History
The Western Tradition
DVD, 30 min. each, 1989, Study guide available
This 52-part series brings together the ideas, events, and institutions that have shaped modern societies of Western civilization. Splendid images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art serve as historical source documents in this comprehensive Western history survey. Each tape contains two titles.
1. The Dawn of History - The origins of the human race are traced from its anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.
2. The Ancient Egyptians Egyptian drawings depict everyday life. - Egyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.
3. Mesopotamia - Settlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.
4. From Bronze to Iron - Metals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babylonia.
5. The Rise of Greek Civilization - Democracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.
6. Greek Thought - Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.
7. Alexander the Great - Alexander's conquests quadrupled the size of the world known to the Greeks.
8. The Hellenistic Age - Hellenistic kingdoms extended Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean.
9. The Rise of Rome - Through its army, Rome built an empire that shaped the West.
10. The Roman Empire - Rome's civil engineering contributed as much to the empire as did its weapons.
11. Early Christianity - Christianity spread despite contempt and persecution from Rome.
12. The Rise of the Church - The old heresy became the Roman empire's official religion under the Emperor Constantine.
13. The Decline of Rome - While enemies slashed at Rome's borders, civil war and economic collapse destroyed the empire from within.
14. The Fall of Rome - Despite the success of emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, Rome fell victim to barbarian invasions.
15. The Byzantine Empire - From Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Greece and Rome.
16. The Fall of Byzantium - Nearly a thousand years after Rome's fall, Constantinople was conquered by the forces of Islam.
17. The Dark Ages - Barbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire.
18. The Age of Charlemagne - Charlemagne revived hopes for a new empire in Western Europe.
19. The Middle Ages - Amid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.
20. The Feudal Order - Bishop, knight, and peasant exemplified some of the social divisions of the year 1000 A.D.
21. Common Life in the Middle Ages - Famine, disease, and short life expectancies were the conditions that shaped medieval beliefs.
22. Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages - The great churches embodied the material and spiritual ambitions of the age.
23. The Late Middle Ages - Two hundred years of war and plague debilitated Europe.
24. The National Monarchies - A new urban middle class emerged, while dynastic marriages established centralized monarchies.
25. The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery - Renaissance humanists made man "the measure of all things." Europe was possessed by a new passion for knowledge.
26. The Renaissance and the New World - The discovery of America challenged Europe.
27. The Reformation - Voiced by Martin Luther, Protestantism shattered the unity of the Catholic Church.
28. The Rise of the Middle Class - As the cities grew, new middle-class mores had an impact on religious life.
29. Wars of Religion - For more than a century, the quarrels of Protestants and Catholics tore Europe apart.
30. The Rise of the Trading Cities - Amid religious wars, a few cities learned that tolerance increased their prosperity.
31. The Age of Absolutism - Exhausted by war and civil strife, many Europeans exchanged earlier liberties and anarchies for greater peace.
32. Absolutism and the Social Contract - Arguments about the legitimate source of political power centered on divine right versus natural law.
33. The Enlightened Despots - Monarchs considered reforms in order to create more efficient societies, but not at the expense of their own power.
34. The Enlightenment - Intellectual theories about the nature of man and his potential came to the fore.
35. The Enlightenment and Society - Scientists and social reformers battled for universal human rights during a peaceful and prosperous period.
36. The Modern Philosophers - Freedom of thought and expression opened new vistas explored by French, English, and American thinkers.
37. The American Revolution - The British colonists created a society that tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted restrictions imposed by England.
38. The American Republic - A new republic, the compromise of radicals and conservatives, was founded on universal freedoms.
39. The Death of the Old Regime - In France, the old order collapsed under revolutionaries' attacks and the monarchy's own weakness.
40. The French Revolution - Liberty, equality, and fraternity skidded into a reign of Terror.
41. The Industrial Revolution - Technology and mass production reduced famine and ushered in higher standards of living.
42. The Industrial World - A consumer revolution was fueled by coal, public transportation, and new city services.
43. Revolution and Romantics - Leaders in the arts, literature, and political theory argued for social justice and national liberation.
44. The Age of the Nation-States - The great powers cooperated to quell internal revolts, yet competed to acquire colonies.
45. A New Public - Public education and mass communications created a new political life and leisure time.
46. Fin de Siecle - Everyday life of the working class was transformed by leisure, prompting the birth of an elite avant-garde movement.
47. The First World War and the Rise of Fascism - Old empires crumbled during World War I to be replaced by right-wing dictatorships in Italy, Spain, and Germany.
48. The Second World War - World War II was a war of new tactics and strategies. Civilian populations became targets, as the Nazi holocaust exterminated 11 million people.
49. The Cold War - The U.S. and Soviet Union dominated Europe, and confronted each other in Korea.
50. Europe and the Third World - Burdened with the legacy of colonial imperialism, the Third World rushed development to catch up with its Western counterparts.
51. The Technological Revolution - Keeping up with the ever-increasing pace of change became the standard of the day.
52. Toward the Future - Modern medicine, atomic energy, computers, and new concepts of time, energy, and matter all have an important effect on life in the 20th century.
This 52-part series brings together the ideas, events, and institutions that have shaped modern societies of Western civilization. Splendid images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art serve as historical source documents in this comprehensive Western history survey. Each tape contains two titles.
1. The Dawn of History - The origins of the human race are traced from its anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.
2. The Ancient Egyptians Egyptian drawings depict everyday life. - Egyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.
3. Mesopotamia - Settlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.
4. From Bronze to Iron - Metals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babylonia.
5. The Rise of Greek Civilization - Democracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.
6. Greek Thought - Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.
7. Alexander the Great - Alexander's conquests quadrupled the size of the world known to the Greeks.
8. The Hellenistic Age - Hellenistic kingdoms extended Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean.
9. The Rise of Rome - Through its army, Rome built an empire that shaped the West.
10. The Roman Empire - Rome's civil engineering contributed as much to the empire as did its weapons.
11. Early Christianity - Christianity spread despite contempt and persecution from Rome.
12. The Rise of the Church - The old heresy became the Roman empire's official religion under the Emperor Constantine.
13. The Decline of Rome - While enemies slashed at Rome's borders, civil war and economic collapse destroyed the empire from within.
14. The Fall of Rome - Despite the success of emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, Rome fell victim to barbarian invasions.
15. The Byzantine Empire - From Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Greece and Rome.
16. The Fall of Byzantium - Nearly a thousand years after Rome's fall, Constantinople was conquered by the forces of Islam.
17. The Dark Ages - Barbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire.
18. The Age of Charlemagne - Charlemagne revived hopes for a new empire in Western Europe.
19. The Middle Ages - Amid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.
20. The Feudal Order - Bishop, knight, and peasant exemplified some of the social divisions of the year 1000 A.D.
21. Common Life in the Middle Ages - Famine, disease, and short life expectancies were the conditions that shaped medieval beliefs.
22. Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages - The great churches embodied the material and spiritual ambitions of the age.
23. The Late Middle Ages - Two hundred years of war and plague debilitated Europe.
24. The National Monarchies - A new urban middle class emerged, while dynastic marriages established centralized monarchies.
25. The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery - Renaissance humanists made man "the measure of all things." Europe was possessed by a new passion for knowledge.
26. The Renaissance and the New World - The discovery of America challenged Europe.
27. The Reformation - Voiced by Martin Luther, Protestantism shattered the unity of the Catholic Church.
28. The Rise of the Middle Class - As the cities grew, new middle-class mores had an impact on religious life.
29. Wars of Religion - For more than a century, the quarrels of Protestants and Catholics tore Europe apart.
30. The Rise of the Trading Cities - Amid religious wars, a few cities learned that tolerance increased their prosperity.
31. The Age of Absolutism - Exhausted by war and civil strife, many Europeans exchanged earlier liberties and anarchies for greater peace.
32. Absolutism and the Social Contract - Arguments about the legitimate source of political power centered on divine right versus natural law.
33. The Enlightened Despots - Monarchs considered reforms in order to create more efficient societies, but not at the expense of their own power.
34. The Enlightenment - Intellectual theories about the nature of man and his potential came to the fore.
35. The Enlightenment and Society - Scientists and social reformers battled for universal human rights during a peaceful and prosperous period.
36. The Modern Philosophers - Freedom of thought and expression opened new vistas explored by French, English, and American thinkers.
37. The American Revolution - The British colonists created a society that tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted restrictions imposed by England.
38. The American Republic - A new republic, the compromise of radicals and conservatives, was founded on universal freedoms.
39. The Death of the Old Regime - In France, the old order collapsed under revolutionaries' attacks and the monarchy's own weakness.
40. The French Revolution - Liberty, equality, and fraternity skidded into a reign of Terror.
41. The Industrial Revolution - Technology and mass production reduced famine and ushered in higher standards of living.
42. The Industrial World - A consumer revolution was fueled by coal, public transportation, and new city services.
43. Revolution and Romantics - Leaders in the arts, literature, and political theory argued for social justice and national liberation.
44. The Age of the Nation-States - The great powers cooperated to quell internal revolts, yet competed to acquire colonies.
45. A New Public - Public education and mass communications created a new political life and leisure time.
46. Fin de Siecle - Everyday life of the working class was transformed by leisure, prompting the birth of an elite avant-garde movement.
47. The First World War and the Rise of Fascism - Old empires crumbled during World War I to be replaced by right-wing dictatorships in Italy, Spain, and Germany.
48. The Second World War - World War II was a war of new tactics and strategies. Civilian populations became targets, as the Nazi holocaust exterminated 11 million people.
49. The Cold War - The U.S. and Soviet Union dominated Europe, and confronted each other in Korea.
50. Europe and the Third World - Burdened with the legacy of colonial imperialism, the Third World rushed development to catch up with its Western counterparts.
51. The Technological Revolution - Keeping up with the ever-increasing pace of change became the standard of the day.
52. Toward the Future - Modern medicine, atomic energy, computers, and new concepts of time, energy, and matter all have an important effect on life in the 20th century.
Category:
History
When Lightning Struck / Saga of an American Warplane
This video tells the story of the brave flying aces who flew and fought the P-38 Lightning, the fastest and fiercest warbird in World War II. Relive exiting moments from history through interviews with some of the leading flying aces of World War II, ground crew members and current P-38 owners.
Category:
History
When You Make a Good Crop: Italians in the Delta
VHS, 28 min., 1986
From farming cotton to making pasta for church suppers, Italian Americans have been part of Mississippi River Delta life for generations. This film explores their heritage and beginnings as tenants and sharecroppers on 1890s cotton plantations to their lives now as businessmen and family farmers. Introduced by Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, the film is a warm and compelling essay on the expanded family and the universality of the immigrant experience. 1987 winner of the CINE Golden Eagle Award.
From farming cotton to making pasta for church suppers, Italian Americans have been part of Mississippi River Delta life for generations. This film explores their heritage and beginnings as tenants and sharecroppers on 1890s cotton plantations to their lives now as businessmen and family farmers. Introduced by Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, the film is a warm and compelling essay on the expanded family and the universality of the immigrant experience. 1987 winner of the CINE Golden Eagle Award.
Category:
History
Wings of Honor
VHS, 29 min., 2005
When the United States entered WWII after Pearl Harbor, production of planes for the Army Air Corp was increased and more trained pilots were needed to fly these additional planes. The Walnut Ridge Army Flying School in Northeast Arkansas was one of the many Army Air Corps Pilot Schools that sprang up all across the south in 1942 to accomplish this. Completed that summer, this base was a temporary home to many future airmen from all parts of the country. Jack Hill of TeleVision of Arkansas combines interviews with film clips and photos to tell the story of how the Walnut Ridge area was impacted by the flying school and by the events of the war around the world.
See also:
ART:
American Civilization Series
WOMEN'S STUDIES:
Amelia Earhart
Captured Moments in Time
Cowgirls: Portrait of American Ranch Women
When the United States entered WWII after Pearl Harbor, production of planes for the Army Air Corp was increased and more trained pilots were needed to fly these additional planes. The Walnut Ridge Army Flying School in Northeast Arkansas was one of the many Army Air Corps Pilot Schools that sprang up all across the south in 1942 to accomplish this. Completed that summer, this base was a temporary home to many future airmen from all parts of the country. Jack Hill of TeleVision of Arkansas combines interviews with film clips and photos to tell the story of how the Walnut Ridge area was impacted by the flying school and by the events of the war around the world.
See also:
ART:
American Civilization Series
WOMEN'S STUDIES:
Amelia Earhart
Captured Moments in Time
Cowgirls: Portrait of American Ranch Women
Category:
History
The Old Gray Lady
DVD, 60 min., 2006
Founded by William Woodruff in 1819, the Arkansas Gazette was known as the "oldest Newspaper West of the Mississippi." Long regarded as a progressive and literate voice, the paper had weathered some ups and downs through its 172 years, with the Central High School desegregation crisis being one of the major ones, but the newspaper war proved to be too much to overcome. Mary Steenburgen lends her voice to this telling of the long and proud history of The Old Gray Lady.
Category:
History
The Lost Year
DVD, 60 min., 2007
This is the story of the year after the "Crisis at Central High" when Governor Faubus closed all four high schools in the Little Rock school district to prevent court ordered integration. Many of the 3600+ displaced students found alternative schooling options, some near, some with relatives in other states, but pthers did not. Interviews with some of the students and teachers who experienced that year tell how it affected them then and how it changed their lives.
Category:
History