American Presidents: Life Portraits

Now it is easier to find a short video clip for your classroom! Use the clip list below to search for short, relevant segments from the featured American Presidents: Life Portraits program.

Directions: Click on the streamed video links to the left and view the program online; use the start and end times in the list below to cue up and watch the segments of your choice. The clips shaded in gray are those recommended by C-SPAN's Teacher Fellows.

John Adams Program Video Clip List
Clip #	Start Time	End Time	Description
1	0:32	4:41	Biographical vignette
2	4:42	5:56	Description of Adams home; portrait of Adams
3	6:24	7:57	Author David McCullough's discussion of similarities, differences between Jefferson and Adams
4	7:57	10:34	Description of Adams's library and family tradition
5	10:34	12:08	Background, historical info on John Adams
6	12:08	14:02	Painting of John Adams, discussion of build, appearance
7	14:02	17:08	McCullough's description of Abigail Adams Watch Clip 7
8	17:25	18:14	Description of grounds, gardens, library of Adams's home
9	18:12	19:37	Description of Adams's background, home
10	19:37	23:16	Discussion of home, where the Adams family lived before he was ambassador to England; portrait and articles in the home
11	23:16	27:26	Caller question regarding intellect of Jefferson and Adams
12	27:26	29:33	Discussion of birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams
13	29:55	33:40	Caller question re: relationship between Jefferson and King of England; comments on relationship between America and Great Britain after the Revolution
14	33:40	34:45	Discussion of Adams's descendents, other notable figures in Adams family
15	34:45	37:09	Question and answer about relationship between George Washington and John Adams
16	37:09	40:26	Adams's views on politics; discussion of library; founders' ideas about education; desk where Adams wrote the Constitution of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Watch Clip 16
17	40:26	47:15	How rift between Jefferson and Adams started; views on French Revolution; control of press by political parties Watch Clip 17
18	47:15	52:51	Separation of church and state; morality and ethics, today and in 18th century; Adams's morality; wise and honest men in White House
19	52:55	55:23	John Stanwich, Park Ranger, Adams National Historic Park; history of homes
20	55:23	57:12	Historical perspective of loss of independence in modern times and in the past Watch Clip 20
21	57:12	1:00:38	Geography of area around Adams home, Adams Historic Park, budget and maintenance of home by National Park Service
22	1:00:38	1:02:08	Discussion of weather and fortitude of people of New England; stock of people John Adams came from
23	1:04:06	1:06:37	Adam family history; family as "maltsters"; John Quincy Adams journal
John Adams Program Video Clip List - Part 1 of 2
Clip #	Start Time	End Time	Description
24	2:45	5:12	Amy Lassiter, sophomore at John Adams High School, on why her school is named after Adams
25	5:12	8:25	Political parties, Federalists and Republicans; John and Abigail Adams on slavery
26	9:41	12:47	McCullough on libraries, books; value of books to John Adams
27	12:47	14:58	Abigail Adams writing to her son
28	14:58	21:55	McCullough on his book about Panama Canal; ancestor of Adams; Adams family tradition of hard work; letters between Abigail and John
29	21:55	26:35	Romantic relationships of Nabby Adams; humanity of Adams family
30	26:35	30:33	Adams's view on the role of money in today's society; portrayal of John Adams in musical/play 1776; advocate for independence Watch Clip 30
31	30:33	31:39	Gravesite of the two Adams presidents ; preservation of historical sites
32	31:39	36:23	Caller question regarding relationship to Quincy family; Abigail Adams watching Battle of Bunker Hill Watch Clip 32
33	36:23	41:19	Importance of education in life; reading of Pilgrim's Progress
34	41:16	45:01	Adams family burial grounds; Joseph Bass, John Adams travel companion and servant; transportation and communication in the 18th century
35	45:01	49:18	Abigail Brown, descendent of Adams; Adams family reunions; what it means to be from the Adams family
36	49:18	53:24	Adams's career as public figure; establishing credit with Holland; treaty in France ending American Revolution
37	54:20	56:01	Mastectomy of Nabby Adams; relationship between mother and daughter
38	56:01	58:31	Political parties past and present; dislike of Alexander Hamilton Watch Clip 38
39	58:31	59:46	John and Abigail Adams's bedroom
40	59:46	1:01:56	Caller question regarding McCullough's book on Lewis and Clark; Jefferson's record of finances; contrast Jefferson's budget for self versus budget for country while president
41	1:02:02	1:04:40	Adams as a teacher early in his life; reading of Adams's diary entry
42	1:04:40	1:07:38	McCullough on writing books, looking at primary sources, researching, visiting significant historical places
43	1:07:38	1:10:33	John Adams's study; desk where Adams wrote letters to Jefferson from 1812 until their deaths in 1826
44	1:10:33	1:13:33	Jefferson and Adams's death 50 years after signing of the Declaration of Independence; Adams's response to 50-year anniversary, "Independence Forever"
45	1:13:33	1:18:46	McCullough on writing and teaching of history; importance of history
46	1:19:27	1:24:32	Caller question regarding film Amistad; slavery and Sally Hemmings; Alien and Sedition Acts


A Site to Complement C-SPAN's 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits March-December 1999