American Elections

Election of 1796, first contested presidential election, won by John Adams. His opponent, Thomas Jefferson becomes vice-president. Adam's difficult relationship with cabinet, congress, and Jefferson. Struggle with France on the high seas; the Alien and Sedition Acts set stage for election of 1800, won narrowly by Jefferson. Lame-duck Congress changes court structure; Adams' appoints Federalists to new posts before he leaves office. Jefferson challenges appointments. Role of Chief Justice John Marshall and Marbury vs. Madison decision in strengthening Supreme Court.

Election of Abraham Lincoln spawns secession of seven states led by South Carolina. Confederate States form provisional government before Lincoln is inaugurated, take over two southern forts. Neither side believes there will be war, but attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces signals beginning of conflict. Both sides mobilize quickly. Union has material advantage; Confederates win early battles. Lincoln and Union generals want to minimize damage to South so they can come back into Union. Influence of border states. Confiscation Acts address problem of captured and runaway slaves. War becomes harder with no end in sight.

The story of the 1960 US Presidential election.

Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.

The enduring political and social legacy of the 1964 U.S. presidential campaign and election.

A TV news reporter finds himself becoming personally involved in the violence that erupts around the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

The riots surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, and the "chaotic" conspiracy trial that followed. "It was an episode of American justice gone mad," says series host Bill Kurtis. Interviewed: defendant Tom Hayden, prosecutor Tom Foran, defense lawyer William Kunstler and author John Schultz ("The Chicago Conspiracy Trial"), who notes: "The police bestialized the protesters and the protesters bestialized the police."

A behind-the-scenes look at a former Michigan U.S. Representative's campaign as he vies for his party's Presidential nomination.

An inside look at the 1992 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Follows the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.

Shortly before an election, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal.

Explores the controversial 2000 U.S. presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Voters and experts weigh in underscoring the complex and sometimes puzzling forces that create the culture of U.S. elections.

Chronicle of events after the 2000 Presidential election showing how the election was stolen and the people's attempts to get a federal investigation, that was thwarted by both Democrats and Republicans.

Political documentary about the 2000 United States presidential election. It examines the then-current state of American democracy, the issues handled by the typical political process, and the issues which remain unresolved. It also questions whether there is any actual difference between the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

A chronicle of the weeks after the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, and the subsequent recounts in Florida.

Forget the hanging chads and butterfly ballots. The Presidential 2000 election is still a mystery to most Americans. What actually happened with the 180,000 uncounted Florida votes that would have elected Vice President Al Gore? And who was responsible for the injustice? Was it the disorganized media or the irresponsible state of Florida? "Recount Democracy" investigates charges of disenfranchisement, racial exclusion, voting rights violations and the subverting of a recount in the most contested and controversial election in U.S. history. Nearly a decade later, the story every American must know is told in unflinching detail.

The international custody battle over six-year old Elian Gonzalez triggers a political earthquake in Miami-Dade County in 2000, swaying the outcome of the presidential election.

This documentary follows the 2002 mayoral campaign in Newark, New Jersey in which a City Councilman, Cory Booker, attempted to unseat longtime mayor Sharpe James.