White house. American history tv features cspans original series, first ladies. Cspan produced in the series in cooperation with the White House Historical association. Through conversations, video tools, and questions from cspans audience, we tell the story of americas 45 first ladies. Next, helen taft. This is about 1. 5 hours. Helen taft was more ambitious by getting to the white house than her husband. Willing to get personally involved in politics to get elected. She overcame a serious illness to directly manage the white house, invite a Classical Musicians to perform, and supported concerts that mattered to her. Helen taft also has a visible legacy. Famouston, d. C. s japanese cherry trees, the ones that frame the title basin in bring visitors to washington every year. Good evening and welcome to first ladies, influence and image, the life of helen taft. He served from 19091913. Here to tell us about her life is her biographer. Is our musical first lady. You open the book making
She also seemed to have an agenda to get her husband to the white house. The story is that she decided during the haze and ministration she said she wanted to do that as well. There are a lot of women sometimes, she is portrayed as a cross between Mommy Dearest and lady macbeth, which is not the case. She was a much more constructive influence and a nicer lady. Helen taft has an interesting story. We bet many of you will be hearing it for the first time. He would like to involve even our conversation. You can send us comments on facebook. You can also send us a tweet using the first ladies. We will get to your calls in a few minutes. First, we will tell you about her early biography. How does she get to the white house at age 16 . Her father in cincinnati where friends with president rutherford b. Hayes and lucy hayes and they went to the white house she had not yet made her debut. She could not participate in social activities. President hayes and says it was wonderful to have her the
Taft our musical first lady. You opened the book by making the case that of the 20th century first lady, shes the most obscure, but you say she deserves better from history. Tell me quickly why she deserves better than being obscure . Mr. Gould well, because she did some things that were, as youve mentioned in your opening, about that were very constructive, i mean, the cherry trees, bringing the Classical Music musicians to the white house, and, generally, trying to make washington the Cultural Center of the nation. That was her ambition. Now, it didnt work out because of medical reasons. But she had an agenda that would have made her rank with Eleanor Roosevelt or Lady Bird Johnson in terms of transforming washington had things gone the other way. Ms. Swain she also seemed to have an agenda to get her husband to the white house. Mr. Gould yes, the story is that she decided when she visited the white house in the hayeS Administration, hey, i want to do that as well. Its somewhat overd
Did his gradual work at the university of pennsylvania where he focused on the history of religion. He holds a master of divinity. His roster of publications is so long that i am not going to try readthe salt to you all of it to you. You can get a full accounting on biography and his his doings. To mention five books that i think are especially pertinent to what we will be doing this afternoon. The first is called Abraham Lincoln, redeemer president. It was published in 1998. It is the first of his lincoln books. The emancipation proclamation the end of slavery and america published by simon and schuster. That brought him his second lincoln prize. Lincoln and douglas the debate that defined america. For some reason that did not win the lincoln prize. A new history of the civil war and reconstruction came out in 2012. Mentionh title i will is called gettysburg, the last which brought a third lincoln prize to alan. The only person who has won three. He is currently working on a biography
I am going to mention five books that i think are especially pertinent to what we will be doing this afternoon. The first is called Abraham Lincoln, redeemer president. It was published in 1998. It is the first of his lincoln books. The emancipation proclamation the end of slavery and america published by simon and schuster. That brought him his second lincoln prize. Lincoln and douglas the debate that defined america. For some reason that did not win the lincoln prize. A new history of the civil war and reconstruction came out in 2012. The fifth title i will mention is called gettysburg, the last invasion which brought a third lincoln prize to alan. The only person who has won three. He is currently working on a biography of robert e. Lee. That will be published and it will be one of the things we will get to today. We are going to talk about his work on the field of civil war era studies. I want to begin with a question relating to the opportunities for people in our field to try and