Reagan vs. Brown II October 19, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Politics Lead: Champion of liberalism, in 1966 California Governor Pat Brown eagerly awaited the election against a political novice from L.A. His optimism was misplaced. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: Brown's glee was aroused by the prospect of running against Ronald Wilson Reagan, a washed up actor who had become General Electric's corporate spokesman in the 1950s. He was a rising conservative political activist whose last-minute infomercial helped raise Republican spirits if not its vote count in the ill-fated Goldwater campaign of 1964. Brown thought he was a pushover and engaged in a little piece of political chicanery to help Reagan win. Brown's operatives released some political dirt about Reagan's opponent George Christopher. In the primary Reagan beat him badly. Download [68.27 KB]
Acts of Charles Townshend III October 17, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Revolution, British History Lead: In the 1700s the United States broke from England. No colony in history had done that before. This series examines America’s Revolution. Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts Content: In 1767 the British Parliament passed what became known as the Townshend Acts, named for Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, a member of the government tentatively led by William Pitt. Pitt had a physical collapse and for two years his leadership was incapacitated. His absence left a power vacuum into which Townshend stepped. The son of a minor aristocrat, he had a troubled youth under his overbearing father and emerged a troubled adult, a brilliant orator in Parliamentary debate, but erratic and domineering in his behavior. Read more →
Acts of Charles Townshend II October 16, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Revolution, British History Lead: In the 1700s the United States broke from England. No colony in history had done that before. This series examines America’s Revolution. Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts Content: George Mason, Virginia planter, politician and future delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787, and widely considered to be the father of the Bill of Rights, was an acute observer of the looming struggle between the American colonies and Great Britain. After the repeal of Stamp Tax, Mason reflected that the attitude of many Britons, particularly those in Parliament who passed and then repealed the tax, was not unlike that of an exasperated parent dealing with an errant child. With icy sarcasm seeming to drip from his pen he wrote of the British attitude, “.,…do what your Papa and Mama bid you and Hasten to return them your most grateful Acknowledgements for condescending to let you keep what is your own; and then all your Acquaintance will love you, and praise you, and give you pretty things;…but if you are a naughty Boy, and turn obstinate, and don’t mind what Papa and Mama say to you….and pretend to judge….yourselves capable of distinguishing between Good and Evil; then everybody will hate you and say you’re a graceless and undutiful Child; your Parents and Masters will be obliged to whip you severely….” Read more →
Acts of Charles Townshend I October 15, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Revolution, British History Lead: In the 1700s the United States broke from England. No colony in history had done that before. This series examines America’s Revolution. Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts Content: The euphoria in America that followed the British Parliament’s repeal of the Stamp Tax in 1766 was attended by wild celebrations all over the colonies. It seemed to those who had rioted and railed in print against what was seen as an egregious violation of the constitutional rights of the British subjects who lived in North America, that at last Britain was seeing the light and was willing to accommodate the desire of Americans that they be accorded the respect due loyal subjects of King and country. Read more →
Waddell’s Revenge II (Civil War) October 14, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, Civil War, Military History Lead: Denied his back pay by the U.S. Navy, Lieutenant James Waddell believed his promise not to fight against the Federal government had been voided. They should have paid him. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: In March 1862, after twenty years of faithful service in the US Navy, Waddell received his commission for Confederate service. Two years of shore duty followed before he got his chance to go to sea. In the twilight of the Confederacy with his new nation on the ropes, he assumed command of the commerce raider CSS Shenandoah off the coast of West Africa. It was a graceful three-masted steamer which under steam and sail could outrun most Union Navy ships. On October 30, 1864 Shenandoah captured its first prize, the Alina out of Searsport, Maine, ship and cargo worth $95,000. Waddell's revenge had begun. Read more →
Waddell’s Revenge I (Civil War) October 13, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, Civil War, Military History Lead: Denied his back pay by the U.S. Navy, Lieutenant James Waddell believed his promise not to fight against the Federal government had been voided. They should have paid him. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: In March 1862, after twenty years of faithful service in the US Navy, Waddell received his commission for Confederate service. Two years of shore duty followed before he got his chance to go to sea. In the twilight of the Confederacy with his new nation on the ropes, he assumed command of the commerce raider CSS Shenandoah off the coast of West Africa. It was a graceful three-masted steamer which under steam and sail could outrun most Union Navy ships. On October 30, 1864 Shenandoah captured its first prize, the Alina out of Searsport, Maine, ship and cargo worth $95,000. Waddell's revenge had begun. Read more →
Anatomy of a Presidential Scandal (Cleveland) II October 10, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Politics, Religious History Lead: After being nominated for President by the Democrats in the summer of 1884, Grover Cleveland was publicly accused of fathering an illegitimate child. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: Cleveland was able to negotiate the shoals of scandal for several reasons. First, from the beginning, he told the truth. About 1871, widow Maria Halpin came from Jersey City to Buffalo where she found work in the retail clothing trade. She was a tall, stunning beauty, spoke French and soon was seen in the company of several men, one of whom was Grover Cleveland. Their relationship was intimate and sexual. When her son was born in the fall of 1874, she named him Oscar Folsom Cleveland, in honor of Cleveland and his law partner. Cleveland accepted responsibility and provided for both mother and child. When the scandal broke, he confided the truth to a number of prominent clergy and political leaders. Download [66.86 KB]
Anatomy of a Presidential Scandal (Cleveland) I October 9, 2019PermalinkNancy WaldoToday's AMITAmerican History, American Politics, Religious History Lead: It is difficult to keep perspective at a time when passions are engaged and salacious revelations stir the body politic. Yet, such a time is the perfect occasion to examine the past to gain perspective by looking at the anatomy of a Presidential scandal. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: Oh, to be a Democrat in the summer of 1884. Victory was in the air. For the first time since the nomination of James Buchanan in 1856 the Party had a real chance to take the White House. Every four years this ragtag collection of yellow dog dixiecrats and immigrant Yankees would drink and party their way to the nomination of a pair of political nonentities, who would then promptly go out and lose. Not this time. This time they had a winner. Download [5.91 KB]
