Interview Dr. Shirley Fannin
AMERICAN EXPERINCE interviewed Dr. Shirley Fannin in 1997. Currently, Fannin is a pediatrician specializing in epidemiology and infectious diseases in Los Angeles.
The Civilian Conservation Corps Preview
The CCC was President Roosevelt's answer to the environmental and economic challenges facing the country. Enlisting 250,000 workers in just two months, the CCC was an ambitious undertaking that brought several government agencies together in the effort.
Author Interview: Neil Maher
Neil Maher on The Depression, President Roosevelt's motivation to create the CCC, opposition to the program, specific projects around the country, the birth of the conservation movement, and the legacy of the CCC.
The 1930s Series Preview
This five-part series examines the political and cultural life of America during a tumultuous decade -- and draws parallels to our current age. Beginning with the stock market crash of 1929, the series looks at the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the construction of the Hoover Dam, the catastrophic drought that created the Dust Bowl and an unlikely hero: Seabiscuit.
The Kennedys Preview
A preview of The Kennedys, saga of ambition, wealth, family loyalty and personal tragedy. From Joseph Kennedy's rise on Wall Street, through John, Robert and Edward's successes and scandals, the family has left a storied political legacy.
Calling Attention to Wounded Knee
Wounded Knee - Wounded Knee occupiers communicated their concerns via the press.
The Relocation of Native Americans
Most Native Americans do not live on reservations. This is largely due to the fact that the government thought one way to solve the Indian problem was to relocate Indians from the reservation to the bigger cities. Over 100,000 Indians were relocated in just 15 years.
The US Government's Education of Native American Children
What were Native American children expected to learn in schools run by the US government? The "de-Indianization" program failed, but the toll was devastating.
Taken from Their Families
For many decades, Native American children, some as young as 5, were taken from their families and brought to government-run boarding schools.
What was the American Indian Movement?
Founded in Minneapolis, in 1968, by young urban Indians fed up with police harassment, the American Indian Movement fought for Native American rights.
What Was the Occupation of Wounded Knee?
In February 1973, Native American protesters occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, site of the last Indian Wars massacre.
President Jackson and the Indian Removal Bill
President Andrew Jackson supported moving Native Americans west of the Mississippi. The Indian Removal Bill became the first major focus of his administration.
The Consequences of the Trail of Tears
The effects of 1830s policies on Native Americans are still felt today.
What Was the Trail of Tears?
In 1838, the Cherokee nation is forced to walk more than 1000 miles from Georgia to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The Trail of Tears march caused the death of more than 4,000 Cherokee people.
Evacuating the Cherokee People
On the morning of May 26th, 1838, the United States began removing Cherokee from their homes in Georgia. Everything that wasn't actually on the person now belonged to the state, and the Cherokee were forced out onto the roads with whatever they had on their backs.
Will the Cherokee Be Exiled?
Ratified by the US in 1836, the treaty of New Echota required the Cherokee to move out west. They were told they had two years to remove themselves peacefully.
Are the Cherokee an Independent Nation?
In 1832 the United States Supreme Court recognized Cherokee sovereignty, thanks to the hard work done by leaders such as John Ridge.
Creating a Written Alphabet for the Cherokee
Sequoyah was devoted to enabling the Cherokee people to have the power that comes with a written language, a power held by the white man. Though he couldn't read or write in another language, Sequoyah invented an efficient language for the Cherokee.
"Civilization" and Native Americans
White Americans offered Native Americans equality -- if they became more like them. Missionary organizations went into the Indian nations to teach Indians how to be anglo-Americans.
The Lobotomist Preview
In the 1940s Dr. Walter Freeman gained fame for perfecting the lobotomy, then hailed as a miracle cure for the severely mentally ill. But within a few years, lobotomy was labeled one of the most barbaric mistakes of modern medicine.
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