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Watch Full Episodes of American Ride
American Ride Full Episode Guide
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The United States was in need of a strong leader, but what we got were Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Despite their best efforts, the two men only managed to drive the nation further apart, destroy one party and see a new party rise from the ashes, and make a hero of a frontier lawyer from Illinois.
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Andrew Johnson was truly a victim of circumstance. A Democrat placed on the Republican ticket, Johnson became president after the death of our nation's most beloved chief executive. Lincoln's plans for reunification died with him, and Johnson's loyalty to Lincoln's vision almost destroyed the presidency.
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When Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated, he became president of a fractured Union. America was poised for what would become the bloodiest chapter in its young history. The Civil War killed more Americans than all our other wars combined. It was only through Lincoln's strength, dedication, and faith that the Union survived.
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The United States was in need of a strong leader, but what we got were Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Despite their best efforts, the two men only managed to drive the nation further apart, destroy one party and see a new party rise from the ashes, and make a hero of a frontier lawyer from Illinois.
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The year 1850 was a time of compromise, but neither Zachary Taylor or Millard Fillmore did much to ease the tension. The question of expanding slavery into the territories brought about a constitutional crisis. Senator Henry Clay and Stephen Douglas would craft the "deal" that was meant to keep the Union together.
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James K. Polk said what he meant and meant what he said, and because of him, the United States now spreads from sea to shining sea. Polk was a man of Manifest Destiny, for both himself and his country. He was a one-term wonder who got things done, but at what cost?
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In 1824, Mexico revolted against General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Ten years later, Texas had decided that independence from Mexico was the only sure road to liberty. The birth of the Lone Star Republic would have a dramatic impact on the United States, and the siege of the Alamo would become an American legend.
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Gone was the powerful personality of Andrew Jackson. Now we were faced with ineffectual leadership and unforeseen tragedy. Martin Van Buren would fire the furnace of sectional rivalry for more than 20 years. Tippecanoe and Tyler hardly fared much better.
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Andrew Jackson was our nation's second military hero to become president. His rise to power ushered in the modern party system, ad the democratic political machine was created to ensure the election of Ol' Hickory. But the party system also created a culture of favoritism and patronage that affects our country even today.
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The election of 1824 saw the beginning of a new political era in America. It was the end of the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans, and the end of the era of good feelings. The presidency of John Quincy Adams ushered in more than thirty years of political animosity that would finally divide our nation.
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John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were some of the greatest political rivals yet the best of friends. Their shared background in law allowed them to pave the way for the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the "unalienable rights" central to American ideology.
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George Washington is one of the most respected and revered leaders in American history. See how his experiences as a soldier in the French and Indian War molded him into a hero of the Revolution and, eventually, the first president of the United States.
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On July 4, 1776, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both signed the Declaration of Independence and became two of the most prominent leaders of the Revolution. Each served as both vice president and president of the United States. And although they were political rivals, they shared an everlasting bond of brotherhood that lasted until death.
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Most stories of the Revolution are about the men who led the fight for freedom. Less known—but no less important—are the stories of the women of the Revolution. Women like Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Martha Jefferson Randolph, Dolly Madison, and Elizabeth Monroe helped to establish a young United States and the position of "First Lady."
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Before serving as fifth president of the United States, James Monroe was an officer in the Continental army during the Revolution, studied law with Thomas Jefferson, served in Congress, and was US minister to France. His years as president have become known as the "Era of Good Feelings."
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After the Revolution, a young James Madison identified flaws in the Articles of Confederation and sought to fortify the American colonies with a stronger central government. The future fourth president of the United States became known as the "Father of the Constitution."
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Despite the disadvantages of his upbringing, became one of our nation's greatest leaders. He served as aid-de-camp to General George Washington during the American Revolution, helped to shape the constitution, and was the very first secretary of the treasury.
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On July 4, 1776, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both signed the Declaration of Independence and became two of the most prominent leaders of the Revolution. Each served as both vice president and president of the United States. And although they were political rivals, they shared an everlasting bond of brotherhood that lasted until death.
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John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were some of the greatest political rivals yet the best of friends. Their shared background in law allowed them to pave the way for the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the "unalienable rights" central to American ideology.
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George Washington is one of the most respected and revered leaders in American history. See how his experiences as a soldier in the French and Indian War molded him into a hero of the Revolution and, eventually, the first president of the United States.
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As one of the most iconic Founding Fathers of America, Benjamin Franklin was a respected inventor, philosopher, and politician. After rallying America to band together against Great Britain, his ideals paved the way to establishing a complete and independent nation.
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Throughout the American Revolution, leaders like Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, and John Hancock led the way to a nation free from Great Britain's grasp. Daring to jump into the fray, these leaders would become icons of patriotism and American independence.
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At the conclusion of the French and Indian war, the American Colonies were in a state of political unrest. Men like Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, and Patrick Henry would become some of the pioneers of American patriotism, leading the charge towards revolution.
