American History (Audio)

The UC San Diego Library announces the purchase of the Farmworker Movement Documentation Project, an online archive containing thousands of documents related to the history of the United Farm Workers’ union and related events. A short video on the historic March to Sacramento in 1966 is shown followed by a discussion with two participants in the march: Roberto Bustos and LeRoy Chatfield, key advisors to Cesar Chávez. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 28138]

Benjamin Franklin and the American dream are often associated with the uninhibited pursuit of money. Nothing could be further from the truth, argues UC San Diego political scientist Alan Houston. To Franklin, the good life – a life of improvement – was spent pursuing knowledge, cultivating friendship, advancing freedom, and addressing human needs. Series: "The Good Life" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 25949]

“The Brick People” chronicles the story and legacy of Mexican immigrants who came to work at Simons Brickyard #3 in Los Angeles during the early part of the 20th century. The bricks they made literally built Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Produced by UC Irvine professor Alejandro Morales, this documentary explores themes of immigration, discrimination and cultural foundry as told by former residents and historians of Simons, California . Series: "Immigration" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 27723]

Angela Davis visited UC Santa Barbara for a screening of "Free Angela and All Political Prisoners," a documentary by Shola Lynch that chronicles Davis's life as a young, outspoken UCLA professor. Angela Davis and producer Sidra Smith answer questions from the audience. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 25917]

Renowned author and Middlebury College Professor Jay Parini charms his dinner audience with selections from his “Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America.” From “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” and “Walden,” through “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “The Feminine Mystique,” Parini offers a compelling narrative on the evolution of American culture. Parini was the keynote speaker at the UC San Diego Library’s “Dinner in the Library,” which takes place annually in Geisel Library. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 25715]

Renowned author and Middlebury College Professor Jay Parini charms his dinner audience with selections from his “Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America.” From “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” and “Walden,” through “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “The Feminine Mystique,” Parini offers a compelling narrative on the evolution of American culture. Parini was the keynote speaker at the UC San Diego Library’s “Dinner in the Library,” which takes place annually in Geisel Library. Series: "The Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 25715]

Harry Kreisler welcomes George Packer for a discussion of his new book, “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America.” Packer discusses his formative experiences, including forging his own political identity and coming to terms with the legacy of his progressive grandfather and his liberal father. He then recounts the influence of his mother on his writing and his odyssey—Peace Corps, construction, working with the homeless, and membership in the socialist party-- that led him to writing as a vocation. After sketching the skills and temperament of a writer, Packer describes the origins of his new book and its architecture. He then discusses the two groups of men and women whose personal narratives his book explores and relates how their lives give insight into the unwinding of the American dream. The discussion offers a compelling portrait of the inner history of the new America defined by glaring inequality and the collapse of institutions. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 25519]

The political fight that has broken out in the US about contraception is both surprising and at the same time traditionally American. Linda Gordon, Professor at New York University, puts today's reproduction control controversies -- foreign aid for family planning, the abortion debates, teenage pregnancy and childbearing, stem-cell research --into historical perspective and argues that reproduction control has always been central to women's status. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 24156]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning historian Eric Foner for a discussion of his book, “The Fiery Trial.” The conversation focuses on Lincoln’s relationship to slavery over the course of his career. As Lincoln moved from local, to state and then national politics, he grew in stature and his understanding of the complexity of the issue matured. The discussion focuses on the key dimensions of his intellectual and political growth including Lincoln’s background, his command of language in his speeches and writings, and his remarkable skills as a political leader. The discussion concludes with a comparison of Lincoln and President Obama and the political situations they confront.

Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 22930]

A distinguished panel moderated by Scott Shafer opens the forum on democracy and the culture of civic conversations with a look at contemporary American democracy and in/civility in civic conversation, what drives the character of today’s public discourse, and the history of US political discourse. With Joyce Appleby, Dept. of History, UCLA; Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Annenberg School for Communication and Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of PA; Ron Nehring, California Republican Party; Gregory Rodriguez, Zócalo Public Square, New America Foundation; and Author and Journalist; Scott Shafer, Host and Reporter, The California Report. Series: "Searching for Democracy" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 21936]