The American President: The Human Drama of Our Nation's Highest Office

Introduction, Credits and Sponors: Family Ties (2:21)

The Adams Dynasty (2:08)

John Quincy Adams' Early Political Career (2:32)

Unhappy in the White House (2:44)

Death, Disappointment and Tragedy (2:02)

His Father's Son (1:40)

Harrison Family Dynasty (2:11)

Benjamin Harrison, Nobody's Grandson (3:07)

To Govern Best is to Govern Least (1:57)

Personal and Political Loss (2:28)

The Roosevelts

Possession by Right (2:44)

In Theodore's Footsteps (1:57)

FDR's Struggle With Polio Changed Him (1:51)

Happy Days are Here Again (2:43)

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself (2:56)

World War II (3:11)

The Great President from Hyde Park (1:34)

The Kennedys

Vindicating the Irish (2:56)

JFK Enters Politics (2:29)

A Presidential Campaign on the Family Plan (3:05)

A Disastrous Start (2:58)

The Cuban Missile Crisis (1:40)

Sentimental Journey (2:10)

American Dynasties (1:21)

Sponsor: Happenstance (0:52)

The Accidental Presidents (0:32)

Harrison/Tyler Presidency (1:58)

John Tyler Claims the Presidency (2:56)

Widowed Tyler Remarries (1:01)

A President Without a Party (2:28)

Taylor/Fillmore Presidency (2:02)

Opposing the President over Slavery (2:33)

The Compromise of 1850 (2:28)

Civil War (0:51)

Lincoln/Johnson Presidency (1:52)

Working Man's Politician (1:36)

A Battle of Words, Not Swords (2:05)

Reconstruction (1:36)

Congress Takes Control (1:33)

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1:53)

Former President Becomes Senator (1:44)

Gentleman Boss (2:44)

Garfield/Arthur Presidency (2:16)

Transformed by the Presidency (2:08)

Concealing the Past (1:58)

American Optimist (3:07)

Roosevelt/Truman Presidency (3:03)

The Atomic Bomb (1:23)

The Truman Doctrine (2:27)

Truman Defeats Dewey (3:07)

Inheritors of Power but not Popularity (1:37)

Additional Resources, Credits, and Sponsor: Happenstance (1:17)

Credits: An Independent Cast of Mind (2:12)

Going It Alone 1797-1801 (4:54)

Adams' Collision Course With Government (3:46)

International Crisis Consumes Adams' Presidency (2:51)

Adams' Final Years (1:32)

Old Rough and Ready, 1849-1850 (3:10)

Presidential Perceptions of 1846 (2:23)

Zachary Taylor for President (2:26)

Taylor in the Midst of Debate (2:49)

Zachary Taylor's Final Years (1:27)

No Fondness For Political Life 1877-1881 (4:09)

Rutherford Hayes is the 19th President! (3:05)

Rutherford Hayes Ruffles Feathers (1:37)

Rutherford Hayes Final Years (3:36)

The Outsider, 1977-1981 (3:30)

From Peanut Farmer to Politician (3:07)

Jimmy Carter Becomes President (2:40)

President Carter is a Mystery (4:15)

After the Presidency (3:21)

Introduction and Sponsor: The Professional Politician (0:46)

The Invention of Party Politics (2:19)

The Little Magician (2:32)

Financial Panic and Economic Crisis (1:43)

A One-Term President (1:55)

A Tragedy Leaves its Mark (1:59)

Masterful Politician (1:34)

Growing Polarization (2:03)

The Nation Moves Closer to War (1:40)

Secession (1:44)

Civil War Erupts (2:41)

Presidential Ambitions (2:26)

Turning Point in Lincoln's Life (1:56)

Lincoln Seeks the Presidency (2:23)

Saving the Union (2:56)

Lincoln's Statesmanship (2:05)

Masterful Oratory (3:07)

Johnson the Underdog, Political Genius (2:20)

Larger than Life (1:59)

Vice-President Johnson Assumes the Presidency (3:05)

The Great Society (1:58)

Exercising Power (1:59)

The Viet Nam War (3:05)

A Politician, Not a Statesman (2:41)

Additional Resources, Sponsor and Credits: The Professional Politician (1:20)

Introduction & Credits: The American Way (1:55)

Sponsor: The American Way (0:17)

Empire of Liberty (2:01)

The Declaration of Independence (2:27)

The People's President (2:46)

The Louisiana Purchase (2:01)

Jefferson's Second Term (2:48)

Jefferson's Philosophy Endures (1:49)

Calvin Coolidge's Formative Years (2:02)

Silent Cal Becomes President (1:55)

Coolidge Family Tragedy (3:14)

Constructionist President Coolidge (3:38)

American Individualist (2:42)

Hoover Feeds Millions (2:08)

Hoover the Problem Solver (2:00)

The Great Depression (2:04)

Perceptions of the Presidency (2:52)

Hoover's Crushing Defeat (1:29)

Reagan's American Dream (1:37)

Ronald Reagan's Early Career (2:00)

Citizen Politician (1:57)

Revolution of 1980 (1:49)

Reagan's Grace Under Fire (2:01)

Reagan's Second Term (2:42)

Summit with Gorbachev (1:51)

Defining the American Way (2:34)

A Vision for the Hemisphere (2:20)

Foreign Relations (2:06)

An Expansionist President (2:14)

The Monroe Doctrine (2:05)

The End of Isolationism (2:01)

McKinley Tries to Avoid War (2:36)

The Spanish American War and Manifest Destiny (2:00)

Philippine Rebellion (2:27)

McKinley Assassinated (2:45)

American Idealist (2:35)

From Princeton to the White House (2:35)

Wilson's Domestic Agenda (2:13)

Keeping America Out of War (1:59)

Making the World Safe for Democracy (2:10)

New World Order (3:02)

League of Nations Rejected (2:53)

End of the Cold War (2:07)

Building Character (2:17)

Focus on International Affairs (2:02)

The Collapse of Communism (2:06)

The Persian Gulf War (1:57)

Domestic Defeat (2:59)

Making Their Mark in History (1:28)

Additional Resources, Credits, and Sponsor: The World Stage (1:15)

Opening Credits, Introduction and Sponsor: The Heroic Posture (2:21)

America's First Hero (2:47)

In the Service of My Country (3:02)

The Greatest Man in the World (1:17)

George Washington's Greatest Sacrifice (2:05)

Inventing the Presidency (1:51)

First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of his Countrymen (1:57)

A Manufactured Hero (2:24)

The Myth of Tippecanoe (1:38)

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too (2:26)

A Short-Lived Presidency (2:07)

War and Politics (2:20)

Lieutenant General Grant (2:30)

From War Hero to President (2:34)

Blind to Corruption (2:40)

Grant's Bad Luck Continues (1:37)

Ulysses S. Grant's Memoirs (2:10)

D-Day (2:18)

Everybody Likes Ike (2:17)

President Eisenhower (2:56)

Hidden Hand Presidency (2:44)

The Nuclear Arms Race (2:47)

No Nuclear Disarmament (1:46)

Soldier Presidents (2:18)

Sponsor: Compromise Choices (0:48)

Family Tragedy and Strife (2:51)

Dark Horse Candidate (2:39)

A Tragic Beginning (1:38)

Conciliating the South (2:04)

Supporting Slavery to the End (1:28)

Destined to Greatness (2:08)

The Preacher Politician (2:46)

The Accidental President (2:24)

Fighting a Tradition (2:15)

Garfield Assassinated (2:06)

Death of a President (1:48)

People Pleaser (3:02)

The Republican Nomination (1:59)

Return to Normalcy (2:58)

Harding - Ill-Suited for Presidency (2:01)

Harding's Tainted Administration (2:18)

Harding's Death (2:19)

Healing the Nation (2:44)

The Congressman from Michigan (2:31)

A Safe Choice (2:25)

Our Long National Nightmare is Over (2:48)

Ford Pardons Nixon (2:39)

Restoring a Measure of Confidence (2:58)

Additional Resources, Credits and Sponsor: Compromise Choices (1:19)

Credits and Film Introduction: Expanding Power (2:22)

The Power of the People 1829-1837 (3:21)

President Andrew Jackson (2:23)

Indian Hater and Tyrant (4:31)

Jackson and the Working Man (1:35)

Ugly Honest 1885-1889

1893-1897 (2:41)

Cleveland's Executive Powers (3:26)

Cleveland: Out of Office (1:19)

Grover Cleveland's Final Years in Power (4:27)

Rough Rider 1901-1909 (2:32)

Personal Troubles (1:35)

Rise to Power (2:35)

Rough Riders (1:42)

President Roosevelt (1:55)

Passionate Conservationist (3:06)

Roosevelt After the Presidency (1:29)

Abuse of Power 1969-1974 (3:00)

Secrecy and Accomplishments (1:52)

Nixon and the Vietnam War (2:32)

Breach of Faith (4:24)

Exercise of Presidential Powers (1:26)

Sponsors: The Balance of Power (0:47)

Creating the Balance (2:57)

Designing the Constitution (2:33)

President Madison (1:59)

Mr. Madison's War (2:39)

Madison's Legacy (1:32)

The Texas Question (2:37)

Young Hickory (2:19)

Manifest Destiny (2:15)

The Mexican War (3:05)

The Slavery Issue Looms (2:09)

Roosevelt's Chosen Successor (2:39)

A Fish Out of Water (2:06)

Roosevelt's Ambitions (2:27)

Taft Fights Back (2:01)

The Limits of Executive Power (2:14)

Polarization (2:07)

Bill Clinton's Formative Years (2:19)

Passionate but not Obsessed (2:05)

The Comeback Kid (2:21)

Divided Government (2:11)

The Character Issue (2:28)

Clinton Moves to the Center (2:12)

Clinton's Second Chance (2:05)

The Nixon Precedent (2:46)

Additional Resources, Credits, & Sponsors: The Balance of Power (1:17)