Convention, my fellow citizens, i accept your nomination and your program. [ cheers and applause ] and now my friends that you have made your decision, i will fight to win that office with all my heart and my soul. [ cheers and applause ] and with your help, i have no doubt that we will win. [ cheers and applause ] help me to do the job in this autumn of conflict and of campaign. Help me to do the job in these years of darkness and doubt and crisis which stretch beyond the horizon of tonights happy vision. And we will justify our gorgeous past and the loyalty of silent millions who look to us for compassion, for understanding, and for honest purpose. Thus we will serve our great tradition greatly. I ask of you all you have. I will give you all i have and that was our contender this week, Adlai Stevenson, accepting the democratic nomination for president in 1952. We are joined by historian Richard Norton smith here in Adlai Stevensons hold study in libertyville, illinois. Richard norton
I proudly accept the nomination of our party. [cheers and applause] this moment is one of personal pride and gratification yet one cannot help or fleck the deep sadness that we feel over the troubles and the violence, which have erupted regrettably and tragically in the streets of this great city. For the first no injuries which have occurred. [cheers and applause] surely, we have now learned a lesson that violence breeds counter violence, and it cannot be condoned of whatever the source. [cheers and applause] i know that every delegate to this Convention Shares tonight its my sorrow and my distress over these incidents. May we for just one moments, and sober affliction and serious purpose. May we just quietly and silently, huge in our own way, pray for our country and may we dont share for a moment a few of those immortal words of the prayer of Saint Francis of sec. Words which i think, may help heal the wounds ease the pain, and lift our hearts. Listen to this immortal saint. Where t
Now that youve made your decision, i will fight to win that office with all of my heart and soul. With your help, i have no doubt that we will win. Help me to do the job of conflict and of campaign. We will justify our glorious task and the loyalty of millions who look to us for compassion, for understanding, and for honesty. We will serve our great tradition greatly. I ask of you all you have. I will give you all i have. That was our contender this week, Adlai Stevenson, excepting the democratic nomination for president in 1952. We are joined by Richard Norton smith in libertyville, illinois. Who was this oneterm governor of illinois . For millions of americans, that is all he was. The oneterm governor of illinois. They have never heard a voice like his. They did not know that a Political Revolution was being touched off that night. For the next decade, Adlai Stevenson would be the voice of the Democratic Party, someone you would transform american politics, even though he was never s
Jackie kennedy, john steinbeck. It hence he was a very unusual, a nonpolitician and a new ways. He in many ways. Eventually, by millions of americans who proudly declared themselves stevensonians. Standing between us is this old office chair. Cabinetis stevensons terror. He had an historic stand of the american passenger to the United Nations. He was made a member of the cabinet, this is the chair that commemorate spot. Somewhat difficult relationship that he had with the Kennedy Administration. You referred to the dynasty, the stephenson political dynasty. Here on the wall or some artifacts. Whitevernor stevensons said his grandfather was Vice President of the United States. Under grover cleveland. He ran again in 1900 under William Jennings bryant. This is grandfather stevensons hat. Thank you for joining us tonight. Live from libertyville, we will work our way it over to the barn on the family farm. We are currently in the study. Next to it is a barn. This is a working farm at some
Home to the house and senate since 1800. It is their home districts and states that send members to washington, d. C. Over the next 90 minutes, a look at pivotal u. S. Politicians as we travel the nation in search of their stories. Coming up first, former wisconsin governor and 1924 Progressive Party president ial bobdate, robert fighting lafalce. Hes the most important political figure in wisconsins history and one of the most important in the history of the 20th century in the United States. He was a reforming governor. He defined what progressivism is. He was one of the first to use the term to self identify. He was the United States senator. He was recognized by his peers in the 1950s as one of the five greatest senators in American History. He was an opponent of world war i. He stood his ground advocating for free speech. Above all, he was about the people. In the era after the civil war, america changed radically from a nation of small farmers, small producers, small manufacturer