Video List for United States History I

The descriptions of each video are used with permission of the Dallas Telelearning Digital Resource Repository. The only changes made to their words were capitalizing words that Dallas Telelearning had bolded—a change necessary because of technical issues with the tool used in Blackboard. This is the copyright statement provided by the Repository: The Learning Objects contained in this database are for exclusive use by faculty and students that subscribe to this repository. Any other use of these resources is a violation of copyright laws.

 

1.     You can search the video list by pressing Control F (Command F for a Mac). For example, if you wanted to find what videos cover the Pueblo people, press Control and the F key. When your browser displays a dialog box, type in a few letters of the name (such as Puebl) and press Enter to display one by one each of the videos with possible information beginning with the First Americans and continuing through 1850. The first search result is for the video just below named “First Americans: The Pueblo People.”

2.     Once you determine the video you want, notice the bolded name above the group of videos (such as “America Before 1492”). Look for that name on a folder icon () in Blackboard. For example, if you wanted to view the first search result, you would click on the folder () named “America Before 1492” and then in the table below look for video named “First Americans: The Pueblo People.”

 

Some shorter videos are repeated in longer videos. You can usually recognize these repeated videos because the Description Field for the longer video uses the same words as used for the shorter video.

 

You also can click below to go to the period of time you want and see videos available for major topics in that time period:

Videos Covering the Period from Exploration to about the 1750s  1

Videos Covering the Period from about the 1750s to the 1830s  6

Videos Covering the Period from the 1830s to 1877  15

 

 

Videos Covering the Period from Exploration to about the 1750s

America Before 1492 – 7 Videos

Video Name

Description Field

First Americans: The California Coast

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The California coast was well populated by Native American tribes prior to European contact. Focusing on the largest of these tribes, the Chumash, this video highlights their unique culture known for planked canoes, astronomical knowledge, and a dependency on trade.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; California coast; creation story; Ohlone; Chumash; hunting & gathering/ planked canoe/astronomy.

DURATION: 03:37

First Americans: The Mississippi Valley

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Cahokia was the largest urban community in the United States prior to the 19th century and was characterized by large man-made mounds. This fascinating and complex Native American society, which had disappeared by the time Europeans
arrived, is the focus of this video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; Mississippi River Valley/St. Louis; mound builders; Cahokia; agriculture; Monk's Mound; trade network; descendants/Choctaw/ Chickasaw/Natchez.

DURATION: 02:57

First Americans: The Northeast

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes the Native American tribes in the Northeast. These groups were well known for both their long houses and the formation of the Iroquois League, an early form of democracy that would make a deep impression on European settlers.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; Northeast; Iroquois/Lenape/Hodenosaunee; "people of the long house"; Mohawks/Oneidas/Onondagas/Cayugas/Senecas; New York; farming/hunting/fishing/seasonal movement; roles of women and men; Iroquois League.

DURATION: 03:35

First Americans: The Pacific Northwest

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes the Native American societies that developed in the Pacific Northwest before European contact and explores the roles of salmon fishing, artwork, and clans in their culture.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; Pacific Northwest/ Washington/Oregon; creation story; Chinook/Tillamook/Walla Walla/Cayuse; Columbia River/Cascade Mountains; salmon fishing/artwork/totem poles/clans.

DURATION: 03:21

First Americans: The Pueblo People

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Native Americans living in the Southwest before European contact, known as "Anasazi," were farming people. Their complex society and mastery of village life, epitomized by Pueblo Bonito, are examined in this video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/ American Indians; Southwest/Santa Fe; Navaho/Pueblo/ Apache; Anasazi; moieties; Pueblo Bonito/Chaco Canyon; village life/community; descendants.

DURATION: 03:27

First Americans: The Southeast

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The varying landscapes in the Southeast meant that the Native American tribes who lived there were very diverse. The unique lifestyles and the overall political complexity of the region are examined in this video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; Southeast/Appalachian Mountains; Charleston, S. C.; creation story; Cherokee/Catawba; farming/politics; environmental adaptations/fluidity of groups.

DURATION: 03:03

We have a great deal to learn

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a  summary analysis of the more than 500 unique Native American societies that inhabited the North American landscape prior to European contact. It is clear that there is still a great deal to learn about and from these complex civilizations.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Native Americans/American Indians; complex and unique societies; diversity/environmental adaptations/spirituality; new research.

DURATION: 01:56

 

The Columbian Exchange – 8 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Blending of Cultures

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the blending traditions of the European and Indian cultures in the frontier regions of the New World.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Frontiers, New Mexican culture; Spanish culture/Indian culture; wheat tortilla; adaptive cultures; hybrid cultures.

DURATION: 03:37

Columbus the Invader?

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video uses the contemporary debate about commemorating Columbus Day to provoke thought about how Columbus' "discovery" of the New World set in motion changes that affected the world forever.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Columbus; Columbus Day; New World; European contact; American Indians.

DURATION: 01:42

Cortes Conquers the Aztecs

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: What happens when two civilizations that never knew the other existed meet ?  This video examines the clash between the Spanish and the Aztecs in Mexico.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Herman Cortes; Mexico/Aztecs; Central Mexico; Aztec Empire; Montezuma; conquistadors; Tenochtitlan.

DURATION: 04:32

New Spain

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines Spanish colonization in the New World.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: New Spain; slave labor; Material wealth; Catholicism; Franciscans/ Spanish missionaries; St. Augustine; Juan de Onate; Spanish settlement in New Mexico; Pueblo Indians; Acoma; Santa Fe; Indian and European traditions/adaptive culture/hybrid culture.

DURATION: 06:59

Spain’s Missionaries

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the effect of Spanish missionaries in the New World.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Catholicism; Spanish missionaries; Franciscans; Adaptive Culture.

DURATION: 01:48

The Columbian Exchange

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video describes how the European settlement in the New World began a process of biological, human, cultural, and material exchange (known as the Columbian Exchange), which has been an important marker in the history of the world.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Portuguese navigation; Christopher Columbus; Enterprise of the Indies/San Salvador; Columbian Exchange; New World; European diseases; food crops; 1492.

DURATION: 04:22

The Conquest of the Americas

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the Spanish conquest of vast regions of the Americas and the Indian peoples living there.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Columbus' voyage; European exploration; Treaty of Tordesillas; Spanish motivation of Glory, God and Gold; Spanish conquistadors Hernan Cortes; Aztec Empire; Tenochtitlan; European technology and disease; Pizarro's conquest/Incan Empire; Hernando de Soto; Coronado; Cabeza de Vaca; Pima Indians; Spanish plunder.

DURATION: 10:49

World Maps

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This brief video illustrates how Columbus' voyage touched off European explorations that prompted a redrawing of world maps.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Columbus; new continents; map makers; North and South America/Central America; Martin Waldseemuller; Vasco Nunez  Balboa.

DURATION: 01:14

 

Settling the Southern Colonies – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Dividing Line

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the development of the southern colonies in the 17th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Diversity; African Slaves; political and military dominance; cultural dominance; American Indians; Carolina/ Chesapeake Region; race; Bacon's Rebellion; White indentured servants;, wealth and power; private property, land and slave ownership.

DURATION: 03:57

Jamestown

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the establishment of the Jamestown settlement, the hardships that came along with it, the cultivation of tobacco, and the relations with the Indians in the area.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: King James I; Chesapeake Bay; James River; Virginia Company; Jamestown colonists; "starving time"; land ownership; John Smith; Powhatan; John Rolfe/Pocahontas; tobacco; Opechancanough.

DURATION: 06:21

Roanoke: The Lost Colon

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video describes the first British settlement of Roanoke, an island off the coast of present day North Carolina, and examines the mystery of what happened to those first settlers.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Walter Raleigh; Roanoke, North Carolina; English settlement; John White; Indian villages; Croatoan.

DURATION: 04:01

Sugar, Sugar

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This brief video describes the development of sugar plantations in the Caribbean and how the production of sugar shaped the socio-economic climate of the British colonies in the 17th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: England; Barbados; British colonies in the Caribbean; sugar production; slave-labor; Carolina.

DURATION: 01:28

The Caribbean Connection

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video describes an English sailor named John Cuming, whose family history illustrates the emerging planter class in South Carolina.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: John Cuming; Carolina; Affra Harleston; Charles Town, South Carolina; Barbados/Caribbean; slavery; land grants; Cuming's T plantation; Elias Ball.

DURATION: 03:02

The Changing Chesapeake

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines how labor system of the Chesapeake Region changed from one based on white indentured servitude to one based on black slavery.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Indentured servitude; Africans; Virginia; sources of labor; Anthony Johnson; tobacco farming; Maryland; frontier farmers; Nathanial Bacon/ Bacon's Rebellion; class/race system; slavery.

DURATION: 06:33

The Stinking Weed

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a brief perspective on the tremendous growth of tobacco as an industry, the popularity of the product, and the controversy over its use.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: American Indian story of tobacco's origins; tobacco; Europeans; World War I/ World War II; Cancer/lawsuits; Marlboro.

DURATION: 02:18

 

Settling in New England – 9 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A New Beginning

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The mythological status of the Pilgrim story is the focus of this brief video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Pilgrims Puritans; Plymouth colony.

DURATION: 01:05

Ann Hutchinson

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video focuses on Ann Hutchinson and the challenge she presented to Puritan leaders.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Puritans; Puritan women; Ann Hutchinson; John Winthrop; "American Jezebel."

DURATION: 03:24

Encountering the Wilderness

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The complex relationship that developed between New England colonists and Indian peoples is examined in this video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Wilderness; American Indians; captivity stories; Metacomet / King Philip; King Philip's War.

DURATION: 06:18

New England

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides an introduction to the area that became New England by focusing on the interaction between Europeans and Indians in the region prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: 17th century; north Atlantic coastal region; Algonquian/Pequots/Wampanoags/ Narragansetts/Patuxet; agriculture; New England; French/St. Lawrence River; Europeans/European diseases; Pilgrims.

DURATION: 01:57

Pilgrims

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the Pilgrims' reasons for leaving the old world, the formation of Plymouth colony, and the interaction Pilgrims had with Native Americans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Puritans, Plymouth colony, puritan exiles/Pilgrims; William Bradford;, Native Americans; Squanto/Massasoit.

DURATION: 04:10

The Pueblo Revolt

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video briefly examines the Pueblo revolt of 1680, which occurred in the Santa Fe region just five years after King Philip's War began in New England.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Southwest; Pueblo revolt of 1680; Santa Fe; Spanish colonization.

DURATION: 01:05

The Puritan Dilemma

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the inherent struggle between the Puritans' utopian ideals and the realities they encountered in the New World.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Puritans; John Winthrop; Massachusetts Bay Company/New England/Boston; Christianity/utopia/"city on a hill"; Roger Williams; Puritan women; Ann Hutchinson; "American Jezebel."

DURATION: 06:57

The Puritan Influence

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the Puritan influence on American society and culture.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Puritans/ Puritan legacy; John Winthrop; idealism/vision/values; religion/community.

DURATION: 02:05

Witch Hunt

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the witch-hunt that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: 1692; Salem, Massachusetts; witches/witchcraft; Rebecca Nurse; Puritan community/conformity; Salem witch hunt; Arthur Miller/ "The Crucible"/ Red Scare, McCarthyism.

DURATION: 05:18

 

Diversity in the Middle Colonies – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Poor Man’s Country

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a brief introduction to the geography and people migrating to the Middle Colonies of America.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Middle American Colonies; New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania/Delaware; Fertile valleys/flourishing towns; Social/ethnic diversity; "Bread basket of North America"/ "Best poor man's country in the world."

DURATION: 01:12

I am not as you are…

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the formation of an "American" identity in the middle colonies during the 18th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Relations between diverse colonists and Indians; growing identities/differences; ethnic, religious and economic diversity; "American " identity.

DURATION: 03:03

New Amsterdam

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video describes the development of New Amsterdam and its transition from a Dutch settlement in North America to an English colony.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Dutch; Spain, Dutch war of independence; New Amsterdam; Peter Stuyvesant; Slavery/slave trade; Commerce; English takeover.

DURATION: 03:53

New Jersey

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity that arose in 17th and 18th century New Jersey and how religious pluralism became widely accepted within the Middle Colonies.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Ethnic and religious diversity; European immigrants; African slaves; Dissenting Protestantism; Dutch/German/Scots-Irish; William Covenhoven; William Tennent; Princeton University; John Woolman; Quakers; Liberation of slaves; Religious tolerance; identity.

DURATION: 04:46

New York

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity that existed in 17th and 18th century New York.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Diversity of nationalities/languages; Africans; American Indians; Peter Stuyvesant; Manhattan Island/ The Bouwerie; Commerce/immigration; Jewish immigrants; Jacob Franks; William Bradford/Printing Press/John Peter Zenger/freedom of press; Mando's escape; Slaves/domestic servants; Cadwallader Colden; Steven Delancey/Abigail Franks and Oliver Delancey's marriage; Diverse immigrant communities/religion; assimilation/blending/"American." 

DURATION: 08:17

Pennsylvania

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the economic and cultural diversity that developed in 17th and 18th century Pennsylvania

CONTENT ELEMENTS: William Penn's vision; material culture; Benjamin Franklin; Philadelphia; working women/Mary Smith; Conrad Weiser; Relations with Indians/"Go-betweens"; Shikellamy; Intercultural affairs; "American" identity.

DURATION: 06:37

 

Slavery and the Southern Colonies – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Distinctive Society

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the influence of the institution of Slavery on race and class in The South.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Race and Class; Institution of Slavery; Class systems; planter aristocracy; Racial society/Racial assumptions; Southern distinctions.

DURATION: 03:59

African American Culture

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the development of African American culture and the reciprocal effects of that development. A brief examination of the Stono Rebellion is included.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  African American culture; African traditions; Cultural influence on British colonists; Stono Rebellion.

DURATION: 05:51

Gullah

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video briefly describes the development of the language that became the primary means of communication among slaves in South Carolina during the 18th century and how that language and culture continues in that region.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Gullah, West Africa; Language of slaves; Cultural Adaptation/Communication.

DURATION: 01:15

Middle Passage

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes slavery in Africa and the horrifying experiences of the Atlantic slave trade.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Olandah Equiano; slavery/slave trade; African slavery; Market demand for slaves;  Slave "factories"; Middle Passage; tight packing/mortality rates; "scramble"/auction blocks.

DURATION: 06:42

Slave Trade

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides an overview of the early Atlantic Slave Trade and the economics of slavery in the early years of colonial settlement.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slavery; Slave trade; Forced migration; Slave society; Slavery systems.

DURATION: 02:20

Slavery Among Africans

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This brief video provides a description of slavery as practiced among West Africans before the slave trade with Europeans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  African slavery; West Africa; Tribal Warfare/POWs/poverty.

DURATION: 01:06

The Stono Rebellion

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This brief video examines he causes and consequences of the Stono Rebellion in 1739.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Spanish sanctuary for slaves; Stono Rebellion; Charleston, South Carolina; African American culture/African traditions/Angola; reprisals.

DURATION:

 

Videos Covering the Period from about the 1750s to the 1830s

 

1754-1774 Making a Revolution – 9 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Revolutionary Society

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides an introduction to the American Revolution by placing it in the context of revolutions in general, and by explaining why America was ripe for a revolution.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Meanings of revolution; Motives for revolution; political, economic, social transformation of colonial America; English tradition of rights; a revolutionary society.

DURATION: 03:26:

Endgame

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of the developing colonial unity in opposition to British policies between 1754 and 1774, and examines the question of inevitability of the American revolution.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  The Albany Congress; the First Continental Congress, Liberty/British Control; National consciousness; Political unity.

DURATION03:02:

Opening Moves

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The French and Indian War, fought and won by the British, changed the political dynamics in British North America. This video examines British policies and colonial reactions between 1754 and 1763.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  French and Indian; American Indians; Virginia Militia; Albany Congress/Albany Plan of Union; Benjamin Franklin; Treaty of Paris, 1763; Proclamation Line, Taxes/Right of taxation; Presence of British

DURATION: 03:48

Queens Corner

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines how protests, boycotts, and the Boston Tea Party brought  out both a significant shift in British policy and a significant movement toward colonial unity.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Boycotts of English products; Role of women; Tax on Tea/ The Tea Act; Boston Tea Party; Sons of Liberty; Samuel Adams; Boston Harbor; The Coercive Acts; First Continental Congress; Committees of correspondence; Continental Association; John Adams/George Washington/ Patrick Henry/Joseph Galloway.

DURATION: 06:09:

The Blunder

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  In the context of the American revolutionary movement, this video analyzes the causes and consequences of the Boston Massacre.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  British troops; Standing armies; Tensions in Boston; Boston Massacre; Propaganda; Samuel Adams/Paul Revere; Liberty/power.

DURATION: 03:45

The First Continental Congress

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly examines the convening and importance of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Coercive Acts, First Continental Congress; Joseph Galloway; Sam Adams; Committees of Correspondence; Continental Association; John Adams/George Washington/Patrick Henry; British control/Independence.

DURATION: 01:55:

The Gambit

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the short- and long-term significance of James Otis' arguments against the British Writs of Assistance.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Writs of Assistance; James Otis; John Adams; Natural Rights; "Higher law"; Limited government; Declaration of Independence; The 4th Amendment.

DURATION: 03:37

The Middle Game

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  To help pay for the expense of its empire in America, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This video explains the American reaction to this British move.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Stamp Act; Protests; Sons of Liberty; liberty/slavery; Stamp Act Congress; Taxation without representation; the Declaratory Act.

DURATION: 03:58

The Proclamation Line

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  After the French and Indian War, the British proclaimed an arbitrarily drawn line designed to prevent or slow down any westward expansion and to reduce Indian conflict against the Colonists. This video examines the consequences of this decision by the British.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  French and Indian War; Treaty of Paris, 1763; American Indians; Taxes/Right of taxation; Presence of British troops.

DURATION: 01:46

 

Declaring Independence – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

Declaring Equality

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video focuses on the drafting of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and on the philosophical and political foundations of equality in that document.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Thomas Jefferson; Declaration of Independence; "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; Continental Congress; John Adams; Benjamin Franklin; Enlightenment; political philosophy; "all men are created equal"; consent of the people; meanings of equality and liberty; slavery/slave trade; living up to principles.

DURATION 08:10:

From this time forward…

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of how the Declaration of Independence has inspired social and political reform movements and shaped the course of American history.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  July 4, 1976; John Adams; Declaration of Independence; Women's Rights Movement/Seneca Falls; African Americans/slavery/abolition/Civil Rights Movement/Martin Luther King, Jr.; Abraham Lincoln; Civil War; "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; equality/inalienable rights; gay rights.

DURATION: 03:56

Justifying Revolution

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to justify a revolution against King George III.  The grievances against the King, cited in the Declaration, are examined in this video.  In addition, the video analyzes the importance of Common Sense in the revolutionary movement to break ties with the King.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Declaration of Independence; Second Continental Congress; Philadelphia; Thomas Jefferson; King George III; grievances against the King; Lexington/ Concord, Massachusetts; American militiamen; Paul Revere; American Revolution; British Parliament; Common Sense; Thomas Paine.

DURATION 05:36:

Lexington & Concord

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts in 1775 were, essentially, the first battles of the American Revolution.  This video analyzes the causes and consequences of these battles

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Lexington & Concord, Massachusetts; American militiamen; Paul Revere.

DURATION 01:37:

The American Creed

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly examines the origins of the Declaration of Independence, its "magic words", and the profound effects that the document would have on the history of the modern world.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Declaration of Independence; King George III; Second Continental Congress; Thomas Jefferson; meaning/uses of the Declaration.

DURATION 02:46:

The Men Who Signed

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a brief profile of some of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson; John Adams; Benjamin Franklin; Francis Lewis; Thomas Nelson, Jr.; Richard Stockton; James Wilson; Samuel Chase; Elbridge Gerry; George Ross; George Wythe; Benjamin Rush.

DURATION: 02:55

The Unanimous Declaration

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  After Thomas Jefferson's original draft was scrutinized, debated, and revised, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress.  This video analyzes this process and the end result.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson; Benjamin Franklin; "self-evident "truths"; Continental Congress; July 4, 1776; "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America"; treason.

DURATION 03:41:

 

Winning Independence: The War – 9 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A World Turned Upside Down

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the effects of the American Revolution on loyalists, patriots, women, African Americans, American Indians, and the world at large.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  American Revolution; loyalists; patriots; women; equality/liberty/slavery/abolition;  American Indians; world transformed.

DURATION: 02:42

Black Patriots

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the opportunities and choices the Revolutionary War presented to slave and free African Americans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; Trenton; Prince Whipple; African Americans; freedom; slaves/free blacks; Lord Dunmore's Proclamation; black soldiers.

DURATION: 02:19

Molly Pitchers

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the roles of women both at the battle at Monmouth, New Jersey, and in the Revolutionary war as a whole.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  "Molly Pitcher"; Molly Ludwig Hayes; roles of women in the American Revolution.

DURATION 02:05:

Monmouth and the Molly Pitchers

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the battle at Monmouth, New Jersey, in June, 1778, and the impact women had in both this battle and the war as a whole.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Monmouth, NJ; George Washington; General Charles Lee; "Molly Pitcher"; Molly Ludwig Hayes; roles of women in the American Revolution; Continental Army; British strategy.

DURATION 04:16:

The Long Winter

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the effects of the winter the American troops spent at Valley Forge in 1777-1778.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Revolutionary War; Valley Forge; hardships; Pennsylvania; George Washington; comradeship; Baron von Steuben; manual of arms/drills; Monmouth, NJ.

DURATION 05:07:

The War for Independence: A Strategy for Victory

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The American war for independence stood at a turning point in the summer of 1776.  This video examines comparative strengths and weaknesses and the American strategy for victory.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  1776; George Washington; Long Island/ East River/Manhattan; British Empire/military strength; American strengths and weaknesses; Revolutionary War.

DURATION 03:49:

The War Takes a Turn

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the importance of the American victory at Trenton in December, 1776, and the opportunities and choices the war presented to African Americans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; New York; Revolutionary War; Continental Army; Manhattan; New Jersey; Delaware River; General Howe; British forces; German forces/Trenton; Prince Whipple; African Americans; freedom; slaves/free blacks; Lord Dunmore's Proclamation; black soldiers.

DURATION: 04:16

Tories

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  After their defeat at Monmouth, the British shifted the war to the South.  This video analyzes the new British strategy, its dependence on American loyalist support, and the reasons why the British ultimately lost the war and the Americans won.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  "Beat Americans with Americans"; Charleston, SC; Revolutionary War; loyalists; the "disaffected"; militia/guerilla war; General Nathan Greene/"The Crab"; General Cornwallis; Yorktown, Virginia; French navy; Yorktown surrender; destiny; geography; British military leadership; hubris; world war; George Washington; French aid; American ideology.

DURATION: 04:32

Wartime Allies

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Focusing on the battle at Oriskany, New York, and its consequences, this video examines the importance of wartime allies for both the British and the Americans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Revolutionary War; August 6, 1777; Battle of Oriskany; Fort Stanwix; Rebel militia; American Indians; Loyalists/Tory allies/Senecas; Oneida Indians; New York; Major General John Burgoyne; Lake George/Lake Champlain; Oswego/ Mohawk Valley; Saratoga, NY; French Alliance.

DURATION: 03:14

 

Inventing a Nation: The Constitution – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A More Perfect Union

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Using the Preamble of the Constitution as a guide, this video analyzes the state of the nation being governed under the Articles of Confederation.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Preamble of the Constitution; Articles of Confederation; Congress/state sovereignty; Domestic tranquility; Daniel Shays/Shays' Rebellion; James Madison; Indians/Britain/Spain; Economic depression/trade/commerce/currency; Northwest Territory/Northwest Ordinance; slavery; George Washington; Alexander Hamilton.

DURATION: 07:19:

Behind Closed Doors

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the political issues addressed by the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.  The pivotal role played by James Madison during the convention is also analyzed.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  1787; Constitutional Convention; Philadelphia; James Madison; representation; Large/small states; Benjamin Franklin; "The Great Compromise"; Senate/House of Representatives; Sectional issues; Three-Fifths Compromise"; Slavery; National government/executive branch/independent judiciary; Madison's notes.

DURATION: 0 6:45:

More Than a Blueprint

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the importance of the Constitution in shaping America.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Constitution; framework/blueprint; divided government political positions/ interpretation; "original meanings"/historical experience; unifying symbol.

DURATION: 0 3:43:

Newburg Conspiracy

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines a threatened mutiny by a group of disgruntled army officers near the end of the Revolutionary War. The conspiracy illustrated the anxiety present in the new nation.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Revolutionary War; Military officers pay; Newburgh, NY; George Washington, Congress; National anxiety.

DURATION: 0 3:36:

The Bill of Rights

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Once the Constitution was implemented, Congress took up the issue of adding a bill of rights.  This video examines this debate and the eventual decision to incorporate the Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Bill of Rights; James Madison; Constitution;, amendments; Limiting government's authority.

DURATION: 0 2:18

The Race to Ratify

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the passionate debate that surrounded the ratification of the Constitution in 1787 and 1788.  The importance of the Federalist Papers is also examined.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Ratification of the Constitution; Anti-federalists; Bill of Rights; Virginia/New York; Federalist Papers; Alexander Hamilton/James Madison/ Benjamin Franklin.

DURATION: 04:00

 

A New Nation: Searching for Stability – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A New Era in a New Country

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a brief examination of the challenges facing the nation in 1789 and the competing visions of the future of America.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; George Washington's inauguration; New York City; Alexander Hamilton; Thomas Jefferson; Challenges facing America; Visions for America.

 

Hamilton’s Republic

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Focusing on Alexander Hamilton's plan to address the financial problems facing the nation in 1789, this video analyzes Hamilton's proposals and the opposition to them.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  National Debt; Alexander Hamilton; Assumption of state debts; funding the debts; taxes; Bank of the United States; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; George Washington; "Strict construction"/loose construction"/implied powers; Political opposition.

 

The State of the Nation

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a historical tour and perspective of key areas of the United States and areas that will become part of the nation as they looked in 1789-1790.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  New York City; the first Capital; Urban issues and opportunities; Slavery/slave trade; Charleston; Black and white artisans; Plantations/small farmers; Indian territories/Indian relations; Spain; St. Louis; Santa Fe; San Francisco; the Pacific Northwest.

DURATION: 09:44

The Vision that Prevailed

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of the political and economic stability brought to the new nation by George Washington's leadership and Alexander Hamilton's financial plan.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; Alexander Hamilton; Establishment of economic credibility;
Hamilton's vision of America.

02:15

The Whiskey Rebellion

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the issues surrounding the resistance to the collection of a federal excise tax in 1794.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Tariffs; Excise taxes/Whiskey Tax; Grain Farmers/ Whiskey Rebellion; Powers of the national government; Law and order; Alexander Hamilton; George Washington; Understanding the American revolution.

DURATION: 02:11

Washington’s Legacy

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the leadership of George Washington and his place in American history.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Legacy; George Washington-man and myth; Qualities of leadership; Hamilton/Jefferson/Madison; Uses of power/Giving up power.

DURATION: 05:31

 

A Peaceful Transfer of Power – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

Conflicts in the 1790s

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly introduces problems - both internal and external - facing the United States in the mid-1790s. 

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Mid-1790s; American Indians/encroaching settlers; European wars; political parties.

DURATION:

The Election of 1800

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  By the end of the 18th century, two distinct political parties had emerged within the United States:  the Federalists and the Republicans.  This video examines the hotly contested election of 1800 and the peaceful transfer of power that took place in 1801.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; Political parties; Federalists/Republicans; Thomas Jefferson/Alexander Hamilton/James Madison/John Adams/Charles C.
Pinckney/Aaron Burr; political organizing/ party behavior/mobilizing voters;  election of 1800; electoral vote tie/Constitution/House of Representatives/12th Amendment; Transfer of power; Precedent.

DURATION: 06:03

The Election of 2000

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Like the election of 1800, the 2000 presidential election challenged the stability of democracy in America.  This video examines the outcome of this historically close race. Once again, a peaceful transfer of power took place.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  2000 presidential election; Florida; Supreme Court decision; George W, Bush/ Al Gore; Transfer of power.

DURATION: 0:56

The Quasi-War

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  In the 1790s, the United States tried to remain neutral as war raged between Great Britain and France.  However, the United States soon found itself in an undeclared war with France. This video analyzes the causes and consequences, of this quasi-war.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; Washington's Farewell Address; war between Great Britain and France; U.S. treaty with France; U.S. neutrality policy; John Jay/ Jay's Treaty; John Adams; France's seizure of U.S. ships; XYZ Affair; "Quasi War"; Alien & Sedition Acts; High Federalists; Freedom of the press/Republican press; Republican Party; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions; Nullification; Secession/state rights; Treaty of Mortefontaine (Convention of 1800); Election of 1800; Precedent/isolationism.

DURATION: 06:36

The Supreme Law of the Land

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This brief video uses the recent land claims dispute between the Oneida Indians and New York state to illustrate the ongoing legal issues related to Indian treaties.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  American Indians; Right to the land; Oneidas; New York State; Oneida Reservation; Supreme Court decision, 1985; Recompense.

DURATION: 0 2:03:

The Treaty of Greenville

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  In the 1790s, the Ohio Territory became a major source of conflict between American Indians and military forces of the United States.  This video analyzes the battles in that region and the effects of the Treaty of Greenville.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  George Washington; encroaching settlers/Indian Territory; American Indians; Ohio/Ohio River; Shawnees/Miamis/Delawares/Wyandots; General Arthur St. Clair; Little Turtle; General Anthony Wayne; Maumee; Battle of Fallen Timbers; Treaty of Greenville (1795); boundaries; American Indians and alcohol; treaty breakdowns; Precedents; Indian rights/treaty rights.

DURATION: 05:28

 

Jefferson’s Vision: Looking Westward – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

… like a fire bell in the Night

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines how the issue of slavery disturbed the era of good feelings and threatened the future of the expanding United States.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  The Era of Good Feelings; nationalism/sectionalism; Missouri; Slavery/Free States/ Slave States; The Missouri Compromise; Thomas Jefferson.

DURATION: 02:05

Lewis and Clark Expedition

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Having secured the Louisiana Territory, Thomas Jefferson proceeded with his plan to send Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition to explore the West.  This video describes that journey, the reasons for its success, and its consequences.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Thomas Jefferson; Romance & Mystery of the West; The Louisiana Purchase; Lewis and Clark; Northwest Passage;  Corps of Discovery; Missouri River; Mandan Indians; artifacts/animals of the West; Sacagawea; Shoshone Indians; Rocky Mountains; Snake & Columbia Rivers; the Pacific Ocean; Indian relations; geography; Journals of Lewis & Clark Expedition.

DURATION: 13:25

Nation of Land Owners

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's mountain-top estate, symbolized his vision for America.  This brief video segment examines Jefferson's pursuit of an "Empire of Liberty."

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Monticello; Thomas Jefferson; the West; Independence/Virtue/Land Owners/freedom; Romance of the West; American Indians; Empire of Liberty; The Louisiana Purchase; geography.

02:21

Tecumseh

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the Indian leader Tecumseh, who posed a threat to the white man's advance into Indian lands.  Tecumseh's alliance with the British in the War of 1812 and the consequences of that war for American Indians are also examined. 

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Tecumseh and his vision; Indian resentments/Indian resistance; Indian Confederacy/pan-Indian Movement; "War Hawks"; War of 1812; Canada/the British; Indian losses.

05:25

The First Generation

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The generation that inherited the American Revolution came of age during the first half of the 19th century.  This video describes the possibilities, opportunities, and challenges during this period of American history.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Inheriting the Revolution; Sense of Possibility; Rapid Expansion of a Nation; "Manifest Destiny"; Westward migration; Freedom and Opportunity; slavery; American Indians; Spanish people in West.

DURATION: 03:49

We Proceeded on…

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes Thomas Jefferson's pursuit of an "Empire of Liberty" in the West, from the Louisiana Purchase through the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Monticello; Thomas Jefferson; the West; Independence/Virtue/Land Owners/freedom; Romance of the West; American Indians; Empire of Liberty; The Louisiana Purchase; Lewis and Clark; Northwest Passage; Corps of Discovery; Missouri River; Mandan Indians; artifacts/animals of the West; Sacagawea; Shoshone Indians; Rocky Mountains; Snake & Columbia Rivers; the Pacific Ocean; Indian relations; geography; Journals of Lewis & Clark Expedition.

DURATION: 15:42

 

The Market Revolution: 1820s – 1840s – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Free Labor Economy

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the free labor ideology that developed in the North by the mid-19th century and how the free labor economy distinguished the North from the South.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Northwestern frontier; mid-19th century; linking economic & political freedom; free labor ideology; the North (small farmers/small enterprises/independence); the South (large plantation owners/slavery).

DURATION: 02:28

Moving Westward

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The search for independence led many white Americans to move further and further west in the mid-19th century.  This video examines the agricultural boom on the old northwestern frontier and the towns, such as Jacksonville, Illinois, that grew rapidly during this era.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Search for propertied independence; seaboard states/western expansion; northwestern prairies/agriculture/independent family farmers; U.S. Army/ American Indians; road system/federal land policies; old Northwest; Jacksonville, Illinois; "Athens of the West"; social problems in Jacksonville/religious factionalism/slavery; Bob & Emily Logan; abolitionists/Underground Railroad; railroads; continual migration.

DURATION: 06:17

Nothing runs like a Deere…

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly describes the effect John Deere had on the expansion of farming in the Midwest and on the farm implement business.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  John Deere; Grand Detour, Illinois; the "singing plow"; Midwest farming; Deere & Company.

DURATION: 01:15

Progress in Print

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly examines the personal, social, and political effects of newspapers and printed works in the early 19th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Lowell; newspapers; Lowell Offering; Voice of Industry; factory girls; literacy; opportunities/demands.

DURATION: 02:04

The Big Ditch

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The Erie Canal was built to connect the Hudson River to Lake Erie - thus connecting New York to the trade of the Midwest.  This video describes the process of building the canal and the way it revolutionized the movement of goods and people.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Rome, New York; Erie Canal; July 4, 1817; Judge John Richardson; Hudson River; Albany/Buffalo; Governor Dewitt Clinton; Great Lakes/Trans-Appalachian trade; New York City; "Clinton's Big Ditch"; engineers/canal laborers; public works project; passenger traffic/movement of goods; east-west trade.

DURATION: 07:16

The Market Revolution

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides an overview of the social and technological changes associated with the market revolution occurring in the United States in the early 19th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Early 19th century; technological innovation/cotton gin/steamboats/power looms/ telegraph/transportation; relocation of people; "market revolution"; growth of commerce/markets/new occupations.

DURATION: 02:03         

The Working Women of Lowell

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Towns built around large textile mills began to appear in the northeastern United States as a result of the cotton boom in the early 19th century.  This video focuses on one such town, Lowell, Massachusetts, the female laborers who worked there, and the economic and social changes that resulted.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Cotton boom; large-scale manufacturing/textile mills; northeast/social landscape transformation; carding machine/spinning frame/power loom; female labor force; Francis Cabot Lowell; Merrimack River/Lowell, Massachusetts; wages; boarding houses; Harriet Hanson Robinson; bobbin girl/"drawing-in girl"; women's labor movement; Irish immigrant workers; women's rights movement; women's sphere/public sphere.

 

DURATION: 06:33

 

Jackson: A White Man’s Democracy – 8 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Forced Migration

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes the horrific forced march of Cherokee Indians from their home in Georgia to reservation territory west of the Mississippi River and analyzes the effects of this episode.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Cherokee Indians; Forced migration; The Removal Act of 1830; Andrew Jackson; Ethnic Cleansing/Injustice/Racial Discrimination; Legacy.

DURATION: 0 2:43:

Democracy Flourishes

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides the context for a broader discussion of the changing political climate of the 1820s and 1830s.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Economic, social, & political change; Building of Canals & Railroads; Westward expansion/economic opportunity; Grassroots politics.

DURATION: 01:58         

Federal Bank Showdown

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  President Jackson's decision to kill the Bank of the United States was a classic case of liberty vs. power.  This video examines the issues at stake in this dispute.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Bank of the United States; Nicholas Biddle; Henry Clay; wealthy "elite"; Liberty vs. Power; Election of 1832.

DURATION: 02:03

In the name of majority rule…

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of President Jackson, Jacksonian democracy, and Indian Removal.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  President Jackson's Style; Popular Appeal to the Average Man; Jackson as an Historical Figure; Indian Removal; Ethnic Cleansing/Racial Justice; Majority Rule; Learning from the Past.

DURATION: 02:57

The Jackson Presidency

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines President Jackson's core beliefs and analyzes his actions during the Nullification Crisis and the Bank War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Andrew Jackson's Core Beliefs; Racism/Slavery; Loyalty; Eaton Affair; John C. Calhoun; Nullification Crisis; States Rights/Limitation of Powers; South Carolina; tariffs/anarchy/treason; Henry Clay; Bank of the U.S.; Nicholas Biddle; Liberty vs. Power; Election of 1832.

DURATION: 07:24

The Panic of 1837

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video briefly describes the events that led to the first great depression in America.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Andrew Jackson; Financial Panic; Land speculation; Specie Circular; Bank failures; Depression.

DURATION: 01:45

The People’s Politician

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes Andrew Jackson's rise from a frontiersman to the President of the United States.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  "Old Hickory"; Andrew Jackson; appeal to a masculine electorate; Jackson's contradictions; the Hermitage; Election of 1824; Jeffersonian Democracy/Jacksonian Democracy; The Corrupt Bargain; Henry Clay/John Quincy Adams; Election of 1828; political campaigning; political dualism; political culture; Jackson's Inauguration.

DURATION: 06:22

Trail of Tears

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Focusing on the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia, this video analyzes President Jackson's controversial decision and its effects.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Cherokee Nation; Assimilation/Civilization program; Cherokee alphabet/ constitution/newspaper; Removal Act of 1830; Relocation; Choctaw/Creek/Chickasaw/Seminole; Chief John Ross; Worcester vs. Georgia;; Sovereign Rights; Trail of Tears; Legacy.

DURATION: 07:37

 

The Slave South: 1820 - 1850 – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  In 1831, a Virginia slave named Nat Turner led a slave rebellion that would last for two days.  The effects of this rebellion would last much longer; however.  This video describes the rebellion and its consequences.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slave rebellion; Nat Turner; Southhampton County, Virginia; harsher slave laws (worship, literacy); the South; Turner as hero/terrorist.

DURATION: 04:32

North and South—Two Ways of Life

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  During the first half of the 19th century, the economies of both the North and the South were moving in very different directions.  This video briefly contrasts the North's diversifying economy with the South's increasing dependence on cotton and slavery.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Cotton/cotton gin; slavery; westward expansion; northern diversity/southern reliance on cotton and slaves.

DURATION: 0 1:40:

Quilts and the Underground Railroad

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes the hidden visual codes found in slave quilts and the possibility that these messages helped slaves escape to freedom in the North.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Africa; slave quilts; Ozella Nathaniel Williams; visual codes (wagon wheel, bear's paw, tumbling blocks); escaping slavery.

DURATION: 01:45

Runaways and Rebellion

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines both runaway slaves and those who chose to rebel.  In particular, the slave rebellion led by Virginia slave Nat Turner in 1831 is analyzed.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slavery/runaway slaves; slave patrols/slave catchers/white vigilantes; punishment/whippings; slave rebellion; Nat Turner; Southhampton County, Virginia; harsher slave laws (worship, literacy); the South; corruption/denial; self-worth of slaves.

DURATION: 08:42

Shaped by Slavery

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Slavery defined the Southern way of life in the first half of the 19th century.  This video examines the expansion of slavery and the political, economic, social, and philosophical arguments used to defend the institution.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slavery; the South; planters' power/plantations; the North; economic impact of slavery/exportation of cotton; slaveholders; racism; poor white southerners; Southern social structure; the "positive good" argument; Christianity; Southern reaction to abolitionists.

DURATION: 04:18

The Long Road

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of the long-term effects of slavery and the struggle in America to address and understand the complex history of slavery.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slavery/"stain of slavery"; Declaration of Independence; equality/inequality; Civil War; American culture; Somerset Place/Homecoming.

DURATION: 02:58

The Slave World

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The lives of slaves varied greatly depending on upon the kind of work they did and the circumstances in which they lived.  This video analyzes the diverse lives of slaves and the unique culture they created within the confines of their world.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Slavery; various slave occupations (small farm laborers, urban household servants, factory workers, riverboat men, carpenters, blacksmiths, prostitutes); plantations; roles of men, women, and children slaves on plantations; slave/owner negotiation; slaves and the land; slave culture (religion, folktales, music, dance); slave resistance/defiance; violence/whippings; slave families; slaves as property/slaves as humans.

DURATION: 08:29

 

Videos Covering the Period from about the 1830s to 1877

The Social Reformers: Perfecting America – 8 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

… a restorer of Truth and Goodness

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video provides a summary analysis of how the social reform movements of the early and mid-19th century shaped America and what those movements teach us about social change.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Social Change/Social Reform; Social Gospel; The Abolition, Feminist, and Temperance Movements; Utopian Vision; Process of Social Reform.

DURATION: 02:27

An Affront in the eyes of God

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The call for immediate emancipation of slaves was a radical idea that spread rapidly in the North from the 1830s through the 1850s. This video analyzes how and why this happened and why it was important.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  William Lloyd Garrison; The Liberator; American Anti-Slavery Society; Immediate Emancipation; African American Equality; Slavery as sin; advocacy journalism; The doctrine of Abolition; Frederick Douglass; The North Star; Women Abolitionists; Grimke sisters; Sojourner Truth; Abby Kelly Foster; Public Discussion of Slavery.

DURATION: 06:43

Ar’n’t I a Woman?

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The abolition movement gave new spirit, energy, and resolve to those who believed women should be equal to men.  This video analyzes the beginning of an independent women's rights movement and the reforms advocated by these activists.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Women's Rights; Religion/Higher Authority; Lucretia Mott; Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Seneca Falls Convention; Declaration of Sentiments; Woman as Man's equal; Bloomers; Female Abolitionists; Sojourner Truth.

DURATION: 05:36

I am the Revelation

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video discusses how and why women became important in reform movements during the early and mid-19th century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  The Millennium/Perfectionism; Social Reform; Women's Esteem; Women's Education; Catherine Beecher/Hartford Seminary; Dorothea Dix/Hospitals for the Insane; the temperance movement.

DURATION: 03:33

Paradise on Earth

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  In the early 19th century, the search for religious perfectionism swept the country.  This video examines the lives of the Shakers and the Mormons to illustrate the religious ferment of the era.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Religion; Second Great Awakening; Religious revivalism/renewal; the Millennium; perfectionism; religious communes; Shakers; Ann Lee; Celibacy; gender equity; Mormons; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Joseph Smith; Book of Mormon; Nauvoo, Illinois; Polygamy; Brigham Young; Utah/Salt Lake City.

DURATION: 07:22

The Mormons

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  Amidst the religious ferment of the early 1800s, many new religions were formed. This video examines the Mormons and their attempts to practice their beliefs.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Religion;  Religious renewal/the Millennium; Mormons; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Joseph Smith; Book of Mormon; Nauvoo, Illinois; Polygamy; Brigham Young; Utah/Salt Lake City.

DURATION: 03:14

The Shakers

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video describes the origins, the practices, and eventual demise of the Shaker religious commune.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Religious Communes; Religious renewal/the Millennium; Shakers; Ann Lee; Celibacy; gender equity.

DURATION: 02:40

Two Sisters-Women’s Rights

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video introduces the topics of religion and reform in America during the early and mid-19th century by focusing on the story of Sarah and Angelina Grimke.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Sarah and Angelina Grimke; Religion; Abolitionists; Women's Rights; Second Great Awakening; Quakers; William Lloyd Garrison; Reform/Freedom of Speech/public sphere for women.

DURATION: 02:04

 

Moving Westward: Manifest Destiny – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

Manifest Destiny

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The concept that America was destined by providence to expand its territory across the continent is known as "Manifest Destiny."  The influence of this idea and its consequences are briefly described in this video.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: "Manifest Destiny"; providence/mission; racism/ethnocentrism/imperialism;
John L. O'Sullivan.

DURATION: 01:42

Oregon Fever

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  As the western movement of American settlers increased in the 1840s, the northwest territory of Oregon came into dispute.  This video examines the root causes and ultimate resolution of that dispute.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  James K. Polk; Election of 1844; "54° 40' or Fight"; moving west/Oregon Trail; Great Britain; influence of California and Texas on situation

DURATION: 03:43

Provoking War

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The U.S. - Mexican War began in 1846 after provocations on the Texas border.    This video examines both sides of the debate about who started the war and why.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  U.S. - Mexican War; disputed territory; Rio Grande/Nueces Rivers; President James K. Polk; General Arista.

DURATION: 02:53

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, ended the U.S. - Mexican War.  This treaty, however, would do far more than just end the war.  This video analyzes the immediate and long-term consequences of the Treaty and the War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  U.S. - Mexican War; Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; Mexican Cession; Article 9/ Mexican-Americans' citizenship; land rights; effect on American Indians; long-term consequences

DURATION: 04:56

The U.S. - Mexican War

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video analyzes the beginning of the U.S.-Mexican War, the reasons for U.S. victory, and the consequences of the war.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  U.S.-Mexican War; Disputed territory; Texas; Rio Grande/Nueces Rivers; President James K. Polk; General Arista; support and opposition to the war in the U.S.; military strategy and operations; reasons for U.S. victory; Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; Mexican Cession; Article 9/Mexican-American citizenship; land rights; effect on American Indians; long-term consequences.

DURATION: 11:15

We Must Have Texas

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This video examines the tensions between the Mexican government and Anglo settlers in Texas, the subsequent battle for Texas' independence, and the 8-year debate over whether the resulting Republic should be annexed by the United States.

CONTENT ELEMENTS:  Texas; Mexico; Mexican policies in Texas; land grants; debates over slavery; Stephen F. Austin; Sam Houston; Texas Revolt/Texas' Independence; debates over annexation; President John Tyler; President James K. Polk.

DURATION: 04:51

 

Slavery’s Shadow: Crisis and Compromise – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Divided Nation

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As America evolved in the first half of the 19th century, two different identities, the North and the South, emerged. The South was known for its slower agrarian way of life dependent on slavery, while the North was known for its rapidly changing commerce and free-labor ideology. This video sets the stage for the looming civil war and examines why that war lives on in American memory.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Regional Differences; The North/The South; Agriculture/Intensification of Commerce; Free labor/Slave labor; Civil War in American Memory.

DURATION: 03:46

New Mexico Territory in the 1850s

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The addition of the New Mexico territory to the U.S. in 1848 created many opportunities, but with it came many problematic issues regarding land rights and cultural clashes among Indians, Mexican Americans and Anglos.  This video examines life in Santa Fe at mid-century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: U.S. Geography; Santa Fe Trail; Santa Fe; social scene/La Tules Barcelo; Land rights; border issues; Pueblo Indians/Navaho; Apache; Statehood; Slavery.

DURATION: 03:08

New York and Charleston

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: By examining life in New York City and Charleston in 1850, this video provides a portrait of regional differences at that time.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Upstate New York; Abolitionists; New York City; slavery issue; commercial/urban center; Charleston, SC; "Queen City of the South"; Seaman's Act; defense of slavery; intellectual blockade; free black elite.

DURATION: 04:32

Oregon Territory to San Francisco

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: By 1850, The Oregon Territory had abundant resources and drew many settlers, but it did not have easy routes to move goods back east.  Oregon developed slowly, but with the discovery of gold, San Francisco and California grew quickly.  This video examines developments on the West Coast and links them to the nation at large.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: National Geography; Oregon/The Oregon Trail; Settlers/Indians/Treaties broken/ Indian Reservations; missionaries; slaves/free blacks; resources; San Francisco/ California; Pacific Ocean/Gateway to the Far East; the Gold Rush/population growth; violence; mining camps/diversity; statehood issue; free state; slavery.

DURATION: 05:21

St. Louis in the 1850s

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: By 1850, St. Louis was thriving as a hub city for North-South and East-West traffic and trade.  This video provides an historical snapshot of the city at mid-century.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: National Geography; Free States/Slave States; Departure Point/Freedom seekers; Gateway to the West.

DURATION: 01:40

The Compromise of 1850

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: When California applied for admission to the United States as a state, the issue touched off a much broader debate in the U.S. Senate.  This video analyzes those issues and the attempt to reach a compromise on them.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: 1850; California/Statehood; Balance of Power; The Wilmot Proviso; slave states/free states; Henry Clay; Daniel Webster; John C. Calhoun; The Great Debate; Stephen Douglas; The Compromise of 1850.

DURATION: 05:42

The United States in 1850

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video uses six regional locations to examine the state of the nation in 1850.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: U.S. Geography in 1850; regional/sectional issues; slavery in the territories; Upstate New York/New York City; Charleston, SC; St Louis; Santa Fe; Oregon Territory; San Francisco/California.

DURATION: 15:18

 

Irrepressible Conflicts: The 1850s – 7 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Higher Law

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law created a mechanism for recapturing fugitive slaves across the country.  This video describes the open resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law from individuals, organizations, and state governments in the North.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Compromise of 1850; Fugitive Slave Law; slavery; federal commissioners/abolitionists/slave catchers; Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society; states' rights; Theodore Parker; William Lloyd Garrison; Constitution; "higher law"; Boston/Anthony Burns; President Pierce/federal troops.

DURATION: 06:26

A New Party

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines the shifting political realignment of the1850s, highlighted by the emergence of a new sectional party, the Republicans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Political realignment; Whigs/Democrats; sectionalism; Kansas-Nebraska Act; third party movement; Republican Party; slavery/anti-slavery; Stephen Douglas.

DURATION: 01:59         

Bleeding Kansas

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As western expansion continued, so too did the issue of slavery in new territories.   This video analyzes the causes and consequences of Stephen Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Act.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Westward expansion; Kansas-Nebraska Act; Stephen Douglas ("The Little Giant"); homesteaders; Indian land/Reservations; popular sovereignty; Lawrence, KS; John Brown; "Bleeding Kansas"; Charles Sumner/Preston Brooks; Free Soilers/border ruffians; LeCompton Constitution.

DURATION: 08:10

Dred Scott

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the background, the Supreme Court's decision, and the immediate effects of the Dred Scott case.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Supreme Court; Dred Scott; John Emerson; Ft. Armstrong; Ft. Snelling; Missouri Compromise; St. Louis; John Sandford; Dred Scott v. Sandford; Chief Justice Roger Taney; 5th Amendment; slaves as property; pro-slavery verdict; Constitution as pro slavery; Republican Party.

DURATION: 05:52

Revolutions Never Go Backward

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides as summary analysis of the consequences of Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott decision.  With the nation divided over the issue of slavery, the stage was set for the election of Abraham Lincoln and, ultimately, the Civil War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Pro/anti slavery forces; northerners/southerners; Dred Scott decision; Republican Party; Abraham Lincoln.

DURATION: 01:57

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel dealing with slavery in America written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, became a literary phenomenon in the 1850s.  This video briefly examines the immense impact this work had in spreading the abolitionist cause.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Fugitive Slave Law; slavery; Harriet Beecher Stowe; Uncle Tom's Cabin; abolition; public perception.

DURATION: 01:46

Webster’s Compromise

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This brief video uses Daniel Webster's personal decision to support the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 to introduce the national struggle in the 1850s to confront the issue of slavery.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Daniel Webster; slavery; Compromise of 1850; Fugitive Slave Law; abolitionists.

DURATION: 01:14

 

The Union Collapses: Secession – 6 Videos  

Video Name

Description Field

A Perpetual Union

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As calls for secession increased in the late 1850s, the man who would be president never wavered in his belief that the Union was perpetual.  This brief video provides an introduction to a discussion of Abraham Lincoln.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Abraham Lincoln; Secessionists/disunionists; states' rights/perpetual Union.

DURATION: 01:00

Election and Secession

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the presidential election of 1860 and its results, including the secession of seven southern states.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Election of 1860; Democratic Party split; Stephen Douglas; John C Breckenridge; Republican Party Convention; Abraham Lincoln; William Seward; John Bell/Constitutional Union Party; Election results; Secession; Sam Houston; Confederate States of America; Alexander Stevens; Jefferson Davis; Lincoln's Inauguration; Lincoln's views on secession; Lincoln's Inaugural Address.

DURATION: 8:00

John Brown

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry and the consequences of this action.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: John Brown; Abolition movement; slave rebellion; Harpers Ferry; John Brown's capture, trial, hanging; Northern/Southern reactions.

DURATION: 05:14

Mathew Brady

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The ability of media to sway voters is given perspective in this video about the photographer who made a famous portrait of Lincoln.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Cooper Union/New York; Photography; Mathew Brady; Image power.

DURATION: 01:18

Mr. Lincoln

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video traces Abraham Lincoln's early interest in politics, his commitment to freedom for all, and his path to national attention.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Lincoln's background; Lincoln's critics; Springfield, Illinois; free-labor society; Slavery; Kansas Nebraska Act/Republican Party; Stephen Douglas; popular sovereignty;  "House divided" speech; Lincoln-Douglas Debates; Dred Scott decision/Freeport Doctrine; Cooper Union speech; William Seward; national press.

DURATION: 09:11

The Stage For War

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides perspectives on the inevitability of the Civil War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War as inevitable?; Irrepressible Conflict; free-labor/slave-labor societies; "House Divided"; Union/Secession.

DURATION: 02:36

 

The Civil War: Early Years – 6 videos

Video Name

Description Field

A Momentous Issue

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: In 1861, America stood on the brink of civil war.  This video focuses on the words of Abraham Lincoln in his inaugural address as he spoke to an anxious, divided nation.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Abraham Lincoln; Inaugural Address; 1861; Civil War.

DURATION: 1:04

Bull Run to Fredericksburg

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video examines some of the first major battles which took place during the first two years of the Civil War.  The battles at Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam and Fredericksburg showed people in both the North and the South that the war would be far costlier and longer than they first expected.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Abraham Lincoln; General Irwin McDowell; Army of the Potomac; Washington, D.C.; Manassas/Bull Run; General P.G.T. Beauregard; "Stonewall" Jackson; civilian onlookers; General George McClellan; Western Theater of War; General Ulysses S. Grant; Fort Henry/Fort Donelson; Tennessee; Pittsburg Landing; General Albert Sidney Johnston; Shiloh; Hornet's Nest; Don Carlos Buell; Corinth, Mississippi; General Robert E. Lee; Antietam; General Ambrose Burnside; Fredericksburg; Marye's Heights; casualties of war.

DURATION: 9:04

Fort Sumter

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Fort Sumter, located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, was the most prominent federal installation still in the hands of the federal government in the seceding states in March 1861.  This video examines the importance of Fort Sumter to both sides and the reasons the bombardment of this garrison inaugurated the Civil War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Abraham Lincoln; secession; Fort Sumter; Charleston, South Carolina; Major Robert Anderson; Lincoln's options; Confederacy; Jefferson Davis; Union surrender of Fort Sumter.

DURATION: 5:51

On The Verge

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the status of the Civil War at the end of 1862 and why it appeared the Confederates were on the verge of winning.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Matthew Brady; photos of war dead; Confederacy/Union; western/eastern theaters; General Robert E. Lee; General George McClellan; Virginia/Maryland/Kentucky/Ohio River; demoralized Union/confident Confederates.

DURATION:

Two Generals

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The two legendary military commanders of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union and General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy, are the focus of this video.  Though they were very different men, both were brilliant commanders who shared a willingness to take risks.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; General Robert E. Lee; General Ulysses S. Grant; West Point; Mexican War; tactics/strategy; risks.

DURATION: 2:49

Why They Fought

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As the Civil War began, spirits were high on both sides, and many were optimistic that it would be a short war.  This video analyzes the reasons people signed up to fight and the advantages each side held.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Fort Sumter; Abraham Lincoln; volunteers; Confederacy; secession of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas; border states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky and Missouri; legacy of the American Revolution; reasons for fighting; northern material advantage/southern strategic advantage; civilian population

DURATION: 6:21

 

The Civil War: Home Fronts – 5 videos

Video Name

Description Field

Digital History

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:  This segment presents an overview of how the Internet is being used in the study of the Civil War.  One resource featured is the interactive website, "The Valley of the Shadow."

CONTENT ELEMENTS: History on the Internet; "The Valley of the Shadow."

DURATION: 1:53

Emancipation

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes two of the most important decisions made by President Lincoln during the Civil War: issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and using black troops.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Using runaway slaves; Abraham Lincoln; Emancipation Proclamation - its limits and importance; Military Service of Blacks; 54th Massachusetts/free blacks; Fort Wagner; Robert Gould Shaw; Southern Reactions; discrimination toward black troops in Union Army.

DURATION: 8:12

The Center of the Struggle

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of key developments on both the southern and northern home fronts during the Civil War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Economic & physical destruction in South; Slavery at the center of the struggle in South; African American participation in North.

DURATION: 3:44

The War at Home – The North

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Sustaining the war on the home front was critical for victory.  This video analyzes how people and institutions in the North were affected by the war and focuses on Franklin County, Pennsylvania, as a case study.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Federal Income Tax; The Draft; Agricultural and industrial production; power of the Federal Government; Shenandoah Valley; Franklin County, Pennsylvania; women on the home front.

DURATION: 5:57

The War at Home – The South

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The South had a very different experience during the Civil War compared to the North. This video examines the southern home front, featuring the experience of Augusta County, Virginia.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Union Naval Blockade; Agricultural Economy; Hardships/Shortages/Starvation/Refugees; political/economic challenges for the Confederacy; Wartime economy/taxes; draft; Women on the southern home front; Shenandoah Valley; Augusta County, Virginia; slavery breaking down; plunder.

DURATION: 6:46

 

The Civil War: Resolution – 7 videos

Video Name

Description Field

Civil War: The Tide Turns

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a brief synopsis of the state of the Civil War in the spring of 1863 and suggests that the tide would soon turn in favor of the North.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Chancellorsville, Virginia; General Joseph Hooker; General Robert E. Lee; Mississippi River; Vicksburg; anti-war sentiment.

DURATION: 1:11

Gettysburg Address

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The battlefield at Gettysburg was dedicated as a war memorial on November 19, 1863.  This video analyzes President Lincoln's short speech given there in which he put forth the idea of giving the nation "a new birth of freedom."

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Gettysburg; Edward Everett; Abraham Lincoln; Gettysburg Address; Declaration of Independence; "new birth of freedom."

DURATION: 3:18

The Battle of Gettysburg

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.  This video analyzes the battle and, in particular, the decisions made by General Robert. E. Lee that ultimately led to disaster for the Confederates.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Union/Confederacy; General Robert E. Lee; Gettysburg; George Gordon Meade; Army of the Potomac; Culp's Hill/east Cemetery Hill/Cemetery Ridge/Little Round Top; James Longstreet; Major General George Pickett/"Pickett's Charge"; "Chancellorsville Syndrome."

DURATION: 4:28

The Beginning of the End

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The battles at Vicksburg and Gettysburg turned the war in favor of the North and marked the beginning of the end for the South.  This video analyzes these battles and the strategic and psychological effects of the Union victories.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Abraham Lincoln; Vicksburg; Mississippi River; geography/strategic importance; Union/Confederacy; Jackson, MS; lines of communication/supply routes/railroads; siege of Vicksburg; General Robert E. Lee; Pennsylvania/Virginia/Gettysburg; George Gordon Meade; Army of the Potomac; Culp's Hill/east Cemetery Hill/Cemetery Ridge/Little Round Top; James Longstreet; Major General George Pickett/ "Pickett's charge"; "Chancellorsville Syndrome"; Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton/surrender at Vicksburg; media coverage/northern morale/strategic gains.

DURATION: 9:38

The End

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox.  This video focuses on the end of the war and the assassination of President Lincoln just five days later.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; General Robert E. Lee; General Ulysses S. Grant; Union/Confederacy; Lee's surrender at Appomattox; Grant's generous terms of surrender; Abraham Lincoln; Ford's Theater; Washington, D.C.; John Wilkes Booth; assassination of Lincoln; Lincoln's tomb; words from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.

DURATION: 2:47

The Legacy

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The Civil War was nothing less than the "Second American Revolution."  This video analyzes the toll the war took on the country, the factors that led to a Northern victory, and the consequences of that victory.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; cost of war; Northern victory; factors in outcome; Abraham Lincoln; preservation of union/abolition of slavery; "new birth of freedom"; free-labor dynamic capitalism; "Second American Revolution."

DURATION: 3:12

Total War

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: When Ulysses S. Grant became the General-in-Chief of the Union forces in 1864, he quickly put into place his plan for a coordinated offensive on all fronts.  This video analyzes Grant's strategy of "relentless" war, including Sherman's march to the sea, and the impact its successes that fall would have in securing the re-election of President Lincoln, and breaking the back of the Confederate armies.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Civil War; Abraham Lincoln; Ulysses S. Grant; Union; coordinated offensives; Confederacy; General Robert E. Lee; Wilderness; 1864 presidential election; Peace Democrats; Petersburg; General Sherman; General Joe Johnston; Georgia/Atlanta; Philip Sheridan/Shenandoah Valley; Lincoln's re-election; Sherman's March, "strategy of exhaustion"; Savannah; South Carolina; Richmond-Petersburg line; Battle of Five Forks; Lee's Retreat; Lincoln enters Richmond.

DURATION: 7:32

 

Reconstructing the Nation – 9 videos

Video Name

Description Field

Early Reconstruction

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: As ex-slaves tried to exercise freedom as Reconstruction began, they encountered obstacles on almost every front.  This video analyzes these issues and the adjustments being made.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Frederick Douglass; the meanings of Freedom; Family/Responsibility/ Expectations; Freedmen's Bureau; Southern white resistance; Land issues; Loss of capital in the South; Wounded soldiers/Medical relief; Labor Relations; Sharecropping System; Black Codes.

DURATION: 7:13

Ku Klux Klan

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The Ku Klux Klan was a terrorist organization whose purpose was to maintain southern white control over blacks through violence and intimidation. This video segment examines the origins and actions of the Klan.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: KKK; Violence/Fear/Intimidation/Harassment; Voting rights; Polling places/Voter Control; Black Republicans.

DURATION: 1:59

Radical Reconstruction

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes Radical Republican attempts to reshape the South and southern resistance to those efforts.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Reconstruction Act of 1867; New State Constitutions; Republican Party/Radical Republicans; Anti-Southern sentiments; States' Rights; Universal Suffrage/Voter Registration; Union Leagues; Education; Political Participation; Prince Rivers; Violence; Ku Klux Klan; Intimidation/Fear; Voter Control; Black Republicans.

DURATION: 6:18

Reconstruction – A Period of Hope

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video introduces some of the major issues facing the United States as the nation began reconstruction after the Civil War.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Freedom; Equality; Status of African Americans; American Principles; Political System; Political participation; Hope.

DURATION: 1:26

The 13th Amendment

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This brief video examines the meaning of the 13th Amendment and its significance in the context of Reconstruction.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Slavery abolished; 13th Amendment; Ratification requirement in South; Southern resistance; "Constitutional Revolution."

DURATION: 1:01

The 14th Amendment

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The 14th Amendment is one of the most important additions ever added to the original Constitution.  This brief video examines its key provisions and their significance.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Freedom; 14th Amendment; Citizenship; Equal Protection of the laws; "Constitutional Revolution"; Radical Republicans.

DURATION: 1:13

The 15th Amendment

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: A crucial part of what freedom means is to have the right to vote. This brief video examines the provisions of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution and its limits.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Voting rights; 15th Amendment; Women's Rights; "Constitutional Revolution."

DURATION: 1:13

The Battle of History

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the successes and failures of Reconstruction, how the era was presented historically, and the legacy of that period.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Political and Social resistance to black equality; Reconstruction; Racial Freedom/ Racial Injustice; Reconstruction history; a Revolution "half-accomplished."

DURATION: 3:14

The End of Reconstruction

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Reconstruction in the South ended when conservative white southern Democrats regained political power in the region. This video analyzes how and why that happened and what it meant for southern blacks.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Reconstruction; White resistance; Northern withdrawal; Racism; Election Violations; Republican Party/Democratic Party; "the Redeemers"; Menial Jobs/Poverty/Loss of Freedom; Prince Rivers; Richard Paine; Robert Smalls.

DURATION: 6:10

 

1876: The Shape of America – 2 videos

Video Name

Description Field

Centennial Celebration

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876, celebrating America's 100th birthday, showcased a nation in the midst of rapid and sweeping change.  This video provides a perspective on the celebration and America at that time.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: 1876 centennial celebration; Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia; Exhibits on display; telephone/Alexander Graham Bell; Susan B. Anthony/women's rights activists/protest; agrarian to industrial transformation; immigration; railroads.

DURATION: 3:20

The United States in 1876

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Using railroads, steamboats and stagecoaches, this video takes the viewer on a tour across America in 1876.  Though the nation varied greatly from region to region, change was happening everywhere in Centennial America.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: U.S. territory/geography; population growth/ immigrants; New York City; industrial & capitalist economy; rich & poor; transcontinental railroad; Chicago/St. Louis; Major League Baseball; Pacific Express; General George Custer; American Indians; Battle of Little Big Horn; Brigham Young/Mormons; Donner Party; San Francisco; Portland; Santa Fe; Mexican Americans; Mark Twain/The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; African Americans; Charleston; phosphate mining; discrimination/women's rights/labor strikes.

DURATION: 11:42

 

Freedom, Equality, and Identity – 8 Videos

Video Name

Description Field

America in 1750

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the development of American identity in the colonial period and the degree of freedom being exercised during that era.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Cultural experiences in forming an American identity; Colonial America; Freedom; Limits of freedom; Slavery; American Indians; Women's freedom/Power of Men; Freedom in world perspective.

DURATION: 7:08

America in 1800

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of how the revolutionary era shaped America both at that time and for the future.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Annapolis, Maryland/Liberty Tree/symbol of patriotism/ Revolutionary War/Sons of Liberty; freedom; Declaration of Independence; Liberty an "inalienable right"; Freedom universalized; Democratization of freedom; Political freedom; Women; slaves/African Americans; American Indians/"civilization program"; land/geography; America's future.

DURATION: 5:22

America in 1848

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video provides a summary analysis of the status of American identity and freedom in 1848.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Freedom; "Manifest Destiny"; American Identity; Mexican Americans; American Indians; free labor; African Americans; abolition/slavery; women's rights; Declaration of Sentiments; universal freedom; boundaries of freedom.

DURATION: 5:50

America in 1876

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video analyzes the status of freedom in America in 1876, particularly as it related to American Indians, women, and African Americans.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Freedom; boundaries of freedom; American Indians; Reservations; identity; women's rights; 14th amendment; "privilege"; African Americans; gains/concerns; meanings of freedom; "contested idea."

DUR ATION: 4:50

Creating History

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video features a diverse array of prominent historians addressing one thing they want students to learn about American history.  Their comments provoke thought as students complete a survey course.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: Creating history; process of history; battle over basic ideals; movement toward reconciliation; studying history; American Identity; History matters.

DURATION: 2:38

Defining America

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Looking at American history as a whole, this video examines both America as a place and an idea, and describes how these two elements helped shape the American identity.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: America; American history; ecosystems/geographical connections; multi-cultural/multi-
racial; American identity; equality/freedom.

DURATION: 3:56

History Matters

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video features a diverse array of speakers giving their thoughts on why history matters.  Their voices help to open the mind of the viewer.

CONTENT ELEMENTS: History; American history.

DURATION: 2:16

Who We Really Are

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Over time, our understanding of American identity has changed.  This video uses the story of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings, to illustrate this point.  Their story, along with the changing demographics of America in the 20th and early 21st centuries, brings into focus the question:  "What does race really mean?"

CONTENT ELEMENTS: American Identity; Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemings relationship; James Callender; Monticello; Madison Hemings; Winthrop Jordan; White Over Black; Fawn Brodie; Thomas Jefferson; An Intimate History; DNA testing; black and white descendants of Jefferson; demographic change in America; blending of people/people of color.

DURATION: 4:54

 

 

For problems with this link or with links to the videos in the WCJC History Department’s Blackboard course, please email using the email address below.

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2014

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/