You are watching booktv on cspan2 with top nonfiction books and authors at the weekend. Tv, television for serious readers. She teaches American History at university is the wishes a professor, a Mcknight University professor, the rudolph chair in immigration history and the director of the immigration History Research center. Lee is the author of three awardwinning books in u. S. Immigration, americas gates, chinese immigration during the exclusionary era, 18821943, and angel island, gateway to america in the making of asian america, a history. At the immigration History Research center she has helped to merge immigration history with the digital humanities. She launched and oversees the National Endowment for the humanities funded immigration story project which works with recent immigrants and refugees to collect, preserve and share their experiences. Her book america for americans a history of xenophobia in the United States is the subject of tonight talk. Please welcome erika lee.
Hard to imagine we could be a country without washingtons battlefield heroics. If you want to understand military history, look at washingtons campaign in new jersey and the hudson river, et cetera, its quite remarkable. Washington journal continues. From the ground of George Washingtons historic mt. Vernon, were joined now at the education and Museum Center there by doug bradburn, the president and ceo of George Washingtons mt. Vernon on this president s day. First, sir, explain the significance of that moment thats portrayed over your shoulder there, the swearingin of George Washington. Well, good morning, welcome to mt. Vernon. Behind me you see George Washington, the first president , being sworn in at federal hall in new york city. This would have been in 1789 in april. How well were the duties and the powers of the office that he was about to step into, how well were they defined at that moment when he was sworn in . Well, they werent defined at all. The presidency was a brand ne
There had not been anything like it certainly in america, were in the world. Of an a new experiment elected magistrate that at one point would be the head of state like a king, but at the same time also be the chief executioner of the law. The chief executive in this case. The chief policymaker. It was not exactly clear where the policies of powers of legislature in the president would be defined. Created thatally office and many of the president s, many of the things we come to think of as president ial really come down from his example in the office. Age 57 whenof 1789, he took the oath. What were his views at the time about expanding or restricting the power of the office he was stepping into . Washington had already established the idea that civilians should be in control, that we needed to exercise restraint. He knew he wanted the ability to have one Foreign Policy that would number his office. He knew that he wanted to have one military voice in the country that would be in his o
Inst this would have been host however the duties he was about to step into defined at that moment when he was sworn in . Guest they were defined at all. The present did see brandnew institution. There had not been anything like it certainly in america, were in the world. Of an a new experiment elected magistrate that at one point would be the head of state like a king, but at the same time also be the chief executioner of the law. The chief executive in this case. The chief policymaker. It was not exactly clear where the policies of powers of legislature in the president would be defined. Created thatally office and many of the president s, many of the things we come to think of as president ial really come down from his example in the office. Age 57 whenof 1789, he took the oath. What were his views at the time about expanding or restricting the power of the office he was stepping into . Washington had already established the idea that civilians should be in control, that we needed t
In of George Washington. Guest good morning, welcome to mount vernon. Behind me you see George Washington, the first president , being sworn in at federal hall in new york city in 1789 in were thet how well duties and powers of the office that he was about to step into, how well were they defined at that moment when he was sworn in . Guest they were not defined at all. The presidency was a brandnew institution. There had not been anything like it certainly in america and really in the world. It was a new experiment of an elected magistrate who at one point would be the head of state, like a king, but at the same time be the chief executioner of the laws, the chief executive, the chief policymaker. It was not clear where the powers of the legislature and where the powers of the president would be defined. Washington really created that office, and many of the precedents, many of the things we come to think of as president ial, come down from his example in the office host 59 when he89,