American Experience

Introduction to the Presidents

Henry Adams, the American historian and the grandson and great-grandson of presidents, said the president "resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port to seek." Indeed, each of our presidents has taken America on a slightly different voyage -- voyages shaped largely by how each sitting president has defined the institution of the presidency. Some have been more bold and adventuresome than others -- working to mold public opinion and actively pushing their programs through Congress. Others have not ventured far -- feeling that presidential intervention often causes more problems than it solves.

According to Pulitzer prize-winning author David McCullough, "each president is only a link in a very long chain, beginning with the first presidency under George Washington." Each of the links on that chain are unique. No two presidents have governed exactly alike and the times in which they served have often dictated their actions. One can look at the presidency in the 20th century and through the office see the drama of contemporary American history -- war, economic hardship, women's rights, race relations, our triumphs and our failures -- it is all there.

In 1990 American Experience unveiled Nixon to the accolades of the press and the public. This film, about one of the nation's most controversial political figures, marked the beginning of a unprecedented examination of America in the 20th century. The series followed with:

• LBJ, 1991
• The Kennedys, 1992
• Ike, 1993
• FDR, 1994
• TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt, 1996
• Truman, 1997
• Reagan, 1998
• Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided, 2001
• Woodrow Wilson, 2002
• Ulysses S. Grant, 2002
• Jimmy Carter, 2002

In all, The Presidents is comprised of 47 hours of broadcast programming detailing the lives of people who collectively held the most powerful office in the world.

The Presidents Web site builds on the enormous collection of research materials developed for the award-winning broadcasts. The site includes a summary page for each chief executive, provides Featured Presidents, an in-depth look at the presidents in the broadcast series line-up, and includes resources such as links to presidential sites, a detailed bibliography and a comprehensive collection of primary sources. Of special note is an expanded Teacher's Guide for each of the featured presidents, which provides instructional activities and suggestions for using the programs in the classroom.

There is much to learn about the presidency by studying the people who occupied the office. All have been immensely different from one another. Woodrow Wilson, the peacemaker; Kennedy, the Cold Warrior; Jimmy Carter, the engineer; "Silent Cal" Coolidge and the bellicose Theodore Roosevelt. We've had Richard Nixon, the anti-communist, and Ronald Reagan, the actor turned politician. All of the characters are complex and all of their stories surprising.