critical issues as indefinite detainment, the rights of Arab-Americans, the relevance of the Freedom of Information Act, and varying interpretations of USA PATRIOT Act Section 215. (58 minutes)
#35067 When Journalism Gets a Black Eye: Scandals and the Fourth Estate (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
What are the long-term effects of journalism scandals? When the public's trust is damaged, what can the Fourth Estate do to repair it? And how is technology affecting journalism in the 21st century? To speak to those points, this ABC News program turns to recent cases such as the notorious 60 Minutes Wednesday incident involving George W. Bush's national guard record. Two related journalistic issues are also discussed: the growing influence of new media (it was a blog that first questioned the authenticity of the anti-Bush documents) and the opportunism of right-wing media, which accused CBS of pursuing a political agenda in reporting such a story at the height of the 2004 presidential campaign. (22 minutes)
#36207 Eugene J. McCarthy: Muses and Mementos (Run Time 44 min.) DVD $129.95
Congressman, senator, presidential candidate, and author-Eugene McCarthy was all of these, and one of the most progressive public figures of the twentieth century as well. This program offers a fascinating glimpse into the Senator's life, personality, and thinking. In interviews recorded during the last decade of his life, McCarthy muses on a wide range of subjects-from his early years in Minnesota to his experiences as the most prominent antiwar leader of the Vietnam era. The program blends rarely seen archival footage with McCarthy's wry observations, revealing the wit and intellect that set him apart from so many of his fellow politicians. (44 minutes)
#36286 The Heart of Bassett Place: W. Gertrude Brown and the Wheatley House (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
In the early 20th century, community centers called settlement houses were established across America. This documentary relates the history of one such facility-the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House, known in its time as "the greatest settlement house in the U.S. for Negroes." The program profiles its first director, W. Gertrude Brown, who touched the lives of generations of African-Americans, and describes life at the Minneapolis center. The history of 20th-century African American culture is paralleled, since many social and artistic leaders-including Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, and W. E. B. Dubois-called the Wheatley House their second home. (47 minutes)
#36396 The 1787 Constitutional Convention, Day by Day-Part 1 (Run Time min.) DVD $129.95
Composed of 30 video reports (2:35 each), this program covers the Constitutional Convention of 1787 from May 21st, just before its start, through July 25th, when the delegates tried-unsuccessfully-to decide how a President should be elected. "We seem to be entirely at a loss!" said Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts. It was the only thing they could agree upon that day. Segments include... • May 21st: The Problems of 1787 • May 22nd: The Necessity of the Convention and of George Washington • May 23rd: Difficulties: Getting to Philadelphia and Solving the Nation's Problems • May 25th: George Washington: President of the Convention • May 28th: Secrecy • May 29th: The Virginians and Their Plan • May 30th: The Virginia Plan: A National Government • May 31st: Disagreements about Democracy: Can the People Be Trusted? • June 1st: What Kind of Executive? • June 4th: A Single Chief Executive? How Much Should He Be Paid? • June 6th: Electing Representatives: Can the People Be Trusted? • June 7th: Electing Senators: Let State Legislatures Decide • June 11th: Slavery and Representation in Congress • June 15th/16th: A Small State Perspective: The New Jersey Plan • June 20th: Opposition to the Virginia Plan • June 22nd: Pay and Qualifications for Congress • June 27th: Luther Martin and the Small States • June 29th/30th: Perspectives on Power: Large States and Small States • July 2nd: A Vote on Representation: Large States and Small States • July 5th: Compromise or Fail: Large States and Small States • July 10th: Small States and the Possibility of Compromise • July 11th: Slavery and Representation • July 12th: The Three-Fifths Compromise • July 13th/14th: Population, Power, and the West • July 16th: The Great Compromise • July 17th: James Madison, His Notes, and Secrecy • July 18th: A Republican Government in the Context of 1787 • July 19th: What Kind of Executive? • July 20th: Impeachment of the President • July 25th: Selecting a President (78 minutes)
#36397 The 1787 Constitutional Convention, Day by Day-Part 2 (Run Time min.) DVD $129.95
This program comprising 30 video reports (2:35 each) tracks the Constitutional Convention of 1787 from July 26th to its close on September 17th, which found the 38 signers still trying to persuade the three dissenters to make the document unanimous. The rest, as they say, is history. Segments include... • July 26th: The President: Requirements and Terms of Office • July 30th: One Nation or Several States? • August 1st: The West: Land-Owning and Speculation among the Delegates • August 2nd: Women and Their Status in 1787 • August 7th: Electing Members of the House: Who Should Vote? • August 8th: Gouverneur Morris on Slavery and Morality • August 9th: Should Foreigners Serve in Congress? • August 10th: Wealth and Service • August 13th: The Power to Tax • August 14th: Power, Ambition, and Corruption • August 17th: War: Who Can Start or Stop it? • August 20th: Religious Freedom and Religious Qualifications • August 21st: Providing for the National Defense • August 22nd: Arguments about Slavery and the Slave Trade • August 23rd: George Mason on Civic Virtue and Self-Interest • August 24th: The Slave Trade and the Proposed Constitution • August 27th: The Judiciary • August 29th: Issues in the Territories and Adding New States • August 30th: Religion and the Proposed Constitution: Religious Tests Not a Qualification for Office • August 31st: Ratification of the Proposed Constitution • September 1st: Elbridge Gerry • September 3rd: The Constitution and the People: Is this One Country? • September 4th: American Indians and the Proposed Constitution • September 5th: The Electoral College • September 6th: Power and the Presidency • September 10th: Amending the Constitution • September 13th: Debating a Bill of Rights • September 14th: Constitutions and Constitution-Making • September 15th: The Constitution Is Approved; Three Refuse to Sign • September 17th: Unanimity Not Possible; Benjamin Franklin Has the Last Word (78 minutes)
#36398 Themes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention-Part 1 (Run Time min.) DVD $129.95
A thematic study of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 opens important avenues of discussion on topics related to the Convention itself and the Framers, the workings of the U.S. government, and life in America. This program uses 38 video clips (2:35 each) to explore the following themes, some of which are still relevant today: The Context/Setting of 1787, The Delegates, The Virginia and New Jersey Plans, The Executive Branch, The Legislative Branch, The Judicial Branch, and Slavery. (104 minutes)
#36651 Themes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention-Part 2 (Run Time min.) DVD $129.95
Not all of the issues and questions raised at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were answered during those heady few months. Indeed, some are still unresolved to this day. This program uses 38 video clips (2:35 each) to explore the following themes: Democracy, Representative Government, and the People; Large States and Small; Making a Constitution; American Indians and the West; National Powers: War, Taxes, and the National Defense; Religion and the Constitution; and Federal or National? (104 minutes)
#37441 Bill Moyers Journal: Maxine Hong Kingston on Peace and War (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
For 15 years, National Humanities Medalist Maxine Hong Kingston has been working with veterans-soldiers from World War II, from Vietnam, and now, from Iraq-to convert the ghosts of war into the poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that Kingston believes will help them survive. In this program, Bill Moyers speaks with Kingston about her book Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace, an anthology called "powerful and finely written" by the Chicago Tribune. This timely work is the distilled wisdom of warriors and their loved ones expressing themselves with breathtaking artistry and truth. Broadcast date: May 25, 2007. (58 minutes)
#8043 Contemporary Political Campaigns (Run Time min.) DVD $139.90
This series takes a look at how the process of running for public office has changed since the founding fathers established election practices and asks whether or not democratic ideals are be served under the current system.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#1266 Mississippi Summer (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
In the summer of 1964, hundreds of northern white and black students traveled to Mississippi to help blacks register to vote. The summer touched off a ground swell of marches and demonstrations that gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement. This Emmy-winning documentary shows some of the events leading up to that summer-the 1954 Supreme Court ruling on the integration of public schools; President Eisenhower's use of troops to enforce that ruling; passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957; the effort to keep James Meredith out of the University of Mississippi; the assassination of Medgar Evers; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and the discovery of the bodies of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman. The program combines documentary footage and interviews with some of the participants. (58 minutes)
#1691 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: The Making of a Holiday (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
Paying lip service to Dr. King's message is one thing, creating a national holiday is quite another. This is the story of how Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, birthday became a national holiday-of the unrelenting drive of his widow, Coretta Scott King, to carry on his work; of politicians (especially Representative John Conyers, Jr.) determined to memorialize Dr. King and offer hope as the alternative to black rage at his assassination; of the ultimately silly arguments against the holiday (such as the economic cost of lost man-hours of work). Rare documentary footage and interviews follow the chronology of events, while the participation of Stevie Wonder, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross, and host LeVar Burton provides the program with genuine celebration. From King's "I Have a Dream" speech to Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday, Martin," this is an engaging look at the making of a holiday. (28 minutes)
#3096 Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $149.95
Luis Valdez is the celebrated founder of the Teatro Campesino, the West Coast theatrical group that has given voice to the struggles of Chicano farm workers. As a child, Valdez picked fruit alongside his father in California's fertile valleys. In this program, he describes how he overcame the handicaps of migrant life to become a playwright and director, and explains how his plays retrace the experiences of Chicano families as they contend with the adversities of rural life or the equally squalid and deprived circumstances of life in the city. (26 minutes)
#3201 Latino Employment and Unemployment (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
The traditional U.S. immigrant story is one of hard work and reward. This program looks at how Latinos often try and fail to live out that tradition: where they work and what they are paid, the income differential and unemployment rates between Latinos and others, the prominence of Latinos in unions; it examines the institutional roadblocks and personal obstacles that prevent Latino entry into the workforce; and it uses the Rio Grande Valley as a case study of the human toll of under- and unemployment. (28 minutes)
#3202 Biculturalism and Acculturation Among Latinos (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
Many Latinos struggle with pressures to reclaim and reaffirm their heritage while simultaneously facing pressures to assimilate into the dominant American culture. This program examines the question of what part of their culture Latinos feel they should keep and what to leave behind, explores some commonly held beliefs and misperceptions about who Latinos are today in the U.S., and probes the relationship of ethnic identity to entrepreneurial success in the changing mosaic of the American marketplace. (28 minutes)
#3204 Homelessness Among Hispanics (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
This program looks at homelessness among Hispanics in San Francisco, in San Antonio's largely Chicano Westside, and at the colonias-the illegal subdivisions-that dot the Texas-Mexico border; it looks as well at the efforts by Hispanics to avail themselves of services, and how they fail or succeed. (28 minutes)
#3206 W. Averell Harriman (Run Time 14 min.) DVD $149.95
The 20th century could not have happened without him, quipped John F. Kennedy-and he was not totally in jest. Born to great wealth and raised to the obligations of privilege, Harriman learned management in the family business-they owned the Union Pacific Railroad-and then continued to spend the rest of his life in the public sector: as Franklin D. Roosevelt's representative, then Harry Truman's, then Kennedy's and Johnson's; overseeing aid to Britain before the U.S. entered World War II and the Marshall Plan post-war; as ambassador to the Soviet Union and Great Britain... He was everywhere when it counted, knew everyone, unwavering in his view of the evils of communism but always willing to negotiate with anyone on behalf of peace. Aptly subtitled "Man of the World," this program was produced for the Library of Congress and narrated by Walter Cronkite. (14 minutes)
#3391 Spanish-Speakers and Bilingualism (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines the different kinds of Spanish spoken in the U.S. and their relationship to the Spanish of San Juan or the Dominican Republic, as well as the evolution of Spanish in the U.S. and the ways it is being used by many second- and third-generation Americans. In Texas, where Spanish has been spoken much longer than English, bilingualism is common; a linguistics expert, a radio announcer, and a poet are interviewed on the phenomenon of "code-switching," the interchangeable use of English and Spanish by bilinguals in South Texas. (19 minutes)
#4046 Human Guinea Pigs: Secret Drug Tests on American Soldiers (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
Thousands of American soldiers were secretly used as human guinea pigs in tests with LSD and other drugs-tests for which the men volunteered, but without being told what they were taking or what the dangers and after-effects might be. This program tells the incredible story, including exclusive footage shot by the Army during the '50s and '60s of how soldiers and animals performed under the influence of a range of drugs. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of various dosage levels of nerve agents and chemical compounds-how much of what would incapacitate and how much would kill, how troops could defend themselves. This was at the height of the Cold War, and tests on animals were not conclusive. So the Army switched to humans in tests which the Supreme Court would later compare with the Nazi experiments of World War II. (58 minutes)
#4278 Dancing in Moccasins: Keeping Native American Traditions Alive (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
For the nearly two million Native Americans, representing 500 Indian nations, life in the U.S. today is a frustrating struggle to retain their ancient ways while functioning in the modern world, to carve out an identity in an overwhelmingly non-Indian culture. This program examines the needs and problems of today's Native Americans, both those who live on the reservation and those who have chosen the mainstream. The conclusion focuses on celebration and survival as reflected in the continuing tradition of the Powwow. (49 minutes)
#4590 To Be Old, Black, and Poor (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
This is a gritty and painfully real exposition of what it means to be black, poor, and elderly in the U.S. The film crew documents the life of Leonard and Sarah Bass on and off for six months, recording their struggle to survive, watching as well-meaning neighbors and opportunists come and go.(52 minutes)
#6315 Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Legacy (Run Time 78 min.) DVD $149.95
This program provides an intimate portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr., profiling his life as a civil rights leader, and assessing the extent to which his dream of racial equality has been realized today. The program reveals King's character and retraces his historic campaigns, using rare archival footage and extracts from his momentous speeches, and recollections of friends and key figures in the civil rights movement, including Andrew Young and Ralph Abernathy. The program not only charts the successes of the civil rights movement in securing black rights, but takes a bleak look at its failures: continuing poverty, unemployment, race hatred, and crime in the inner city. What emerges most from the program, though, is that King's prophesies were uncannily accurate and that his solutions are still profoundly relevant today. (78 minutes)
#9200 444 Days: The Iran Hostage Crisis (Run Time 103 min.) DVD $149.95
In the words of the U.S. Embassy Communications Officer, being held hostage "was like being raped." Drawing on archival footage-including previously unreleased film from Iran-and candid interviews with the American hostages and their Iranian captors, this riveting program presents a balanced look at the harrowing details of the 14-month standoff that brought radical Islam to world prominence and forever altered America's attitude towards the Middle East. Additional interviews with religious leaders, top-level politicians, military personnel, and others flesh out a story of uncertainty, frustration, and hardship for all involved, which was only resolved with the belated release of the hostages in 1981. (1 hour 43 minutes)
#11366 Latin Beat: Latino Culture in the United States (Run Time 118 min.) DVD $149.95
Drawing on interviews with more than fifty major personalities from a broad cross-section of disciplines, this tour de force both analyzes and celebrates the growing influence of Latino culture in the U.S. Featured guests include artist Andres Serrano, poet Pedro Pietri, composer Luis Dias, dancer Paloma Herrera, actor Guillermo Diaz, fashion designer Willey Esco, photographer Mariluz Gordillo, radio host Paco de Radio Mega, TV producer Gamelier de Jesus, Newsweek editor Veronica Chambers, and Washington Post journalist Jaime Manrique, who share their personal and professional experiences of being of Latino descent in America today. (Mostly Spanish with English subtitles, 2 hours)
#11792 The Life and Legend of Sojourner Truth (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
As with many historic American figures of the 19th century, Sojourner Truth's story is incomplete and somewhat mythical, a fact compounded by her having been born a slave. This detailed program traces the lifelong odyssey of a woman who literally walked out of bondage, changed her name in 1843, and traveled the country as an abolitionist and women's rights advocate. Along the way she would meet Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln and be further cast into fable by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Interviews with scholars and dramatic readings from Truth's speeches and autobiography conjure more clearly a picture of this truly heroic woman. (57 minutes)
#14441 Voting Rights Amendments (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
The series includes: Amendments 15 and 24 (Rights of Citizens to Vote/Poll Tax), 17 (Direct Election of U.S. Senators), 19 (Suffrage for Women), 23 (Voting Rights for D.C. Citizens), 26 (Minimum Voting Age). Programs range from 7 to 10 minutes. A Cambridge Educational Production. Five videos, 41 minutes total.
#30055 Abraham Lincoln: A New Birth of Freedom (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
When Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, he set in motion a process of emancipation that is still unfolding today. This classic program-filled with location footage, archival photos, and excerpts from speeches, diaries, letters, and newspapers-documents Lincoln's life while emphasizing his contributions to the struggle for racial equality. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Leon Litwack; Lincoln scholars Jean Baker, Harold Holzer, and Charles Strozier; civil rights activist Eleanor Holmes Norton; former New York Governor Mario Cuomo; and many others offer their perspectives both on Lincoln and on the issues that divided the nation during the Civil War era and, a century later, the Civil Rights era. (60 minutes)
#30750 The Wind of Change: The End of Colonialism in Africa (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
This program seeks to understand nationalism in black Africa through the experiences of the Gold Coast, French Guinea, and the Belgian Congo, the first colonies of Britain, France, and Belgium to win independence after World War II. The devastating effects of Cold War sparring by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in these regions are assessed, with a special focus on the tragedy in the former Belgian Congo. Commentary by Francois Lumumba; Francois Nkrumah; UN dignitary Sir Brian Urquhart; former ministers from the Kwame Nkrumah and Ahmed Sekou Toure governments; historians Mahmood Mamdani and Jean Fremigacci; and authors William Blum and Keith Kyle is featured. (57 minutes)
#30751 Cambodia's Killing Fields (Run Time 56 min.) DVD $149.95
This program scrutinizes U.S. violence against technically neutral Cambodia during the Vietnam War, attacks carried out in an effort to deny a haven for communist forces. The decade of upheaval that followed what has been called the low point in American diplomacy is also addressed, as an allegedly U.S.-backed coup drove Norodom Sihanouk into the arms of China and opened the door to the ruthless Khmer Rouge. Commentary by Emory "Coby" Swank and Noel Deschamps, former U.S. and Australian ambassadors to Cambodia; David Whipple, CIA station head in Cambodia; Lao Mong Hay, of the Khmer Institute of Democracy; and historian Stephen Heder is featured. (57 minutes)
#30929 Stories from the Mines: How Immigrant Miners Changed America (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
The first decades of the 20th century saw the rise of America to superpower status-an ascendancy fueled in large measure by the social and industrial impact of anthracite coal mining in northeastern Pennsylvania. This meticulously researched program uses location footage, archival film, period photos, dramatizations, and academic commentary to examine the coming-of-age of American labor. The agitation and violent suppression that so characterized the times are vividly captured, as are the era's larger-than-life personalities. Precedents including wage and child labor laws and the right to collective bargaining are set against the stark backdrop of immigrant miners savagely exploited by laissez-faire industrialists. (57 minutes)
#32373 World of Ideas: Howard Zinn (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
Howard Zinn-distinguished historian, professor emeritus at Boston University, and author of A People's History of the United States, a long-standing touchstone of dissident thought in America-has lived a politically engaged life ever since his return from World War II after serving as a bombardier. In this program, the distinguished elder statesman of antiwar activism talks with Bill Moyers about a number of topics, including America's war on terror and his new book, Terrorism and War. (55 minutes)
#32480 Tempting Faith: Is Charitable Choice Working? (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
The implementation of the 1996 welfare reform act's Charitable Choice provision has proved controversial in the extreme. In this program, supporters and opponents alike give a clear sense of what is at stake as they examine the application of Charitable Choice in Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina-states with distinctly different political cultures and religious landscapes. These academic, religious, legal, and human services experts debate the pros and cons of faith-based/public partnerships as they shine the light of inquiry into the widening gray zone between church and state. (57 minutes)
#33461 France-America's Friend? The de Gaulle Years (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
The war in Iraq is not the first time that the U.S. has been at loggerheads with its mercurial ally France. This program presents a vivid account of an earlier troubled phase in Franco-American relations: the critical years from 1961 to 1969. Drawing on recently declassified archival materials as well as on eyewitness accounts from the advisors, colleagues, and ministers of Charles de Gaulle, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, the program depicts JFK's historical visit to France, his discovery of a famously difficult ally in de Gaulle, and the ambiguous relationship that developed between the two countries in the years to come. (58 minutes)
#33511 Seasons of a Navajo (Run Time 59 min.) DVD $149.95
This classic anthropological study of a traditional Navajo family, the Neboyias, examines their lifestyle through the four seasons as they travel to each of their hogans-planting, sheepherding, harvesting, and weaving. The documentarist's style is natural and unobtrusive, allowing viewers to share in the Navajo world vision. Filmed in the Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and Window Rock areas of Arizona. Portions are in Navajo with English subtitles. (60 minutes)
#34161 LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton (Run Time 90 min.) DVD $149.95
For generations, the legacy of the cotton industry for African-Americans in the Mississippi Delta has been hardscrabble poverty and virtual illiteracy. This compelling program focuses on the family unit in crisis and the urgent need for education reform through the stories of two remarkable individuals. LaLee Wallace, a former cotton picker retired on disability, is a great-grandmother struggling to support and encourage her family, while Reggie Barnes, a crusading superintendent, strives to save the failing West Tallahatchie school system from takeover by the state. Can the economic decline and erosion of human dignity that have come to characterize the region be reversed? An HBO Production. (90 minutes)
#35151 John Marshall: Citizen, Statesman, Jurist (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
The size and shape of American government is due in no small part to Chief Justice John Marshall. This biography focuses on his contribution to the status of the Supreme Court, his implementation of judicial review, and his advocacy of strong central authority for the protection of the new nation and its ideals. Outlining Marshall's youth on the Virginia frontier, the program describes his service in Washington's army, his early law career, and his eventual appointment to Chief Justice. Discussions of major Marshall decisions, including Marbury v. Madison, Worcester v. Georgia, and Boyce v. Anderson, clearly demonstrate his progressive leanings. (57 minutes)
#35761 The Appalachians: The First Frontier (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines the first waves of settlement in the Appalachian mountains, beginning with the region's earliest inhabitants-the Cherokee people and other Native American tribes. Illustrating how these indigenous populations were eventually overwhelmed by the arrival of Europeans, the video focuses on the influx of Scots-Irish immigrants, their crucial role in the American Revolution, and their equally defiant stance against the fledgling U.S. government during the Whiskey Rebellion. The Appalachian origins of country music are also examined, with particular attention to the influences of African-American and revivalist religious culture. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (53 minutes)
#35763 The Appalachians: A Culture of Survival (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines the 20th-century history of Appalachia through the prisms of economic hardship, spiritual perseverance, and the region's rich musical heritage. Showcasing the power of the traditional string band, the video chronicles the rise of modern country music by way of the radio and phonograph. It also highlights the resonance of long-standing church traditions and documents the Appalachian experience in connection with major historical events and forces: the Great Depression, the New Deal, the WPA, the Tennessee Valley Authority, World War II, strip mining, the postwar migration of mountain people to the mid-West, and LBJ's War on Poverty. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (53 minutes)
#36406 Out of Control: AIDS in Black America (Run Time 41 min.) DVD $149.95
With the final investigative work of journalist Peter Jennings as its cornerstone, this program studies the frightening rise of AIDS among African-Americans-a trend that has been developing for several years, but which has gone largely unnoticed outside the black community. Jennings' contribution to the program is a candid group discussion he conducted with HIV-positive African-American men in Atlanta. In addition to that eye-opening conversation, the program also features talks between anchor Terry Moran and various black leaders-including the Reverends Jesse Jackson, Calvin Butts, and T. D. Jakes-and frank input from several African-American women. (41 minutes)
#36983 Out West: Beyond the Myth (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
Outside the boundaries of America's collective folk imagination and underlying the sweeping narrative of U.S. history lies the lived experience of the nation's westward pioneers. Without exaggeration or embellishment, this captivating documentary focuses on the lives of the common people who headed West between the early 1860s and the turn of the 20th century. Accounts of personal challenges and hardships, interwoven with larger stories of progress and warfare, create a vivid narrative that presents the expansion of America through the eyes of those who won the West at the expense of the land's indigenous peoples. By demythologizing America's Manifest Destiny, Out West will doubtlessly alter many previously unquestioned beliefs. (57 minutes)
#37442 Bill Moyers Journal: D-Day Revisited (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
On D-Day, Allied troops stormed ashore at Normandy under withering fire. The stakes were high-and so were the losses. This special episode of Bill Moyers Journal accompanies a small group of World War II veterans back to the beachheads and battlefields of France to speak about their wartime experiences-some of them giving voice to memories they had held in silence for nearly half a century. Featuring excerpts from Bill Moyers' perennially popular documentary From D-Day to the Rhine, D-Day Revisited includes updates on the men originally interviewed in the film. Broadcast date: May 27, 2007. As a bonus feature, From D-Day to the Rhine is included in its entirety (DVD only). (58 minutes + 87 minutes of bonus material)
#37579 Judicial Opinions: The Supreme Court Justices (Run Time 68 min.) DVD $149.95
With every ruling, the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court shape the judicial landscape of America-and the lives of its citizens. In this NewsHour program, Robert MacNeil and other esteemed journalists take a close look at several renowned jurists and their decisions. Episodes include... • Remembering Harry Blackmun: Robert MacNeil considers the Blackmun legacy with Kathleen Sullivan, professor of law at Stanford University; Harvard University's Charles Fried; Stuart Taylor, correspondent for The American Lawyer magazine; and Yale University's Harold Koh, a former law clerk for Justice Blackmun on the Supreme Court. • Gergen Dialogue-William Rehnquist and Civil Liberties in Wartime: David Gergen, editor-at-large of U.S. News & World Report, talks with Chief Justice William Rehnquist about his book All the Laws but One: Civil Liberties in Wartime. • Sandra Day O'Connor-The Early Years: Gwen Ifill and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor reflect on O'Connor's formative years growing up on the family cattle ranch as they discuss her autobiography Lazy B. • Conversation-Sandra Day O'Connor and the Majesty of Law: Jan Crawford Greenburg, Supreme Court reporter for the Chicago Tribune, talks with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor about women in the legal profession, major court decisions, and her book The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice. • Conversation-Stephen Breyer and Active Liberty: Chicago Tribune national legal affairs correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg talks with Justice Stephen Breyer about his judicial philosophy, changes in the court since Chief Justice John Roberts' arrival, and his book Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution. • Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer on Judicial Independence: Gwen Ifill is joined by former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Stephen Breyer, who air their views on the vital importance of an independent judiciary-and their concerns about threats to it. (67 minutes)
#37627 Bill Moyers Journal: Impeachment of a President (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
In the wake of President Bush's commutation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence, talk of impeachment is gaining steam: an opinion poll says that nearly half of all Americans favor impeachment of the President, and more than half believe Vice President Cheney should be impeached as well. Bill Moyers gets perspective from constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who wrote the first article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, and The Nation's John Nichols, author of The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism. A Bill Moyers essay on war is also included. Broadcast dates: July 13, 2007, and August 10, 2007. (58 minutes)
#39092 Separate and Unequal (Run Time 45 min.) DVD $149.95
In Jackson, Mississippi-a city only grazed by Hurricane Katrina-thousands of African-Americans face conditions familiar to the people of New Orleans. This NBC News documentary looks at problems that persist in Jackson and other American cities, despite progress, decades after the civil rights movement. Following several students at an inner city Jackson high school over the course of an academic year, the program demonstrates how drugs, poverty, teen pregnancy, and the absence of a father shape the lives of many young black people. Parents, educators, Jackson's mayor, and wealthy African-Americans are also interviewed about the difficulties in their community. In addition, the film explores ways in which whites have or have not helped. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (45 minutes)
#39152 White Light, Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $149.95
In an era of dirty bombs and nuke-hungry rogue nations, images of the horror visited upon Japanese cities at the end of World War II serve as reminders of humanity's ongoing gamble. This program presents numerous eyewitness accounts from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks, creating an on-the-ground picture of the world's first-and hopefully last-instance of nuclear warfare. Interviewees include Kiyoko Imori, the only survivor from her obliterated elementary school, and Sakue Shimohira, who recalls choosing at age ten between "the courage to die and the courage to live." U.S. servicemen who carried out the bombing missions, such as Enola Gay navigator Theodore Van Kirk and weapons test officer Morris Jeppson, are also featured. An HBO Production. (87 minutes)
#39327 Bill Moyers Journal: February 15, 2008 (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
What are the implications of the United States' $9 trillion federal debt for future generations of Americans? In this program, Bill Moyers gets a reality check from PublicAgenda.org's Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson, coauthors of Where Does the Money Go? Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis. In addition, Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, talks about the crisis of ignorance in the U.S. and how a "flight from reason" is playing out in American politics and society. The program concludes with photojournalist Lori Grinker, who takes viewers to Amman, Jordan, for a devastating look at the fate of displaced Iraqis. Broadcast date: February 15, 2008. (57 minutes)
#8095 Milestone Documents (Run Time min.) DVD $159.90
This two-part series closely examines both the events that led to the creation of the Constitution and the modern-day relevance of the Bill of Rights, placing each document in the context of the American political tradition. A Cambridge Educational Production. 2-part series, 30 minutes each.
#3195 The Road to War: American Decision-Making During the Gulf Crisis (Run Time 147 min.) DVD $159.95
This unprecedented historical retrospective provides an inside look at how the U.S. responded to the Gulf crisis, how America's leaders evaluated data and options, how decisions were made and policies implemented, and how the crisis was managed on a day-to-day basis-in short, the steps that led to war and thence to the cease-fire. The participants include James Baker, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and most of the other members of President Bush's "war cabinet" as well as the sub-cabinet officials who played central roles in the political, diplomatic, and military aspects of the war. We know of no comparable instance in which so many top-level officials have come together to discuss openly an event of such historic proportions. What this program presents is the firsthand recollections, very shortly after the events took place, of the decision-makers responsible for taking the U.S. into and out of war. Produced under the auspices of the American Enterprise Institute. (2 hours 27 minutes)
#5864 Flight to Freedom: The Underground Railroad (Run Time 109 min.) DVD $159.95
Between 1790 and 1860, thousands of slaves fled the South for liberation on the "Underground Railroad," a system of invisible tracks and anonymous conductors who gave shelter to fugitive slaves. Through interviews with national experts, and examination of archival records and artifacts, this program provides an overview of the underground movement. In addition to interviews with descendants of slaves, conductors, and abolitionists, the program includes examples of spirituals sung by slaves as part of the "code" system, and visits homes that were used as shelters. The program highlights Rochester, NY, which was at the heart of the railroad, where passengers were hidden by Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, and many others. (109 minutes)
#38967 Little Rock Central High: 50 Years Later (Run Time 72 min.) DVD $159.95
A watershed moment in the civil rights movement occurred when federal troops enforced Brown v. Board of Education at Little Rock Central High School. What is Little Rock's legacy a half century later? This program follows the lives of present-day Little Rock students, teachers, and administrators over the course of a year-going inside classrooms, observing assemblies, and visiting students' homes. Exposing the widely varying concerns and academic goals of black and white students, the film presents an unflinching view of the de facto segregation-all too visible in the racial makeup of Little Rock's Advanced Placement classes-that still plagues many American schools. As one educator observes, Little Rock is "two schools in one." An HBO Production. (71 minutes)
#39400 Bill Moyers Journal: Body of War (Run Time min.) DVD $169.95
As the Iraq War enters its sixth year, American military casualties have reached approximately 34,000 dead and wounded. "But numbers aren't personal," says Bill Moyers. "The only way truly to understand the human cost of this war is to know someone who is bearing it." In this edition of the Journal, Moyers interviews iconic talk show host Phil Donahue and award-winning documentarian Ellen Spiro on their film Body of War, an intimate portrait of Tomas Young-a young man who joined the Army to fight in Afghanistan, was deployed instead to Iraq, and was shot and paralyzed from the mid-chest down on his fifth day in-country. Extensive excerpts from the documentary are included. Broadcast dates: March 21, 2008; May 30, 2008; and July 4, 2008. (56 minutes)
#31326 Gold Mountain Dreams (Run Time 89 min.) DVD $179.95
In the 1840s, civil war and famine in southern China drove thousands of young men to seek their fortune in the California Gold Rush. This program traces the Chinese experience in America, from their welcome in San Francisco as "celestial men of commerce," through the Gold Rush and building of the Transcontinental Railroad, to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banning their entry into this country. This program rediscovers the often-overlooked role of the Chinese and tells their stories through the lives of individuals using photos, artifacts, and interviews with descendants and historians. (89 minutes)
#31328 No Turning Back (Run Time 88 min.) DVD $179.95
The new immigration laws of 1965 were a turning point for the Chinese in America and allowed a new wave of immigrants to enter the country. Chinese American life has flourished in the years since. Narrated by Bill Moyers, this program presents intimate portraits of the new Chinese Americans who face a struggle common to so many immigrants: to reconcile some losses of their old culture in order to embrace their adopted American one. (88 minutes)
#8099 Amendments 1-10: The Bill of Rights (Run Time min.) DVD $239.65
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production. One video each.
#14442 Branches of Government (Run Time min.) DVD $239.85
This series describes the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of American government and how they interact in a system of checks and balances.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#8333 Destiny of Empires: The Spanish-American War of 1898 (Run Time min.) DVD $259.90
This two-part series explores the causes, characters, and political consequences of this epic event in world history. 50-52 minutes each.
#10373 Savagery and the American Indian (Run Time 100 min.) DVD $259.90
When the massacre at Wounded Knee succeeded in finally closing America's western frontier, it also closed the book on nearly 300 years of hostilities and atrocities against America's original inhabitants. This classic two-part series uses expert analysis, reenactments, maps, period illustrations, and archival photos and film to document the history of the conquest of the U.S. from a Native American point of view-and the cultural persecution that has persisted since the guns and bugles fell silent. 2-part series, 50 minutes each.
#11894 Americano as Apple Pie: The Latino Experience in America (Run Time min.) DVD $259.90
This informative series looks at a variety of issues concerning the Latino cultures in America, including the size and history of different Hispanic populations and the effects of current U.S. immigration laws. The programs examine Latino identity in both thriving urban neighborhoods and isolated rural towns and feature a host of prominent figures in the greater Hispanic community. 2-part series, 30 minutes each.
#6184 The State Legislature: Lawmaking, Lawmakers, and the Law (Run Time min.) DVD $269.85
This series explores state legislatures in the United States. At state capitols across the country we meet legislators, observe the process of making laws, and see firsthand how these laws shape our lives. 3-part series.
#10023 Politics as Usual? (Run Time min.) DVD $269.85
In the United States, political conduct continues to set new lows for decorum, special interest groups still help pave the road to office with dollars, and Capitol Hill seems as remote as King Arthur's Court. What can be done to restore dignity, integrity, and efficiency to the political scene? This incisive three-part series addresses the current state of American politics, warts and all. 3-part series, 29 minutes each.
#10133 The People and the Power Game (Run Time 160 min.) DVD $269.85
Has the American political process been hijacked by media pundits, lobbyists, and leadership blinded by narrow ideologies? In this eye-opening three-part series, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith takes on the White House, Congress, the media, and the special interest lobbies to investigate America's political gridlock. Studded with high-profile interviews and exclusive footage, each program focuses on the agendas and the infighting that have made the Washington power game a study in frustration. Smith's book, The Power Game: How Washington Works, is required reading on modern U.S. politics on many campuses. 3-part series.
#36175 The Amendments to the Constitution: Bill of Rights and Beyond (Run Time min.) DVD $269.85
Much of the success of the U.S. Constitution can be attributed to the way the document has changed to meet the needs of the American people. Since 1787, 27 proposed amendments have been ratified, and they tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. This comprehensive three-part series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A Cambridge Educational Production. Recommended for middle school through college. 3-part series, 48-69 minutes each.
#36395 Moyers: Report from Philadelphia (Run Time min.) DVD $295.95
At last, the federal convention has begun! Eleven days late, in the middle of a downpour, a quorum of 29 delegates from seven states are finally getting down to business in Philadelphia... This is the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and Emmy award-winning journalist Bill Moyers is reporting the story. Filmed at Independence Hall and filled with historical images and passages from the diaries, letters, and records of the Framers themselves, this four-part series is an indispensable tool for teaching the Constitution. All 60 clips (2:35 each), derived from the popular Moyers: Report from Philadelphia PBS television series, are configured expressly for use in the classroom and lecture hall. The 1787 Constitutional Convention, Day by Day, Parts 1 and 2 chronologically present the events and issues that shaped the convention, enabling viewers to follow the action as it unfolded. Themes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Parts 1 and 2 rearrange the clips from the Day by Day programs into groupings that take a thematic approach to the doings of that momentous period. And throughout this chronicle of political statesmanship are fascinating insights into what it was like to live in colonial times, when travel from New York to Philadelphia took three long days and rain could turn city streets to rivers of mud. These 60 reports bring to life the dramatic and often frustrating process through which the Framers-men of high principles, complex motives, fierce ambitions, hot tempers, and uneven talents-reasoned and argued a nation into being. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. 4-part series, 78-104 minutes each.
#35207 Great Museums-for Social Studies (Run Time min.) DVD $299.70
Take your class to six of America's finest museums with this outstanding series that honors people and values, events and artifacts, that have helped make this country what it is today. Ideal for social studies curriculums exploring U.S. history and culture. A viewable/printable educator's guide is available online. A part of the award-winning Great Museums series. 6-part series, 27 minutes each.
#6859 World of Ideas Anthology (Run Time min.) DVD $299.85
This series takes viewers on a thought-provoking journey across America with Bill Moyers, as scientists, artists, writers, philosophers, and historians speak their minds about issues concerning us all-from the state of the planet, to the state of democracy, to our own moral state as a nation. 3-part series, 80-91 minutes.
#36510 Becoming American: The Chinese Experience (Run Time min.) DVD $299.95
What does it mean to become American? What is lost and what is gained in the process? In interviews with historians, descendants, and recent immigrants, this powerful Bill Moyers series explores these questions through the dramatic experience of the Chinese in America. The DVD version of this series also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers and candid talks with prominent Chinese Americans. 3-parts, 122 minutes each.
#3889 The Oregon Trail (Run Time min.) DVD $359.80
In 1843, a wagon train that consisted of a thousand pioneers headed west along the Oregon Trail. This series of programs tells the story of these hardy men, women, and children, detailing their reasons for undertaking this 2,000-mile journey and the rigors they underwent in its course; showing the pristine western trail that remains today, with the same breathtaking vistas the pioneers beheld as they pushed westward; and explaining the historic role of the trail in spanning the country and uniting East and West. 4-part series, 26-30 minutes each.
#10466 Liberty and Limits (Run Time min.) DVD $359.80
The federalist idea is America's surest guarantee that the U.S. will remain a republic. Today, however, more than 200 years after The Federalist Papers were written, many Americans are dissatisfied with a federal government they feel has become bloated, intrusive, riven by factionalism, and enthralled by special interest groups. In this engaging series of Fred Friendly Seminars-hosted by Tim Russert, anchor of Meet the Press-prominent experts grapple with the perennial political issues that continually resurface in the news. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/federalist. 4-part series, 57 minutes each.
#8126 Amendments 11-27 (Run Time min.) DVD $389.35
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#30817 Foundations of Government S.M.A.R.T. Box (Run Time min.) DVD $399.95
Standards-based MediA Resource for Teachers • Correlated to the National Standards for Civics Education. • All-inclusive-in both content and media formats. • Step-by-step guide to walk you through the process. • Nothing could be easier to use! The Foundations of Government S.M.A.R.T. Box enables you to teach to the curriculum without having to spend your time searching for the right supporting materials. This all-inclusive resource covers the most fundamental components of American government, from the drafting of the Constitution to the separation of powers. It's based on national standards so you can be sure it meets your educational requirements. But what makes it most valuable is how easy it is to use. The teacher's guide will walk you through the process of incorporating these materials into an enriching and engaging learning experience. Nothing could be easier! Developed by Curriculum Media Group. Here's what's included: 6 Videos (on DVD-R or VHS) • The Making of the Constitution • The Bill of Rights: A Living Document • How a Bill Becomes a Law • The Executive Branch of Government • The Judicial Branch of Government • Amending the Constitution 3 CD-ROMs • The Lawmakers: An Interactive Look at the Legislative Branch • The Leaders: An Interactive Look at the Executive Branch • The Interpreters: An Interactive Look at the Judicial Branch 3 Posters (Laminated) • Legislative Branch (17" x 22") • Executive Branch (17" x 22") • Judicial Branch (17" x 22") Teacher's Guide • A Teacher's Guide with a curriculum map, lesson plans, educational standards, fast facts, program overviews, learning objectives, vocabulary terms, discussion questions, Web site resources, student activities, and a reading list Teacher's Resource Pack • A Teacher's Resource Pack of reproducible hand-outs that include student activities and a copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights One multimedia set.
#5702 Journal of the First Americans (Run Time min.) DVD $449.75
This series explores the experiences of Native Americans throughout North America today, including the difficult issues they face as they fight to hold on to their lands, their cultures, and their spirituality. 5-part series, 60 minutes each.
#8647 American Stories: The American Dream (Run Time min.) DVD $449.75
America has been a land of hope for millions of immigrants, in good times and bad. This five-part series, produced by Atlantic Productions and narrated by Peter Fonda, follows the fortunes of ten families over three generations in their quest for the "American Dream." By setting personal experiences in a historical context, these programs create a dramatic and controversial account of life in the U.S. between the end of World War I and the Clinton administration. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. 5-part series, 50 minutes each.
#30748 Playing the Game: 20th-Century American Foreign Policy (Run Time min.) DVD $449.85
Filmed in ten countries, this illuminating three-part retrospective takes an insightful look at watersheds in American foreign policy during World War II, the Vietnam War, and the years in between. Outstanding archival footage of key figures and events and commentary by renowned experts and eyewitnesses bring to life an era in world history that saw the U.S. move from isolationist idealism to expedient intervention in its efforts to bring an end to colonialism and defeat the forces of fascism and totalitarianism. 3-part series, 57 minutes each.
#1101 The West of the Imagination (Run Time min.) DVD $539.70
The sweeping story of the American West as seen through the eyes of its mythmakers and mythologizers. Written by William H. Goetzmann, winner of a Pulitzer Prize in American History. Hosted and narrated by James Whitmore. 6-part series, 57 minutes each.
#6918 Great American Speeches: 80 Years of Political Oratory (Run Time min.) DVD $539.70
This unique, six-part series places students of public speaking, American history, and political science front row, center at key speeches by the most eloquent orators of the 20th century. FDR, Huey Long, Generals MacArthur and Patton, and JFK share the podium with Barbara Jordan, Ronald Reagan, Mario Cuomo, Jesse Jackson, and others. Rare archival footage combined with insightful commentary from host Jody Powell puts each speech into historical perspective. Featured on History's Best on PBS. 6-part series, 39-53 minutes each.
#2974 Legends of the Indians (Run Time min.) DVD $559.60
These stories of various Indian nations are told and performed by Native Americans to rehearse and remember who they are and what they believe.8-part series, 26 minutes each.
#3417 More Legends of the Indians (Run Time min.) DVD $559.60
These stories of various Indian nations are told and performed by Native Americans to rehearse and remember who they are and what they believe.8-part series, 26 minutes each.
#31779 Becoming American: The Chinese Experience (Run Time min.) DVD $559.95
What does it mean to become American? What is lost and what is gained in the process? In interviews with historians, descendants, and recent immigrants, this powerful Bill Moyers series explores these questions through dramatic encounters of the Chinese in America. The larger themes of that experience are made movingly personal through candid conversations with author Gish Jen, Nobel prize-winning physicist Samuel Ting, AIDS researcher David Ho, business executive Shirley Young, and artist and architect Maya Lin. 6 hours total.
#8188 The Amendments to the Constitution: Bill of Rights and Beyond (Run Time min.) DVD $629.00
The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed amendments have been introduced in Congress. But in that time, only 27 of those proposed amendments have been ratified. These 27 amendments tell some of the most important stories in American political, social, and cultural history. They tell the story of the founding principles of the American nation, and how that nation has changed. This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation's courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution.A Cambridge Educational Production.
#3368 Destination America (Run Time min.) DVD $629.55
America's European immigrants came in search of a better way of life. These programs tell the stories of some of the ethnic groups who came from Europe, how hard they had to work to create and build the American dream-and how some of them eventually found it. 9-part series, 52 minutes each.
#7987 The Hispanic Americans (Run Time min.) DVD $629.65
In this 7-part series, hosted by actors Jimmy Smits and Hector Elizondo, dozens of Hispanics-some famous, some average people-explore what it means to be Hispanic American. 7-part series, 44 minutes each.
#36213 America in the 20th Century (Run Time min.) DVD $719.60
This eight-part series documents the history of the United States-and celebrates America's diversity-from the turn of the 20th century to the aftermath of World War II. Pivotal events unfold and key figures live again through archival video clips and photos, period recordings, full-color maps, and other primary source materials, while striking graphics and engaging narration contextualize the history of yesteryear, making it relevant to 21st-century students. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. Viewable/printable instructor's guides are available online. 8-part series, 29-31 minutes each.
#4905 In Search of the Constitution (Run Time min.) DVD $769.45
Bill Moyers examines the vitality of our nation's most important document by listening to people who interpret and teach it, as well as people whose lives have been changed by it. Moyers' purpose in this series was "to hear a variety of opinions whose sum total will show that the Constitution is a living, if conflicted, force in contemporary lives, even as it shaped the generations before us. It is our common bond to the past and our legacy to the future." Featured in the series are Supreme Court Justices O'Connor and Powell, and former Justices Brennan and Blackmun; historians Forrest McDonald, Michael Kammen, and Olive Taylor; former Court of Appeals Judge Robert Bork; former Attorney General Edwin Meese; legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin; author and educator Mortimer Adler; and citizens whose battles for their rights went all the way to the Supreme Court. In the final program, Moyers examines contemporary issues such as drug testing, computer dossiers, and presidential war powers, and how they test the Constitution.11-part series, 60 minutes each.
#2985 In Search of the Dream: A Story of the African American Experience (Run Time min.) DVD $779.70
This "living documentary" series examines the social, political, cultural, and economic life of African Americans from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in 1619, through the civil rights movement and its aftermath, to the present. Combining documentary footage, interviews, personal testimonials, and analyses of social and political developments, the series provides personal and historical perspective on the African-American experience. Topics addressed include the impact of slavery on African Americans, the African cultural heritage, the legislation and enforcement of civil rights, efforts to improve the quality of life in African-American communities, and the current status of race relations in the U.S. Hosted by the late Arthur Ashe. An ABC News production. 6-part series, 46-47 minutes each.
#39057 NBC News Time Capsule (Run Time min.) DVD $989.45
To students, anything that happened before they were born is ancient history. They didn't experience the Camelot era, the Space Race, the Watergate scandal, or the Vietnam War, so those and other significant periods have made no deep and lasting impression on them. Use this newly edited and remastered 11-part series from the archives of NBC News to engage your students' hearts and minds with footage of some of the pivotal events of recent U.S. history-watersheds that have shaped their world in ways they probably don't even realize. To watch these programs is to see the first draft of history unfold before your eyes. Not available in French-speaking Canada. 11-part series, 28-74 minutes each.
#39069 Meet the Press Meets the Presidents (Run Time min.) DVD $1169.35
No easy questions and no simple answers-that's Meet the Press, the longest-running network television program in history. This 13-part series of unrehearsed news conferences shines the uncompromising light of inquiry on the highest office in the land as future Presidents, former Presidents, and even sitting Presidents get grilled. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Original NBC News broadcast title: Meet the Presidents. 13-part series, 25-52 minutes each.
#5127 Listening to America with Bill Moyers (Run Time min.) DVD $1978.90
This series examines controversial subjects like politics and race, taxes, the environment, the influence of money in Washington, and television's role in politics. Combining investigative reports, interviews, debate, and commentary, these programs look at why Americans are so disdainful of politics, reports on efforts of citizens to bring about change, and offers a range of opinions on current social and economic issues, all affecting Americans in their daily lives. 22-part series.
