The Age of Reconstruction follows the Civil War. Three of the five presidents during this period are former generals of this war. Highlights include Johnson's impeachment trial, Grant's triumphs, the back room politics of Hayes, and Arthur's Civil Service reforms.
Overview
The show documents each of the Presidents in the union, starting with George Washington, following a chronological order up until George W. Bush. Each President's segment begins with the narrator giving a brief dossier about each one, from their political affiliation, family, and notable traits. The show then highlights the history behind each presidency, linking each one to the following.
During the heady days of the Constitutional Era, America's Founding Fathers set the future of a nation on its course. Washington helps define the Presidency that evolves through Monroe's administration, while Adams sees the country...
In a period of rapid growth for the nation and contentious politics in Washington, Jackson heralds in the era of the Common Man and Manifest Destiny. Quincy Adams threatens to undo the virtues of American...
The most volatile period in U.S. history leads to the American Civil War. Follow the Presidency from the rough style of Taylor--the second president to die in office--and relative ineffectiveness of Fillmore and Pierce, to...
The Age of Reconstruction follows the Civil War. Three of the five presidents during this period are former generals of this war. Highlights include Johnson's impeachment trial, Grant's triumphs, the back room politics of Hayes,...
During an era of unbridled economic growth called the Gilded Age, Cleveland becomes the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms, McKinley is assassinated, Teddy Roosevelt launches an all-out anti-trust assault on Big Money monopolies,...
While America emerges as a super-power, Wilson promises to "make the world safe for democracy," Harding's administration is wracked by scandal, Coolidge ushers the nation to a dangerous economic precipice that leaves Hoover with the...
Truman leads the United States into the Atomic Age and the beginning of the Cold War. The most likeable president in U.S. history and hero of D-Day, Eisenhower is followed by the youthful charisma of...
From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the inauguration of 2005, Carter suffers through an economic depression and the Iran Hostage Crisis; Reagan survives assassination, Iran-Contra, and the Strategic Defense Initiative; George Bush initiates...
As the saying goes, behind every great man stands a great woman. This special bonus feature sets about both proving and disproving the adage. From the remarkable accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt to the quiet strength...
