November Warriors
November Warriors is a four part series documenting the history of American presidential campaigns, from George Washington to the modern political arena. The personalities of the candidates, their campaign platforms, and the historical development of American political process is brought to life through art, location shots, interviews, and news reels. Each of the four programs can be viewed separately. It is recommended for family viewing, and for use in social studies, political science, and history courses. Students should be familiar with the vocabulary terms listed at the top of each study guide before viewing to fully understand certain aspects of the programs. Interviews include commentary by historians Eric Foner, Arthur Schlesinger, Steve Gillon, and Douglas Brinkley.
Part 4: The Modern Campaign
This episode covers the elections and campaigns of the late 20th century.
Discussion Questions
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How did Lyndon Johnson become president? What section of the country was he from? What was his role in getting the Civil Rights Act passed?
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Why was Johnson so effective on Capitol Hill? Why was he criticized?
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What was the role of the Vietnam War in determining national politics ? What was Nixon's Secret Plan to end the war?
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Why was Humphrey so surprised by demonstrators against him? Do you think these protesters were acting fairly? Why or why not? Who do you think would have won the Democratic nomination if Robert Kennedy had not been assassinated? Do you think Robert Kennedy could have beaten Nixon?
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Describe the Watergate scandal. How did a simple burglary end in the resignation of a U.S. President? If Nixon had immediately taken responsibility for the burglary, do you think the whole scandal would have blown over?
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How did the American public respond to Gerald Ford initially ? How did they feel about him after he pardoned Nixon? What do you think the media's role was in changing our perception of Gerald Ford?
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What effect did inflation have upon Jimmy Carter's administration? What does it mean to say that he was a political outsider? Why was this useful to Carter? Why did it limit him?
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What was the Iranian Hostage Crisis? How did it effect American politics? Do you think it is fair to blame Carter for the Hostage Crisis? Why or why not?
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Ronald Reagan has been described as a master of modern media campaigning. Explain.
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How did the nature of the national convention of each political party changed over the last thirty years? What role has television played in creating these changes?
Air Dates
