Voting Age Lowered (0:32)
On July 5, 1971, Richard Nixon formally certified the 26th Amendment, which granted 18 year olds the right to vote. The voting age had been 21 in a majority of the states, even though 18 year olds were old enough to marry, work, and pay taxes.
Speeches & Audio (9)
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Voting Age Lowered
Voting Age LoweredAudio Clip (0:32)
Audio Clip (0:32)
On July 5, 1971, Richard Nixon formally certified the 26th Amendment, which granted 18 year olds the right to vote. The voting age had been 21 in a majority of the states, even though 18 year olds were old enough to marry, work, and pay taxes.
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Ronald Reagan on Roe v. Wade
Ronald Reagan on Roe v. WadeAudio Clip (1:10)
Audio Clip (1:10)
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that women, as part of their constitutional right to privacy, could terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. On the 10th anniversary of the ruling, President Ronald Reagan pledges in a radio report to the nation to fight to overturn the landmark case.
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Brown v. Board of Education Ruling
Brown v. Board of Education RulingAudio Clip (1:02)
Audio Clip (1:02)
On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling against the "separate but equal" mandate and demanded desegregation of schools. Outside the courtroom, the attorneys who argued the Brown v. Board of Education case, James Nabrit Jr., Thurgood Marshall and George Hayes, give a press conference.
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Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964Audio Clip (3:44)
Audio Clip (3:44)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education, and outlawed segregation in public facilities.
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Lyndon Johnson Twists Senator Ribicoff's Arm
Lyndon Johnson Twists Senator Ribicoff's ArmAudio Clip (3:30)
Audio Clip (3:30)
In early 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson wanted to pass an excise tax bill, but, with two members of his party opposing, the bill was likely to die in the Senate. In a secretly recorded telephone call to Senator Abraham Ribicoff on January 23, Johnson is heard applying his power of persuasion.
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Obama Releases His Birth Certificate
Obama Releases His Birth CertificateAudio Clip (2:46)
Audio Clip (2:46)
People seeking to undermine Barack Obama's legitimacy as president circulated a rumor that he was not born in the United States. On April 27, 2011, Obama releases his long-form birth certificate and asks that the American people and press put an end to the "silliness" and focus on more important matters.
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Lyndon Johnson Pressures Senator Hartke
Lyndon Johnson Pressures Senator HartkeAudio Clip (1:45)
Audio Clip (1:45)
In a secretly recorded telephone conversation with Democratic Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana on January 23, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson pressures Hartke to vote for his excise tax bill, which is hung up in the Senate. On June 21, 1965, Johnson signed the Excise Tax Reduction Act into law.
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Lyndon Johnson Rebukes Adam Clayton Powell
Lyndon Johnson Rebukes Adam Clayton PowellAudio Clip (2:29)
Audio Clip (2:29)
In a heated telephone conversation on March 1, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson accuses Adam Clayton Powell of holding up the passage of an education bill.
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Truman Supports Civil Rights
Truman Supports Civil RightsAudio Clip (2:38)
Audio Clip (2:38)
On June 29, 1947, as the first president to address the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Harry Truman pledges his support for upholding the civil rights of all Americans.
Videos (22)
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James Madison: Did You Know?
James Madison: Did You Know?Video Clip (1:36)
Video Clip (1:36)
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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Presidential Fun Facts
Presidential Fun FactsVideo Clip (1:21)
Video Clip (1:21)
The Oval Office has been filled with extraordinary presidents, but did you know about these not-so-famous firsts?
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America Gets a Constitution
America Gets a ConstitutionVideo Clip (3:09)
Video Clip (3:09)
After several failed attempts at creating a government, a 1787 convention is called to draft a new legal system for the United States. This new Constitution provides for increased federal authority while still protecting the basic rights of its citizens.
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The Founding Fathers Unite
The Founding Fathers UniteVideo Clip (2:51)
Video Clip (2:51)
Who wrote which parts of the anonymous Federalist Papers? Madison and Jefferson disagree.
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Jefferson Writes the Declaration of Independence
Jefferson Writes the Declaration of IndependenceVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
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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The Electoral College
The Electoral CollegeVideo Clip (4:00)
Video Clip (4:00)
Host David Eisenbach explains what the history and purpose of the Electoral College is and why it is so important to America's democratic process.
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Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions
Primaries, Caucuses, and ConventionsVideo Clip (4:15)
Video Clip (4:15)
Host David Eisenbach explains the history of the long election process a candidate must go through to become President of the United States.
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Women in Politics
Women in PoliticsVideo Clip (3:11)
Video Clip (3:11)
From Sandra Day O'Connor to Shirley Chisholm to Madeleine Albright, these groundbreaking American women paved the way.
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Matt Damon: The Declaration of Independence
Matt Damon: The Declaration of IndependenceVideo Clip (2:02)
Video Clip (2:02)
Actor Matt Damon performs and discusses the Declaration of Independence.
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Cat Bomb
Cat BombVideo Clip (0:40)
Video Clip (0:40)
During World War II, the U.S. Army invented a new missile guidance system: cats.
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No. 2 Railroad
No. 2 RailroadVideo Clip (1:22)
Video Clip (1:22)
The Pacific Railroad Act created the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S., which was built with the help of Chinese immigrants.
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Separate But Not Equal
Separate But Not EqualVideo Clip (2:21)
Video Clip (2:21)
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously strikes down segregation in public schools, sparking the Civil Rights movement.
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Thomas Jefferson Expands Presidential Power
Thomas Jefferson Expands Presidential PowerVideo Clip (3:39)
Video Clip (3:39)
In one of the defining moments of his presidency, Thomas Jefferson expanded presidential power to make the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.
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Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln Issues the Emancipation ProclamationVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
The Emancipation Proclamation refocuses the purpose of the Civil War to address the issue of slavery.
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The Failure of Reconstruction
The Failure of ReconstructionVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
Reconstruction turns the south into a different type of battleground. Constitutional amendments grant freedom and suffrage to African-Americans but equality remains elusive.
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America Goes Dry with Prohibition
America Goes Dry with ProhibitionVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
From 1919 to 1933, the manufacture and sale of alcohol is banned in the United States.
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The New Deal
The New DealVideo Clip (2:08)
Video Clip (2:08)
President Franklin Roosevelt creates a series of programs designed to help America cope with, and recover from the Great Depression.
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National Recovery Administration Created
National Recovery Administration CreatedVideo Clip (2:06)
Video Clip (2:06)
Established in 1933, the National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a key component of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program designed to combat the effects of the Great Depression.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964Video Clip (2:57)
Video Clip (2:57)
After years of struggle and setbacks, advocates for equality celebrate the passage of sweeping legislation that prohibits racial discrimination.
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Lyndon Johnson's Presidential Legacy
Lyndon Johnson's Presidential LegacyVideo Clip (4:06)
Video Clip (4:06)
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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Richard Nixon's Paranoia Leads to Watergate Scandal
Richard Nixon's Paranoia Leads to Watergate ScandalVideo Clip (2:41)
Video Clip (2:41)
Find out about Nixon's personal demons, which may have led to his involvement in the Watergate scandal.
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Richard Nixon's Impeachment Investigation
Richard Nixon's Impeachment InvestigationVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
Lawrence Hogan gives us the lowdown on Richard Nixon's impeachment in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
Photo Galleries (2)
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James Madison
James Madison(10 Photos)
10 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of James Madison.
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American Revolution: Continental Congress
American Revolution: Continental Congress(11 Photos)
11 Photos
Discover the accomplishments of the First and Second Constitutional Congresses, and learn about the major players behind such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris.
Interactives (2)
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Citizenship Quiz
Citizenship QuizInteractive
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Examen de Ciudadania (Citizenship Quiz in Spanish)
Examen de Ciudadania (Citizenship Quiz in Spanish)Interactive
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