Barack Obama Elected President and related media

Barack Obama Elected President

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama is elected the 44th president and becomes the first African-American chief executive of the United States. In his victory speech, President Obama remarks that "change has come to America."

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Related Speeches & Audio (10)

  • Barack Obama Elected President
    Barack Obama Elected President

    Audio Clip (1:38)

    On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama is elected the 44th president and becomes the first African-American chief executive of the United States. In his victory speech, President Obama remarks that "change has come to America."

    Audio Clip (1:38)
  • Obama's Inaugural Address
    Obama's Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (2:16)

    On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president. In his inaugural address, he reminds Americans that he is taking office "in the midst of crisis" but offers hope in meeting the challenge.

    Audio Clip (2:16)
  • Woodrow Wilson Addresses Native Americans
    Woodrow Wilson Addresses Native Americans

    Audio Clip (1:45)

    In his 1913 speech to the Native American community, President Woodrow Wilson acknowledges the country's history of dark dealings with American Indians, but also stresses the progress made in forming a unified society.

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  • Reagan’s Second Inaugural Address
    Reagan’s Second Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (0:47)

    Defeating Democratic nominee Walter Mondale with an unprecedented electoral vote margin, President Ronald Reagan secured a second term as president of the United States. In his inaugural address on January 21, 1985, Reagan introduces the idea of a "new American emancipation."

    Audio Clip (0:47)
  • Reagan Accepts Presidential Nomination
    Reagan Accepts Presidential Nomination

    Audio Clip (1:33)

    After unsuccessfully seeking the presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, Ronald Reagan was nominated at the Republican National Convention on September 7, 1980. In his acceptance speech, the former California governor tells American taxpayers that they do not exist to fund the federal government.

    Audio Clip (1:33)
  • Reagan’s 1984 Presidential Nomination
    Reagan’s 1984 Presidential Nomination

    Audio Clip (0:57)

    On August 23, 1984, President Ronald Reagan accepts his party's nomination for a second term. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, President Reagan promises a "springtime of hope" for America.

    Audio Clip (0:57)
  • Nixon's Second Inaugural Address
    Nixon's Second Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:42)

    After a landslide reelection victory, incumbent President Richard Nixon stresses America's role in the pursuit of world peace during his second inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1973.

    Audio Clip (1:42)
  • Nixon Reelected to Presidency
    Nixon Reelected to Presidency

    Audio Clip (1:03)

    On November 7, 1972, incumbent President Richard Nixon won a second term in a landslide victory over Democrat George McGovern. In a brief statement from the Oval Office, President Nixon promises to bring "peace with honor" in Vietnam and to usher in a "new era of peace" with the Soviet Union.

    Audio Clip (1:03)
  • Nixon’s First Inaugural Address
    Nixon’s First Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:13)

    After losing his first presidential bid to John F. Kennedy in 1960, former Vice President Richard Nixon brought the Republican Party back into power with a win in the 1968 presidential election. On January 20, 1969, he takes the oath of office and promises to heal a divided nation.

    Audio Clip (1:13)
  • Roosevelt Elected to Third Term
    Roosevelt Elected to Third Term

    Audio Clip (1:30)

    From WGN Chicago on November 7, 1940, news reporter Fulton Lewis Jr. details the historic third-term election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as president of the United States.

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Related Videos (10)

  • Obama Makes History
    Obama Makes History

    Video Clip (3:42)

    President Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president of the United States on November 5, 2008, transcending centuries of inequality in America.

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  • Kennedy's Summation
    Kennedy's Summation

    Video Clip (2:48)

    This John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon 1960 presidential debate History Channel video shows Senator Kennedy speaking about the importance of the Social Security Act of 1935 and now was the time to do something for elderly medical care.

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  • Kennedy on His Qualifications
    Kennedy on His Qualifications

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    See President John F. Kennedy respond to Richard Nixon's accusations that he is immature and ill-qualified to be President of the United States in this debate video. Kennedy explains how they both came to Congress in 1946.

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  • Kennedy: Teachers' Salaries
    Kennedy: Teachers' Salaries

    Video Clip (1:32)

    John F. Kennedy answers back to Nixon's accusation of supporting federal control of teacher salaries. Kennedy explains that was not the question before the Senate in February, the issue was whether to give federal aid to the state to support education.

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  • Kennedy on 'Extreme' Bills
    Kennedy on 'Extreme' Bills

    Video Clip (1:24)

    Senator John F. Kennedy debates that none of the bills proposed by Nixon were extreme like Nixon was suggesting. Kennedy uses Nixon's proposals of $1.25 an hour plan, federal aid to education, and medical care for the aged to prove his point.

    Video Clip (1:24)
  • Kennedy: Communism within the U.S.
    Kennedy: Communism within the U.S.

    Video Clip (0:50)

    Senator John F. Kennedy talks about the internal threat that communism poses to national security. Kennedy describes that these internal factions are serious and should be taken care of by supporting laws that the U.S. has already passed.

    Video Clip (0:50)
  • Nixon's Summation
    Nixon's Summation

    Video Clip (3:19)

    Listen to the important issues in 1960 in this History Channel video of one of the first televised debates, which took place between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. The video shows Nixon stating his views from the Soviet Union to health insurance.

    Video Clip (3:19)
  • Nixon's Opening Statement
    Nixon's Opening Statement

    Video Clip (2:34)

    In his opening statement during the first of four "Great Debates" between the two candidates in 1960, Richard Nixon agrees with John F. Kennedy's view of international affairs but disputes the notion that the country's growth has been stagnant.

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  • Nixon: Communism within the U.S.
    Nixon: Communism within the U.S.

    Video Clip (1:38)

    The Cold War was a serious issue that engulfed the United States. Coupled with this war was the fear of communism in the United States. This fear became a central issue between Kennedy and Nixon. Hear their debate in this History Channel video.

    Video Clip (1:38)
  • Nixon Announces His Resignation
    Nixon Announces His Resignation

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    View and listen to President Nixon's resignation speech in its entirety from the White House.

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