Chaos of Experimentation, A: Recession of 1937
In 1937 national income nears pre-Depression levels. Roosevelt is forced to cut programs in order to balance the budget. The recession plunges the economy back to depths not experienced since 1933. New Deal measures are ..
Chaos of Experimentation, A: Roosevelt's Court Fight
The margin of Roosevelt's victory emboldens him to challenge the Supreme Court.. His fear is that the Court will overturn the Wagner and Social Security Acts. Roosevelt's idea is to add one Supreme Court justice for ever..
Chaos of Experimentation, A: Second New Deal, The
The year 1935 is often heralded as the wonderful year of the New Deal with a major revision of banking laws that strengthen the Federal Reserve, the "Soak-the-Rich" tax law; and passage of Public Utility Holding Company ..
Chaos of Experimentation, A: Social Security
From the earliest moments of the New Deal, members of the administration, most notably Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, have been lobbying for a system of federally-sponsored social insurance for the elderly and the u..
Chaos of Experimentation, A: White House Staff, the Brain Trust
From his first days in office, President Roosevelt surrounds himself with a cadre of bright, capable assistants. The size of White House staff explodes from a handful to a hundred. His closest advisors, "the brain trust,..
Chinese Exclusion Act, The
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson traces the evolution of negative attitudes towards Chinese immigrants in the United States, culminating with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Choosing The National Capital
Historian Peter Onuf talks about Thomas Jefferson's decision to allow the national capital to be located in Washington D.C. Professor Onuf explains that Jefferson agreed on Washington D.C., because he thought that the po..
Civil Rights Movement Evolves, The
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson talks about the evolution of the Civil Rights movement, explaining how it moved from an emphasis on integration and a philosophy of "race doesn't matter," t..
Civil Rights Movement, The: Beginnings
Professor of history Gary Gerstle talks about the seeds of the civil rights movement in the years following World War II. Professor Gerstle explains that the move towards racial equality in America was motivated to some ..
Civil War, The: A Revolutionary Event
Historian and author Ira Berlin argues that the Civil War was a revolutionary event, not only because it transformed the lives of African-Americans, but because it destroyed the institution of slavery, as well as the wor..