Reagan Fires Striking Air Traffic Controllers
On August 4, 1981, President Ronald Reagan reads a statement to the press on his decision to fire any air traffic controllers who do not show up to work within 48 hours. After negotiations with the federal government to raise their pay failed, 13,000 air traffic controllers went on strike.
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Reagan Fires Striking Air Traffic Controllers
Reagan Fires Striking Air Traffic ControllersAudio Clip (0:30)
Audio Clip (0:30)
On August 4, 1981, President Ronald Reagan reads a statement to the press on his decision to fire any air traffic controllers who do not show up to work within 48 hours. After negotiations with the federal government to raise their pay failed, 13,000 air traffic controllers went on strike.
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Reagan’s Evil Empire
Reagan’s Evil EmpireAudio Clip (0:28)
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In a speech delivered to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, on March 8, 1983, President Ronald Reagan criticizes the Soviet Union’s lack of religious faith.
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West German Foreign Minister on Fall of Berlin Wall
West German Foreign Minister on Fall of Berlin WallAudio Clip (1:34)
Audio Clip (1:34)
West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher traveled to the U.S. to meet with President George H.W. Bush the day after the November 20, 1989, fall of the Berlin Wall. In his public remarks, Genscher pledges to encourage democratic reform.
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Bush on the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Bush on the Fall of the Berlin WallAudio Clip (0:32)
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The day after the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 20, 1989, President George H. W. Bush met with West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher to discuss plans for the reunification of Germany. As a token of his gratitude to the United States, Genscher brought President Bush a piece of the Berlin Wall. In a press conference, Bush thanks the foreign minister for the gift.
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Bush Calls for Glasnost in East Berlin
Bush Calls for Glasnost in East BerlinAudio Clip (2:55)
Audio Clip (2:55)
On May 31, 1989, in a speech delivered in Mainz, West Germany, President George H. W. Bush emphasizes America's desire to see the barriers between the east and west come down.
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Bush on Tiananmen Square
Bush on Tiananmen SquareAudio Clip (1:48)
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Several weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations in the streets of Beijing came to a violent end on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese Army fired on the crowds, killing hundreds. The next day, President George H. W. Bush publicly condemns the event.
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Reagan Demands Fall of Berlin Wall
Reagan Demands Fall of Berlin WallAudio Clip (1:08)
Audio Clip (1:08)
On June 12, 1987, in a speech delivered from the Brandenburg Gate in West Germany, President Ronald Reagan makes one of his most famous statements when he calls on Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
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Reagan Addresses British Parliament
Reagan Addresses British ParliamentAudio Clip (0:17)
Audio Clip (0:17)
On June 8, 1982, in the first speech by an American president to a meeting of both houses of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan presents his hope for a future that would "leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history."
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Ford Offers Clemency to Draft Evaders
Ford Offers Clemency to Draft EvadersAudio Clip (1:20)
Audio Clip (1:20)
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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President Kennedy Addresses United Nations Staff
President Kennedy Addresses United Nations StaffAudio Clip (3:42)
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On a September 20, 1963, visit to New York that includes an address to the United Nations General Assembly on the nuclear test-ban treaty, President John F. Kennedy takes time out to express his appreciation to Americans working at the United Nations.
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Truman Urges Religious Tolerance
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History Features explores an important post-war speech by President Harry Truman, asking for religious unity and tolerance.
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Jefferson Writes the Declaration of Independence
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At 33, Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft of America's historic Declaration of Independence, which was approved by the Continental Congress after several days of debate and revisions on July 4, 1776.
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James Madison: Did You Know?
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At just 5'4", James Madison was hardly a commanding presence, but that didn't stop him from shaping American history.
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Brad Meltzer's Decoded: The President's Inner Circle
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The Culper Spy Ring was made up of shopkeepers, tavern owners and even housewives. Brad and the team investigate how this group of ordinary citizens may have helped the US win the Revolutionary War.
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Characteristics of Early Factory Girls
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Marissa Tomei performs the words of a young factory girl preparing to strike.
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1930s GM Sit-Down Strike
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Marissa Tomei performs the words of a General Motors employee during a 1930s labor strike.
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