Lady Bird Johnson Critiques the President
President Lyndon B. Johnson holds a press conference on March 7, 1964, and takes questions on a range of topics, from the pending civil rights bill to the war in Vietnam. Afterward, in a recorded conversation with the president, Lady Bird Johnson evaluates her husband’s performance and awards him a “B+.”
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Lady Bird Johnson Critiques the President
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Audio Clip (2:30)
President Lyndon B. Johnson holds a press conference on March 7, 1964, and takes questions on a range of topics, from the pending civil rights bill to the war in Vietnam. Afterward, in a recorded conversation with the president, Lady Bird Johnson evaluates her husband’s performance and awards him a “B+.”
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Lyndon Johnson Gets News About Missing Civil Rights Workers
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On June 23, 1964, the burned car of three missing civil rights workers who had disappeared in Mississippi —James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner and Andrew Goodman—was discovered. In a recorded phone call later that day, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover delivers the news to President Lyndon B. Johnson. While Johnson holds out hope that the three men may still be alive, Hoover suspects the worst.
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Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara Plan Airstrikes in Vietnam
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Audio Clip (3:31)
In a recorded phone call on February 26, 1965, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson discuss possible airstrikes in Vietnam.
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John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi Governor
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After many unfruitful telephone conversations with Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett, President John F. Kennedy calls the governor one more time to discuss the building tension over James Meredith’s impending registration at the University of Mississippi. Though the governor has made clear his opposition to the Supreme Court order to allow Meredith to attend the school, President Kennedy tries to assess whether the governor will maintain law and order when Meredith arrives.
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Eleanor Roosevelt Commemorates World Children’s Day
Eleanor Roosevelt Commemorates World Children’s DayAudio Clip (0:58)
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"First Lady of the World" Eleanor Roosevelt reads a statement regarding child welfare in honor of World Children’s Day, which was first celebrated one year earlier on October 4, 1953.
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Lyndon Johnson Expresses Doubts About Vietnam War
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Audio Clip (1:13)
Speaking to his special assistant for national security, McGeorge Bundy, in a May 27, 1964, recorded telephone conversation, President Lyndon B. Johnson expresses his worry that the war in Vietnam is turning into another Korea.
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Nixon Orders Invasion of Cambodia
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On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon asks the American people to support his decision to send troops into Cambodia in response to North Vietnam’s invasion of the country.
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McNamara Briefs President Johnson on Tonkin Gulf
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On August 4, 1964, as events in the Tonkin Gulf unfold, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara apprised President Lyndon B. Johnson of the situation in a series of phone calls. In the third secretly recorded phone call of the day, McNamara reports that two U.S. destroyers deployed in the Gulf east of Vietnam are under attack. While McNamara did not know it at the time, the information he relayed was later determined to be false.
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Lyndon Johnson Considers Troop Increase in Vietnam
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In June 1965, shortly after a coup in South Vietnam led to the 10th change of government in the war torn country, an attack by the North Vietnamese destroyed three U.S. aircraft at Danang. During a recorded telephone conversation with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara on July 2, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson contemplates whether the war can be won.
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Ford Offers Clemency to Draft Evaders
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On September 16, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed a proclamation that would offer Vietnam War draft evaders the chance to earn clemency by performing alternative service for their country. In a speech to the American people, Ford defends his decision as one that's best for the nation.
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On the heels of a major nationwide protest against the Vietnam War in October 1969, President Richard Nixon delivers a speech on November 3, laying out his plans for ending the war through diplomatic negotiations and asking for the support of the "great silent majority" of Americans.
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Ask HISTORY: Did all the founding fathers wear wigs?
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Did America's creators really hide their hair under white toupees? Get the answer now.
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Martin Luther King, Jr: I Have A Dream
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We are unable to offer the full ''I Have a Dream'' speech, the rights to which are controlled by the Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
To view a full transcript of this and other speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visit The Kings Papers Project Web site.
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Dolley Madison Saves Washington's Portrait
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Hear the tale of how first lady Dolley Madison risked her life to save George Washington's portrait from a fiery fate as British troops approached the White House.
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Lyndon Johnson's Presidential Legacy
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Lyndon Johnson's presidency is remembered in part for his handling of the Vietnam War, but he also advanced civil rights and equality throughout the nation.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Moscow Conference
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Watch the speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Moscow Conference during World War II.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Warns of Difficult War
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Watch as Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on Japan in the wake of Pearl Harbor and warns the American public to steel themselves for the difficulties that lie ahead.
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