Looking for videos on US political history
November 13, 2024 10:44 AM Subscribe
Like many people here in the United States, my spouse and I are not happy about the recent election here. But we did not get here without precedent; for example, the Nixon administration and Spiro Agnew specifically were very aggressive in demonizing the press as political enemies for reporting on the corruption rampant within that administration. What are some good videos we can watch with other (sympathetic) family members to help them understand the historical underpinnings of our current situation? Some examples of the sort of thing I am talking about below the fold:
Stanley Karnow’s Vietnam: A Television History
BBC’s Oppenheimer
American Experience’s series on LBJ
So 20th century (and earlier, especially slavery/slavers’ rebellion related) US history with a political bent, even if politics isn’t the main thrust. As always, thanks in advance.
Stanley Karnow’s Vietnam: A Television History
BBC’s Oppenheimer
American Experience’s series on LBJ
So 20th century (and earlier, especially slavery/slavers’ rebellion related) US history with a political bent, even if politics isn’t the main thrust. As always, thanks in advance.
manufacturing consent is almost a prequel to the great hack
posted by HearHere at 2:55 PM on November 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by HearHere at 2:55 PM on November 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
You might also consider taking a look at the body of documentaries done by Ken Burns. Here are a few of his docs I watched that I found really informative about American History:
Jackie Robinson and baseball: Burns really focuses on the groundbreaking role Robinson played in breaking down racial segregation in sports, and how very difficult it was for Robinson as a personal choice. There are a lot of personal interviews on race that are very informative. For example, one man Burns interviews says of his neighborhood: "It used to be great, there were only white people here, like Italians and Jews, and no Blacks or Irish". So a curious concept of ethnic categories based on past prejudices.
Prohibition: The Supreme Court and Congress trying to enforce unpopular alcohol restrictions on the general public. The origins of Prohibitions originating within the Christian community and the Women's Temperance Union as a support to the protection of the Christian nuclear family has a lot of interesting parallels to the current issues regarding marriage, birth control, abortion and the drive to restrict women's reproductive rights. The government is ultimately unable to legislate such an unpopular mandate, and ends up giving rise to illegal, underground networks for criminal activity.
The Civil War: This documentary illustrates the issue that divided the US like no other, and is still being fought through Federal versus States' rights and voting patterns to this very 2024 election.
posted by effluvia at 6:32 PM on November 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
Jackie Robinson and baseball: Burns really focuses on the groundbreaking role Robinson played in breaking down racial segregation in sports, and how very difficult it was for Robinson as a personal choice. There are a lot of personal interviews on race that are very informative. For example, one man Burns interviews says of his neighborhood: "It used to be great, there were only white people here, like Italians and Jews, and no Blacks or Irish". So a curious concept of ethnic categories based on past prejudices.
Prohibition: The Supreme Court and Congress trying to enforce unpopular alcohol restrictions on the general public. The origins of Prohibitions originating within the Christian community and the Women's Temperance Union as a support to the protection of the Christian nuclear family has a lot of interesting parallels to the current issues regarding marriage, birth control, abortion and the drive to restrict women's reproductive rights. The government is ultimately unable to legislate such an unpopular mandate, and ends up giving rise to illegal, underground networks for criminal activity.
The Civil War: This documentary illustrates the issue that divided the US like no other, and is still being fought through Federal versus States' rights and voting patterns to this very 2024 election.
posted by effluvia at 6:32 PM on November 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
UsefulCharts has infographic videos on this topic, e.g. Timeline of US Political Parties
Browse his other videos too, they're very good.
posted by snarfois at 9:08 AM on November 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
Browse his other videos too, they're very good.
posted by snarfois at 9:08 AM on November 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
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posted by effluvia at 12:36 PM on November 13, 2024 [1 favorite]