C-SPAN 3 TV Schedule
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Reel America: Lyndon B. Johnson 1964 Democratic National Convention
38 minutesPresident Lyndon B. Johnson accepted the Presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on August 27th, 1964. In his speech, President Johnson outlined the goals of what he called the "Great Society." Less than a year earlier, President Johnson was sworn in following President Kennedy's assassination. He would go on to win the general election against Republican Senator Barry Goldwater.
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Reel America: LBJ "Peace Without Conquest" Vietnam Speech
32 minutesPresident Johnson spoke about the Vietnam conflict and U.S. policy in the region. Entitled "Peace Without Conquest," the address attempted to explain why Southeast Asia was of vital American interest. U.S. military personnel there increased from about 23,000 in January, 1965, to over 180,000 by the end of the year. The president spoke at 9 p.m. in Shriver Hall Auditorium at Johns Hopkins University. The address was televised world wide.
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Reel America: "Eight Flags for 99 Cents" - 1970
26 minutesMade in response to President Nixon's November 3, 1969 "Silent Majority" speech, this film explores the thoughts and opinions of working-class residents of a Chicago neighborhood. Funded by Business Executives Move for Vietnam Peace, the film reveals a variety of nuanced opinions for and against the Vietnam War, with many arguing that lives and money are being wasted in a war that cannot be won.
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Reel America: "Vietnam! Vietnam!" - 1971
1 hour, 3 minutesThis U.S. Information Agency documentary is the final film directed by five-time Oscar winner John Ford, who supported U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Narrated by actor Charlton Heston, the film is divided into two parts. Part one looks at the Vietnamese people, shows atrocities committed by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, and documents the reasons for U.S. entry into the war. Part two concentrates on the late 1960s debate over the war, with appearances by presidents, political leaders, activists, and soldiers and their spouses. This film includes graphic scenes of war that may be disturbing to some viewers.
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Reel America: "Assignment Washington, The Correspondent Marino de Medici" - 1977
30 minutesThis U.S. Information Agency film profiles an Italian newspaper journalist as he describes his day-to-day duties in Washington, and travels to cover several presidential campaign events in 1976. President Gerald Ford is seen campaigning in the South on a Mississippi riverboat, and the correspondent rides an Amtrak train on challenger Jimmy Carter's whistle-stop tour in the Northeast.
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American Artifacts: Arlington National Cemetery 1915 Memorabilia Box
30 minutesIn 1915, President Woodrow Wilson placed a memorabilia box in the cornerstone of the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. In April 2020, 105 years later, it was opened to discover what was inside. American History TV visited Arlington to see the contents with cemetery historian Tim Frank and conservator Caitlin Smith, who talked about their significance and why the previous cemetery caretakers felt they were important to highlight at that moment in history.
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Presidential Campaign Commercials
1 hour, 30 minutesThe first TV presidential campaign ads aired during the 1952 contest between Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower and Democrat Adlai Stevenson. American History TV and C-SPAN's Washington Journal looked back at the history of these ads beginning with the 1952 election and into the 21st century. Robert Mann, professor at Louisiana State University's School of Mass Communication, joined us to take viewer questions and tweets. He's the author of "Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad That Changed American Politics."
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Theodore Roosevelt's Life & Legacy
55 minutesUniversity of Mary Washington history professor William Crawley discussed Theodore Roosevelt's life and legacy, with a particular focus on his presidency. The University of Mary Washington hosted this event and provided the video.
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Presidential Debates: 1976 Presidential Debate - Jimmy Carter & President Ford
1 hour, 28 minutesFormer Governor Jimmy Carter (D-GA) and President Ford met in San Francisco for the second of three presidential debates prior to the 1976 presidential election. The two men stood at separate podia to respond to questions from a panel of correspondents. Topics included defense and international relations issues. The debate was moderated by Pauline Frederick. Other panelists included Max Frankel, Henry L. Trewhitt, and Richard Valeriani. Professor Stephen Wayne and Joel Swerdlow briefly introduced the debate by describing its historical context. The candidates were questioned in turn and given three minutes to respond. The panelists were permitted one follow-up question. The candidates were given two minutes for rebuttals and three minutes for closing statements.
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Presidential Debates: 1980 Presidential Debate - Jimmy Carter & Ronald Reagan
1 hour, 37 minutesPresident Jimmy Carter and Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan met in Cleveland, Ohio, for the last of two presidential debates prior to the 1980 presidential election. This was the only presidential candidates debate with both major party candidates during the 1980 campaign. They responded to questions from a panel of journalists on issues including defense preparedness and the economy. The debate included remarks by President Jimmy Carter concerning the views of his daughter Amy on arms control, which were widely criticized following the debate. The two candidates stood at separate podia to respond to the panel's questions. The debate was moderated by Howard K. Smith. Other panelists were Marvin Stone, Harry Ellis, William Hilliard, and Barbara Walters.
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History Bookshelf: Chris Dodd, "Letters From Nuremberg"
44 minutesSenator Chris Dodd talked about his book, Letters from Nuremberg: My Father's Narrative of a Quest for Justice, published by Crown. In the book he chronicles the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after WWII through his father's letters to his mother. Thomas J. Dodd was a prosecuter on the Nuremberg trials and wrote to his wife about the trial and the many people involved from a personal perspective. This is Senator Dodd's first book, written with Larry Bloom. Thomas Justin Dodd opened the program by reading excerpts from the letters. Yoni Battat provided a short musical interlude on the violin. Then Whitney Harris, one of only three surviving prosecutors of the Nuremburg Trials, made remarks. The event, co-sponsored by R.J. Julia Booksellers of Madison, Connecticut, was held in the Alumni Hall of Quinnipiac University. The letters are a portion of restricted materials in the Thomas J. Dodd Papers held in the university archives.
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Reel America: "Little Smokey" - 1953
16 minutesThis U.S. Forest Service film tells the story of the real Smokey Bear, from his rescue during a 1950 forest fire in New Mexico's Capitan Mountains to his life at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This short fire prevention film is hosted by Hopalong Cassidy, a popular mid-twentieth century Hollywood cowboy played by actor William Boyd.
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The Capture of Nazi War Criminal Adolf Eichmann
1 hour, 1 minuteAuthor Neal Bascomb discussed his book, "Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi." Mr. Bascomb described how a tip from a Holocaust survivor and his daughter in Argentina led to the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by Israeli Mossad agents, who then smuggled their captive to Israel to stand trial. The National World War II Museum hosted this program and provided the video.
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The Civil War: Black Prisoners of War in the Confederacy
1 hour, 11 minutesCaroline Wood Newhall, a postdoctoral fellow at the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, discussed her research on black prisoners of war in the Confederacy. She talked about the misconception that all captured U.S. Colored Troops were executed and describes how many were instead enslaved, including those born free in the North. The Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech hosted this online talk and provided the video.
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The Civil War: Disease, Death and Civil War Medicine
48 minutesHistoric site manager Paige Gibbons Backus talked about the state of medical knowledge at the beginning of the Civil War, including surgical practices and diseases common among the soldiers. She also described advances later in the war such as sterilization and reconstructive surgery that drastically improved a soldier's chance of survival. This talk was part of a symposium on "The War in the East" hosted by the "Emerging Civil War" blog.
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Lectures in History: Presidents & Campaign Communications Since 1900
53 minutesRider University professor Myra Gutin taught a class on presidents and communications in both their campaigns and while in office. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th century and continuing to the present day, she assessed the effectiveness of presidential communications based on six categories: vision, charisma, pragmatism, consensus-building, credibility, luck and speaking ability. Due to the coronavirus pandemic this class took place online and Rider University provided the video.
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Unionizing Women Garment Workers
1 hour, 7 minutesIn the early 20th century, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union was the largest women's union in the world. It pushed to improve benefits for women in the clothing industry and inspired union action in other professions across the country. A panel of scholars looked at this union's historical significance along with the challenges its members faced in fighting for worker rights. They also described the role of minority women in the garment industry during this period. The New-York Historical Society's Center for Women's History hosted this discussion.
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Campaign: John F. Kennedy Address on Church & State
46 minutes1960 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John F. Kennedy appears in Texas before a meeting of Houston ministers to address the topic of church and state, religious freedom, and tolerance. Paid for by the Kennedy-Johnson Texas Campaign Committee, the broadcast includes an extended question and answer session. John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected president of the United States. During the 1960 campaign, many Protestant groups publicly opposed Senator Kennedy, fearing the influence of the Pope and Catholic Church on his presidency.
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Reel America: "The Myth of the Great Society" - 1966
43 minutesRonald Reagan delivered a critique of the growth of government and President Lyndon Johnson's policies in this speech called "The Myth of the Great Society." The film was donated to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the exact date and location of Mr. Reagan's remarks are unknown, but the library believes it was in New York in 1966 -- the same year that Ronald Reagan won his campaign for California governor.
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Reel America: "Election 1976 - The Candidates & the Campaign"
31 minutesThree political scientists discuss the 1976 presidential campaign between incumbent Republican Gerald Ford and Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter. The program includes video highlights from presidential debates and campaign events. The U.S. Information Agency produced this program to explain the U.S. election system to international audiences.
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Lectures in History: Presidents & Campaign Communications Since 1900
54 minutesRider University professor Myra Gutin taught a class on presidents and communications in both their campaigns and while in office. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th century and continuing to the present day, she assessed the effectiveness of presidential communications based on six categories: vision, charisma, pragmatism, consensus-building, credibility, luck and speaking ability. Due to the coronavirus pandemic this class took place online and Rider University provided the video.
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Unionizing Women Garment Workers
1 hour, 7 minutesIn the early 20th century, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union was the largest women's union in the world. It pushed to improve benefits for women in the clothing industry and inspired union action in other professions across the country. A panel of scholars looked at this union's historical significance along with the challenges its members faced in fighting for worker rights. They also described the role of minority women in the garment industry during this period. The New-York Historical Society's Center for Women's History hosted this discussion.
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History Bookshelf: Chris Dodd, "Letters From Nuremberg"
44 minutesSenator Chris Dodd talked about his book, Letters from Nuremberg: My Father's Narrative of a Quest for Justice, published by Crown. In the book he chronicles the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after WWII through his father's letters to his mother. Thomas J. Dodd was a prosecuter on the Nuremberg trials and wrote to his wife about the trial and the many people involved from a personal perspective. This is Senator Dodd's first book, written with Larry Bloom. Thomas Justin Dodd opened the program by reading excerpts from the letters. Yoni Battat provided a short musical interlude on the violin. Then Whitney Harris, one of only three surviving prosecutors of the Nuremburg Trials, made remarks. The event, co-sponsored by R.J. Julia Booksellers of Madison, Connecticut, was held in the Alumni Hall of Quinnipiac University. The letters are a portion of restricted materials in the Thomas J. Dodd Papers held in the university archives.
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Reel America: "Little Smokey" - 1953
15 minutesThis U.S. Forest Service film tells the story of the real Smokey Bear, from his rescue during a 1950 forest fire in New Mexico's Capitan Mountains to his life at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This short fire prevention film is hosted by Hopalong Cassidy, a popular mid-twentieth century Hollywood cowboy played by actor William Boyd.
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The Capture of Nazi War Criminal Adolf Eichmann
1 hour, 0 minuteAuthor Neal Bascomb discussed his book, "Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi." Mr. Bascomb described how a tip from a Holocaust survivor and his daughter in Argentina led to the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by Israeli Mossad agents, who then smuggled their captive to Israel to stand trial. The National World War II Museum hosted this program and provided the video.
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The Civil War: Black Prisoners of War in the Confederacy
1 hour, 12 minutesCaroline Wood Newhall, a postdoctoral fellow at the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, discussed her research on black prisoners of war in the Confederacy. She talked about the misconception that all captured U.S. Colored Troops were executed and describes how many were instead enslaved, including those born free in the North. The Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech hosted this online talk and provided the video.
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The Civil War: Disease, Death and Civil War Medicine
48 minutesHistoric site manager Paige Gibbons Backus talked about the state of medical knowledge at the beginning of the Civil War, including surgical practices and diseases common among the soldiers. She also described advances later in the war such as sterilization and reconstructive surgery that drastically improved a soldier's chance of survival. This talk was part of a symposium on "The War in the East" hosted by the "Emerging Civil War" blog.
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Lectures in History: Presidents & Campaign Communications Since 1900
55 minutesRider University professor Myra Gutin taught a class on presidents and communications in both their campaigns and while in office. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th century and continuing to the present day, she assessed the effectiveness of presidential communications based on six categories: vision, charisma, pragmatism, consensus-building, credibility, luck and speaking ability. Due to the coronavirus pandemic this class took place online and Rider University provided the video.
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Unionizing Women Garment Workers
1 hour, 7 minutesIn the early 20th century, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union was the largest women's union in the world. It pushed to improve benefits for women in the clothing industry and inspired union action in other professions across the country. A panel of scholars looked at this union's historical significance along with the challenges its members faced in fighting for worker rights. They also described the role of minority women in the garment industry during this period. The New-York Historical Society's Center for Women's History hosted this discussion.