Precarious Experiment, A: Building Government Structures
At the same time that Americans are struggling to win their independence on the battlefield, they are also struggling to create new institutions of government for themselves. Although each state employs its own method of..
Precarious Experiment, A: Economic Upheaval
There is tremendous economic disruption after the war. The currency is worthless; Robert Morris' proposed 5% duty tax to pay for war debts fails. Under the Articles of Confederation economic problems fall to the states t..
Precarious Experiment, A: Negotiating a Peace Treaty
Cornwallis's defeat at Yorktown and the resignation of Lord North as British prime minister signal the end of the colonies' 7-year struggle with Great Britain. Franklin, Jay, and Oswald represent the United States at the..
Precarious Experiment, A: Precarious Union
Even though the revolution was successful, long-term prospects for the survival of the United States are uncertain. Both internal difficulties and threats from abroad plague the young nation. The leaders of the country a..
Precarious Experiment, A: Western Expansion
The Confederation's most significant accomplishment during the 1780s is the resolution of at least some of the controversies related to western lands. Much of the frontier land had been acquired by land speculators who a..
Prejudice and the Human Brain (Part One)
Social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji talks about experiments that probe racial basis by examining responses of the amygdala in the brain to black and white faces.
Prejudice and the Human Brain (Part Three)
Social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji continues her discussion of the brain's reactions to racially charged images. Dr. Banaji talks about what she calls the "profound sense of...tension and collaboration between the old b..
Prejudice and the Human Brain (Part Two)
Social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji continues her discussion of experiments that look into the way the brain reacts to black and white faces. Dr. Banaji notes that there appear to be two systems in the brain that are inv..
Prejudice: The Eye of the Beholder
Social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji continues her discussion of prejudice and racial bias. Dr. Banaji explains that the data gathered from experiments tells us that, "...while our attitudes are a function of the groups t..
Prenatal Care and Postnatal Activities
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, discusses his views concerning prenatal care and postnatal activities. He recommends that every woman take folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defe..