what most americans believe. born equal. different environments. announcer: professor and historian gordon wood tonight on 8:00 eastern. announcer: between 1963 and 1969, the white house photographic unit produced monthly reports on the activities of lyndon johnson. hourel america, a half report from 1967. this included a video of lbj's daughter wedding and --

daughter's wedding and a trip to placesican and other around the world. ♪ this exhibit is part of the lbj presidential library moving picture collection. ♪ [applause] >> in an age of instant communications, when the image and voice are so important, the chief occupant of the white

house has almost certainly become the most exhaustively analyzed figure of modern times. to most americans, the office of the presidency is a repository of a nation's hopes. its dreams. ♪ two observers, broadcasters, columnists, and historians, the modern president is the chief executive, commander-in-chief the , administrator of a vast bureaucracy, the government's top diplomat, educator, economist, and originator of legislative programs. combined with his endless galaxy of functions that graphically illustrate the obligations of his office, the electronic eye and the speed of 20th-century air travel have brought him

closer to the public than any other man of his time. ♪ measured against his own deeply personal terms, the events of december 1967 would quickly become household happenings for most citizens of the world. ♪ ♪ on december 7, president johnson joined over 3,000 mourners at a new york state cathedral as they paid their final respects to francis cardinal spellman. as pastor and statesman, the cardinal had been an apostle of progress, whose influence had been felt whenever problems touched his pulpit or his world. he supported the administration's efforts in vietnam and his voice would be missed.

>> love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live. who giveth this woman to be married to this man? i.her mother and announcer: two days after his return from new york, the president's oldest daughter became the bride of captain charles robb of the united states marine corps. this was the first white house wedding in 53 years, and one of the most brilliant social events since the wedding of alice roosevelt in 1906.

♪ ♪ ♪

♪

♪ announcer: from washington or the texas white house, few moves are as characteristic of the theson presidency as brainstorming tour of several states. barnstorming tour of several states. first up, a dedication ceremony that marked the opening of the county library at central texas college. >> let us show, by our actions, that progress is not too expensive. announcer: departing frequently from his text, the president rejected the notion that america could not solve problems of poverty and educational excellence. both would succeed, if the american people have the courage to stay the course.

three hours later, he defended america's 10-year, $20 billion investment in space exploration. [applause] narrator: that evening, before a national television audience and 2500 union delegates at the afl-cio convention, the president presented some dominant themes in 1968. citing the mass legislation expected from congress since he took office, he made a spirited appeal for the passage of other needed programs and defended his policies in vietnam. and called on labor to avoid a wage price spiral. he called republicans in congress "the wooden soldiers of the status quo." >> [applause]

narrator: despite what one critic called the unjust hyperbole of his attack on republicans, the president would claim with considerable accuracy that the majority of bills enacted in the past four years had grown from administration proposals. >> it wasn't easy, every step of the way. there were voices and votes that said, no, not so fast. it is only a rehash. it cost too much money. don't you know there is a war on, and you have to stop progress at home? i have heard them all. together, we have answered them all. ♪

narrator: the 90th congress's first session reflected tensions over vietnam and the urban crises. but the machinery had managed to finance the war, keep important domestic programs going, and pass key legislation, including the largest increase in social security benefits. this included the operation of the model city concept, and an expansion of federal city jurisdiction over the control of air pollution. even more remarkable was the recent history of consumer legislation. with the passage of the wholesome meat act, the full

record would show more cop list consumer legislation in a two year period. one of the supporters of the sinclair.n was upton his articles and books had been the first real attacks on the horrors of slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants in america. >> i have heard them all and we have answered them all. it is for labor, the young, the old, the worker, the businessman, the farmer, teacher, student, patient, and doctor. our fight is not part of america. our fight is for all of america. [♪ cheerful strings ♪]

narrator: at the traditional lighting of the national christmas tree, the president and the first lady joined the nation in celebrating the holiday season. [♪ christmas orchestral music ♪]

narrator: the larger enterprise that shape history take a great deal of time and hard work. after five years of very careful -- careful and difficult negotiations, agreements were signed in geneva during the summer of 1967. the presidential signature on proclamation 3822 on the morning of december 16 challenged the members of the kennedy round to of traderitical test cooperation. >> beginning january 1, tariffs on many of the -- on many of our imports will drop over five annual productions. -- drop over five annual deductions. means bigger export sales

for american businessmen and farmers. those who negotiate in geneva drove a hard bargain. we believe it was a fair bargain. narrator: in early december, the white house announced the first family had decided to spend christmas day in washington. coupled with this was the news that the president had videotaped an interview with white house correspondents from the three major television networks. the informal session was the first for a president since 1964, and it do for playback in playback was due for in primetime on the evening of the 19th. it's expected audience was close to 52 million viewers. on the 18th, the day of the taping, washington and the world received sudden and tragic news. from the moment that the wire service teletypes and the white house had clattered out to their -- has clattered out their

messages about prime minister holt, there was little doubt that the president's holiday plans would undergo drastic change. just how drastic, few knew until the morning of the 19th. in less than 24 hours, an entourage of 300 newsmen and aides had been assembled for the trip to australia. it was a dramatic demonstration of the resources available to an american president and his readiness to put them to use. behind all the headlines was a simple act of homage to a trusted friend. as the state needed to reaffirm the bond with australia's people, we press both the allies and the communists would be steadfastness of the american commitment in asia. on the 26 hour flight to canberra, a destination, travis air force base.

thehose who came to meet eye.dent, one caught his four-year-old madeline green. at the base hospital, he spent the greater part of an hour talking to some of the wounded veterans just back from south vietnam. at 2:05 p.m., california time, air force one sped over san francisco's golden gate. narrator: gathering together here in australia, are leaders

from the north, east, and west. tells much of the kind of man he leadership kind of he brought to the community of free nations and the kind of world he was trying to shape. narrator: by way of welcome to canberra, the prime minister's successor assured president johnson that despite the changes in leadership, there would be no change in the commitment of australia to south vietnam. following their 90 minute briefing on the war, president johnson plunged into an 18 hour day of protocol and courtesy visits, and a full round of bilateral discussions with australian and asian leaders. >> on the periphery of the orient, a new issue is building. building.sia is now

i saw it, i went there last year, i visited their country and the people. as the new asia becomes a reality, there is a hope the people on the mainland will turn challenges to the of economic and social development. there is hope they will turn to the task oof -- of living in dignity and mutual respect with their neighbors. ♪ [airplane engines] ♪ [bell tolling] >> on friday, december 22, the scene shifted to melbourne. with somber bells and churchbells pealing from the

spires of st. paul's cathedral. >> his days were truly short. his vision was long. he thought that we had to begin to build a new community in asia and in all of the pacific. a community of nations dedicated together to the works of progress and the fulfillment of all their peoples. the sense of that community is already coming into being. other men and leaders will carry that cause forward, in this and all the other lands that rim this great ocean. history is going to reserve an honored place in its memory for the name of harold holt, at a critical time. it was he who saw the vision and he who assumed leadership and imbued us with a new spirit, and with a fuller faith.

[♪ sweeping orchestral music ♪] [ bells tolling] narrator: following the visit to australia, a curtain of secrecy enveloped the presidential caravan.

speculation over the next mounted/ point just before 11:00 on the evening of the 22nd, the presidential party arrived at the airbase in thailand, home of the 388th tactical fighter wing and a takeoff point for the air force's f-105s, making daily combat runs over north vietnam. ♪ after a four hour rest, the president walked to the tarmac for a meeting with the pilots and crews. the know at this season of year especially, i bring the love of your families and the affection of your friends.

who are thinking of you and are praying for your safekeeping every hour. i bring with me the gratitude of the nation you serve so honorably and loyally and so well. through the use of air power, a mere handful of you, are down more than a half a million north vietnamese. they are increasing the cost of infiltration, and air power is providing the mobility, which meets and which matches the stealth of an enemy whose tactics are based on certain hit and run tactics. let no man in any other land misread the spirit of america, theirit manifest in

steadfastness and resolve of a nation that is holding firmly and faithfully to its course. as i meet and greet you this morning, i say on behalf of of families and your friends, on behalf of all of the american people and their allies, god bless you. god keep you, everyone appeal. we shall always be deeply in your debt. thank you and good morning. >> [applause] >> once over the asian mainland, seemedsident's next stop

almost inevitable. [plane engines humming] ♪ [♪ patriotic music ]

>> i wish i could've brought you something more than just myself. i wish i could've brought you some gift that would wrap up the care and concern of your families and loved ones. i wish i could've brought you a sign that the struggle that you are in will soon be over. i can bring you the assurance of what you have fought to achieve, the enemy cannot win in vietnam now. he can harass, terrorize, inflict casualties while taking far greater losses himself.

but he cannot win. there must have been times that you wish that this cup might pass from you, that it might go to some other generation, or come from some other place and time. it didn't. it came here and it is with us now. you have taken it with courage that makes all of your countrymen proud. i pray that you will be strengthened this christmas day in wartime by all of your loved ones and people. by the great confidence that you are inspiring in others. and by your own great, steadfast courage. may god bless you and may god keep you, each of you. >> [applause]

♪ [♪ "silent night" ♪] >> on december 23, for the second time in less than 14 months, the president had come to south vietnam. to the reporters, one idea since the beginning of the trip was that president johnson might

seek an audience with pope paul the sixth in rome. if this was true, so was the possibility of a flight around the world. ♪ six hours and 30 minutes after his takeoff from thailand, president johnson landed in pakistan, for a meeting with the president. ♪ after reviewing pakistan's rapid progress and industrial development, the two presidents discussed the world and the prospects for peace in vietnam.

there was much more to talk about, but time was short. with the engines of air force one winding on the airstrip, all pointed to rome and the completion of an around the world journey. a few hours later, i sat with pope paul in his vatican study. i wanted to tell him the united states had been actively seeking an end to the war in vietnam, that we had traveled dozens of roads in search of peace, but that these had proved fruitless journeys thus far.

his holiness told me of his eagerness to help bring peace to vietnam. i felt once more what all the world knows, the passion for peace that fills the heart of the pope. >> so after 110 hours, 59 in the air, the journey around the world came to an end on christmas eve and the president came home to washington. ♪ >> it was a wonderful christmas. our first christmas with our grandson, little lynn. and the first christmas our family sat together at the white house. ♪

] alls" ♪he >> during the remaining days of december, the president and his family returned to texas. on the agenda was a meeting with dr. christian bernard and a series of conferences on the budget and the state of the

union with legislators. slowly but surely, the presidential calendar would again start to quicken. >> tweet us at c-span history. a tweet about an issue that still resounds today. his question was about how many people were fathered by u.s. gis in vietnam. how are they treated 25 years after the u.s. to departure. >> you can be featured during our next live program, join the conversation on facebook.com/c-spanhistory or on @cspanhistory.

week on american history tv, john tender, author of paying with our bodies. explores the history of u.s. wars. he argues the nation struggles and often fails to adequately meet the needs of wounded veterans. here is a preview. >> when it comes to bodily trauma many americans live in a world of euphemism, or, let's face it, willful ignorance. tv journalists rarely speak of got shots and severed limbs. instead we are more likely to hear about losses and sacrifices and tragedies. as if the whole point of war were not to out-injure the other side. visit the seven acre memorial on the national mall in washington d.c., and you would be

hard-pressed to discover what actually happened to america's 400,000 plus war dead. though in the virtual tour, no less than tom hanks assures us they gave their lives in a fight for freedom. we have that. we don't know what happens, but we are told their deaths were good, they meant something. >> watch the entire program at 6:45 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. eastern on sunday. american history tv, only on c-span3. >> jefferson probably knew more about more things than any single man in north america. i include franklin in that, who would be his only rival. everyone was impressed by jefferson's knowledge. adams was smart, but did not have the breadth. he had depth in history and law that jefferson did not have. not because jefferson could not, he just was not as interested in the law as adams. on c-span's "q&a,"

professor gordon would on his book, "friends divided." >> adams was a realist. he did not believe all men were created equal. he thought men were created unequal. he did not believe in american exceptionalism. we americans are no better or no different from other nations. jefferson is the opposite. he is in to nurture, and that is what i think most americans believe. we are all born equal and the differences that emerge are due to different experiences, environments. that is why education is so important to americans, it was important to jefferson. >> professor and historian wood, tonight at 8:00

eastern on c-span. >> yado is a 400,000 acre estate in saratoga springs, established as a haven for writers and artists. it houses over 200 artists a year, which have included 74 pulitzer prize winners and a nobel prize winner. with the help of our spectrum cable partners, we continue to explore the history of saratoga springs, with the memoirs of former president ulysses s. grant. >> when grant arrived at the overlook, here he is very ill, only a few days left before he passes away. seeing this great beauty, this valley that once saw conflict and warfare, and where the nation was born was now a peaceful valley where farmers worked. he must've taken some satisfaction in that he was a part of the great american story.