U.S. Presidents and Presidential Elections: U.S. Presidents

Alexander Street Video: 2:00
Did you know that George Washington didn’t want to become the first US President? Despite his reluctance, he set many precedents which remain pillars of the office today.

ProQuest Video: 15:01
In which John Green teaches you about the United States as it was in the 1990s.

Alexander Street: 2:00
Historically a ceremonial position, the role of First Lady at one point mainly involved hosting events at the White House. But when President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, his wife, Edith, covertly took on many of his duties as President of the United States.

Alexander Street Video: 13:00
In the 2020 election, President Donald Trump will be judged on his handling of the covid-19 pandemic. But what else will be his legacy if he loses?

Alexander Street Video: 1:50:00
In this two-part, four-hour look at the life and presidency of George W. Bush, follow his unorthodox road to the presidency through the contested election of 2000. This film chronicles the events that dominated Bush’s eight years in office. Part one chronicles George W. Bush’s unorthodox road to the White House, as he won the most contested race in the nation’s history. Bush’s response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 defined a new era in American foreign policy.

Alexander Street Video: 1:53:00
Part two opens with the ensuing war in Iraq and continues through George W. Bush’s second term, as the President confronts the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina and the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Alexander Street Video: 2:00
Gerald Ford holds a unique place in the history of U.S. politics – as the only American to hold the office of Vice President and President without ever winning a national election. Who was he, and what was his presidency like?

Alexander Street Video: 6:00
Does the President get to decide when to ignore the law?

Alexander Street Video: 3:00
The President’s Cabinet is made up of the most important people in the Executive Branch of government. But who are they and what are their roles?

Films on Demand: Series
A series of 8 videos from 2005 covering the American presidents from 1789-2004.

Alexander Street Video: 15:00
In which John Green teaches you about the Progressive Presidents... The presidents most associated with the Progressive Era are Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.

Alexander Street Video: 14:00
In which John Green teaches you about what is often called the Reagan Era. Mainly, it covers the eight years during which a former actor who had also been governor of the state of California was president of the United States.

Alexander Street Video: 2:00
Of all the Presidents who have held office since the foundation of the United States, four were gunned down by assassins. This is their story.

Alexander Street Video: 3:00
When you think of American tough guys, who springs to mind? Probably not the President. But two-term Commander-in-Chief Teddy Roosevelt was hard as nails.

Alexander Street Video: 13:00
In which John Green teaches you about founding father and third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is a somewhat controversial figure in American history, largely because he, like pretty much all humans, was a big bundle of contradictions.

Alexander Street Video: 2:00
Did you know that a woman - Victoria Woodhull - ran for President before most American women were even allowed to vote?

(The American Presidency Project) Non-profit and non-partisan, the APP is the source of presidential documents on the internet. We are hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

(The Library of Congress) This chronological list contains entries [prints/photographs] for each president with his corresponding first lady and vice president.

(FRANKLIN) FRANKLIN is a virtual research room and digital repository that provides free and open access to the digitized collections of the Roosevelt Library—to everyone, anywhere in the world... FRANKLIN allows you to keyword search for archival documents and photographs and to search, browse, and view whole files, just as you could if you came to the Library’s research room in-person... [It] hosts over 800,000 pages of archival documents and 2,500 historical photographs, along with many detailed descriptions of archival collections not yet digitized.

(John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) This site includes documents, photographs, films, speeches, interviews, and other artifacts that represent JFK. Personal Papers collection contains many interesting items as well.

(Robert S. Summers) Provides background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents. Links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites are also included.

(The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration) National Archives website, links to many resources related to the presidents on the Presidential Libraries pages.

(The Library of Congress) The Library of Congress holds the papers of 23 presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge, all of which have been digitized and are now available online.

(The White House) Short history of the US Presidency, along with biographical sketches and portraits of all the presidents to date. From the official White House site.

(The Library of Congress) The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a large selection of primary source materials associated with the presidents of the United States, including manuscripts, letters, broadsides, government documents, prints, photographs, sheet music, sound recordings, and films... The presidential resource guides compile digital materials that are available throughout the Library’s Web site.

(University of Virginia) A comprehensive collection of material about the Presidents of the United States and the history of the office, provided by Miller Center at the University of Virginia It features essays about the President's life before, during, and after each presidential term, as well as providing information about the First Lady and cabinet officials of each administration. Major events are discussed and educational resources are provided, including primary sources.