Past Programming

The Treasures of Illinois:

A Visit to the State Archives

From the Illinois State Archives in Springfield: as the Illinois Channel is about to begin its seventh year in operation, we offer a look back to our first year when we paid a visit to the Illinois State Archives to learn of their mission and see just some of the treasures they store from Illinois' past.

Recorded August 21, 2003.  Re-aired the week of December 28, 2009.  30 minutes.

Celebrating the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's Birth:

Lincoln's New Salem

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Petersburg: Springfield is known as the home of Abraham Lincoln, but just 20 miles northwest of Springfield is the reconstructed town of New Salem, where Lincoln spent his early adulthood. We show you where Lincoln's rail splitter image was burnished, where he tried and failed in business, and where he began his legal education.  In addition to its Lincoln legacies, New Salem's "living history" offers visitors a fascinating look at the challenges of living and surviving in a small Illinois town of the 1830s.

For more information, click here.

Recorded May 9, 2005.  Aired the week of August 17, 2009.  1 hour.

Abraham Lincoln's Home and Neighborhood

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: a look at the home and neighborhood where Abraham and Mary Lincoln raised their children and lived in up until the time they moved into the White House.  We will hear what kind of parents the Lincolns were and how the house served as a site for many of Lincoln's important political meetings.  We will also hear about the on-going efforts to revitalize other homes in the neighborhood.

Recorded June 6, 2005.  Re-Aired the week of July 13, 2009.  30 minutes.

1776 and the American Revolution

From the Union League Club in Chicago: Historian and Author David McCullough discusses his new book, 1776.  In the book, Mr. McCullough tells the story of America's tumultuous first year of the Revolutionary War, when George Washington led a rag-tag group of Americans against the British Army, then the most powerful military force in the world.

Recorded June 13, 2005.  Aired the week of July 13, 2009.  50 minutes.

Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Union League Club of Chicago: as the world recalls the crimes of the Holocaust, we offer an encore presentation of our one-on-one interview with Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss.  From a charmed life in Austria, she and her family were forced to flee, hide, and then attempt to survive starvation and the brutality of the Nazi death camps.

This program is made possible by underwriting support from Casteel Coffee.

Recorded May 13, 2008.  Re-aired the week of April 27, 2009.  50 minutes.

Interview with Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Union League Club of Chicago: we offer an encore presentation of our interview with Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss on how her family was sent to the death camps and how she miraculously survived.

This program is made possible by underwriting support from Casteel Coffee.

Recorded May 13, 2008.  Re-aired the week of December 29, 2008.  45 minutes.

Interview with Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Chicago: Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss counted Anne Frank among her childhood friends.  Like Anne Frank, Eva was forced to hide with her family from the Nazis.  On her 15th birthday, soldiers broke into her family's hiding place and sent them to Nazi death camps.  In this moving conversation, Eva tells her story of childhood joy, then hiding in fear, the horrors of the death camp, the loss of family members, and her ultimate survival.

This program is made possible by underwriting support from Casteel Coffee.

Recorded May 13, 2008.  Aired the week of September 22, 2008.  50 minutes.

1908 Springfield Race Riot

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield: on the 100th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908, Historian Carole Merritt tells us about the lynchings in Lincoln's hometown that shocked the nation.

Recorded August 16, 2008.  Aired the week of September 15, 2008.  15 minutes.

Historians on the Events and Racial Legacies Resulting from the 1908 Springfield Race Riot

From Springfield: in August 1908, a white mob burnt the homes of blacks and lynched two black men in Abraham Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, Illinois.  These events led to the formation of the NAACP.  We hear a panel of historians discuss the Springfield Race Riot and its effect on race relations in America.

Recorded August 16, 2008.  Aired the week of September 15, 2008.  1 hour and 15 minutes.

Lincoln's Legacy and Presidential Leadership

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss talks of the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and presidential leadership.  Mr. Beschloss' address was delivered at the 100th meeting of the Abraham Lincoln Association.

For more information on the Abraham Lincoln Association, click here.

Be sure to also check out our Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial page here.

Recorded February 12, 2008.  Aired the week of February 18, 2008.  35 minutes.

1865 Presidential News Conference

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the House Chamber of the Old State Capitol in Springfield:  famed Lincoln impersonator George Buss offers a depiction of President Abraham Lincoln holding a Presidential News Conference in April 1865 as the Civil War drew to a close.  Members of Springfield's Capitol press corps pepper President Lincoln with period questions on taxes, how he plans to heal the nation's wounds, and his future plans after he leaves the White House.  This event was organized by the Abraham Lincoln Association in Illinois as part of the 2009 commemoration of the bicentennial of President Lincoln's birth.

Recorded October 4, 2007.  Aired the week of February 4, 2008.  45 minutes.

Springfield Race Riot of 1908

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: an encore presentation of our look back at the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and the violent sequence of events in Abraham Lincoln's hometown that shocked the nation.  We also hear of the riot's lasting legacy as we revisit actual locations where rioting took place.

Historical photos used in this program are courtesy of the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library - Springfield's Public Library.

Recorded June 2005.  Re-aired the week of July 30, 2007.  50 minutes.

Abraham Lincoln's Home and Neighborhood

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: a look at the home and neighborhood where Abraham and Mary Lincoln raised their children and lived in up until the time they moved into the White House.  We will hear what kind of parents the Lincolns were and how the house served as a site for many of Lincoln's important political meetings.  We will also hear about the on-going efforts to revitalize other homes in the neighborhood.

Recorded June 6, 2005.  Re-aired the week of July 2, 2007.  30 minutes.

Celebrating Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday

For more information on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, click here.

Recorded April 16, 2007.  Aired the week of June 4, 2007.  20 minutes.

Newsweek's Jon Meacham:

Religion in American Politics, Past and Present

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield: Jon Meacham, Managing Editor at Newsweek Magazine, discusses his book, "American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation."  His book examines the role of religion in our history and in our current political affairs.  Mr. Meacham is interviewed by Myron Marty, Professor Emeritus of History at Drake University.

Recorded February 11, 2007.  Aired the week of February 19, 2007.  1 hour.

The Illinois State Historical Society's Centennial Awards Dinner

From Chicago: the Illinois State Historical Society holds its annual Centennial Awards Dinner, which honors those organizations which have operated continuously in Illinois for 100 years or more.  Speaking at the dinner and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is Astronaut Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13.  Following the dinner, we hear from some of those whose organizations were honored, and we talk with Captain Lovell about the space program and what he is now doing as a resident of Northern Illinois.

Recorded October 13, 2006.  Aired the week of December 25, 2006.  45 minutes.

Working With Governor Adlai Stevenson II

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield: a retrospective of Governor Adlai Stevenson.  Governor Stevenson is recalled by family members and those who worked with him.  This program, moderated by Richard Norton Smith, was part of the Inaugural Governor's Conference held at the Presidential Library.

Recorded November 5, 2005.  Aired the week of August 14, 2006.  1 hour & 10 minutes.

ABOUT ILLINOIS:

Abraham Lincoln's Home and Neighborhood

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: a look at the home and neighborhood where Abraham and Mary Lincoln raised their children and lived in up until the time they moved into the White House.  We will hear what kind of parents the Lincolns were and how the house served as a site for many of Lincoln's important political meetings.  We will also hear about the on-going efforts to revitalize other homes in the neighborhood.

Recorded June 6, 2005.  Aired the week of August 14, 2006.  30 minutes.

Doris Kearns Goodwin: Historian & Author

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield: an encore presentation of Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discussing her book, "Team of Rivals," which chronicles the political infighting in the Lincoln Administration.  Ms. Goodwin also discusses the telling of American history through biographies.  Ms. Goodwin is interviewed by State Historian Tom Schwartz.

Recorded February 11, 2006.  Re-aired the week of August 7, 2006.  1 hour and 5 minutes.

The Public & Private Lives of Dwight & Mamie Eisenhower

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield: Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight & Mamie Eisenhower, discusses the sacrifices made by her grandmother in support of Ike's military and Presidential careers.  This panel was part of a day-long conference kicking off the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum's new temporary exhibit, "Mrs. President: From Martha to Laura," which runs through October 29, 2006.

Click here for more information.

Recorded May 11, 2006.  Aired the week of June 26, 2006.  45 minutes.

Mrs. President: Rediscovering Our First Ladies

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield: Richard Norton Smith, Presidential Historian and former Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, reviews the lives and legacies of America's First Ladies.  This address was part of a conference kicking off the Museum's new temporary exhibit, "Mrs. President: From Martha to Laura."

Click here for more information.

Recorded May 11,  2006.  Aired the week of May 22, 2006.  50 minutes.

Doris Kearns Goodwin: Historian & Author

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield: Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discusses her recent book, "Team of Rivals," which chronicles the political infighting in the Lincoln Administration.  Ms. Goodwin also discusses the telling of American history through biographies.  Ms. Goodwin is interviewed by State Historian Tom Schwartz following an introduction by Richard Norton Smith, Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

Recorded February 11, 2006.  Aired the week of March 6, 2006.  1 hour and 5 minutes.

Springfield Race Riot of 1908

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield:  With the help of Historian Cullom Davis, we look back at the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and the violent sequence of events in Abraham Lincoln's hometown that shocked the nation.  We also hear of the riot's lasting legacy as we revisit actual locations where rioting took place with Professor Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, Director of the African American Studies & Research Program at the University of Illinois.

Historical photos used in this program are courtesy of the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library - Springfield's Public Library.

Recorded June 2005.  Aired the week of September 4, 2005.  50 minutes.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Lincoln's Tomb and Oak Ridge Cemetery

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield:  Oak Ridge Cemetery is hallowed ground, not only as the resting ground for Abraham Lincoln, but for the memorials to the veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.  The number of visitors to the cemetery each year makes Oak Ridge second only to Arlington as the most visited cemetery in the nation.  Our cameras take you there to see what visitors see, and what they learn.

Recorded June 27, 2005.  Aired the week of July 17, 2005.  35 minutes.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

1776 and the American Revolution

From the Union League Club in Chicago: Historian and Author David McCullough discusses his new book, 1776.  In the book, Mr. McCullough tells the story of America's tumultuous first year of the Revolutionary War, when George Washington led a rag-tag group of Americans against the British Army, then the most powerful military force in the world.

Recorded June 13, 2005.  Aired the week of June 26, 2005.  45 minutes.

Lincoln Home and Neighborhood

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: a look at the home and neighborhood where Abraham and Mary Lincoln raised their children and lived in up until the time they moved into the White House.  We will hear what kind of parents the Lincolns were and how the house served as a site for many of Lincoln's important political meetings.  We will also hear about the on-going efforts to revitalize other homes in the neighborhood.

Recorded June 6, 2005.  Aired the week of June 26, 2005.  40 minutes.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Lincoln's New Salem

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Petersburg: Springfield is known as the home of Abraham Lincoln, but just 20 miles northwest of Springfield is the reconstructed town of New Salem, where Lincoln spent his early adulthood. We will show you where Lincoln's rail splitter image was burnished, where he tried and failed in business, and where he began his legal education.  In addition to its Lincoln legacies, New Salem's "living history" offers visitors a fascinating look at the challenges of living and surviving in a small Illinois town of the 1830s.

Recorded May 9, 2005.  Aired the week of June 12, 2005.  1 hour.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Illinois National Guard's Military History

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: Did you know Illinoisan's captured General Santa Anna's wooden leg during the 1840's War with Mexico?  It is just one artifact on display at the Illinois Military Museum.  Nicknamed "The Castle," the museum is located at the National Guard's Camp Lincoln in Springfield.  Tour with us as Museum Director Mark Whitlock showcases the museum's exhibits and how they capture the history of the Illinois National Guard, from the Blackhawk War to the capture of Baghdad.

For More Information, Visit: http://www.il.ngb.army.mil

Recorded March 2, 2005.  Aired the week of April 24, 2005.  45 minutes.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Lincoln and Civil Liberties

From Knox College in Galesburg: Frank Williams, Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and noted Lincoln scholar, presents a speech entitled Lincoln and Civil Liberties.  Williams examines similarities between legal questions that arose in the Civil War to those now arising from the fighting in Iraq and the war on terrorism.

Recorded March 25, 2005.  Aired the week of April 17, 2005.  50 minutes.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana-Thomas House

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902 for Springfield socialite Susan Lawrence Dana, the Dana-Thomas House is now home to the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass and furniture.  It is the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright's early "Prairie" houses.

For More Information on the Dana-Thomas House, Visit: www.dana-thomas.org.

Recorded February 22, 2005.  Aired the week of March 27, 2005.  1 hour.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Tours of Old State Capitol & Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: Downtown Springfield actually holds two state capitol buildings.  One is the current home of state government.  But another building, known as the "Old State Capitol,"  once housed the entire structure of state government.  It was also in this building that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas began to develop their ambitions and merge their futures.  Just across from this building, Abraham Lincoln practiced law for nine years.  In this video tour, we hear the history of the buildings and learn of the men and issues that led to Illinois being called, "The Land of Lincoln."

Recorded February 15, 2005.  Aired the week of February 27, 2005.  60 minutes.

This program is brought to you in cooperation with the

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity -

Bureau of Tourism.

Leadership Styles of Former Presidents

From Springfield: Historian Richard Norton Smith, Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, weighs the role character played in the the leadership styles of various American Presidents.  Mr. Smith is a noted scholar in the American Presidency, having run several of the Presidential Libraries in the country.

This program is underwritten in part by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the

University of Illinois and the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Recorded December 13, 2004.  Aired the week of January 9, 2005.  50 minutes.

Lincoln's Presidential Virtues

From Knox College in Galesburg: Author William Miller delivers an address on Abraham Lincoln's Presidential Virtues.

Recorded September 10, 2004.  Aired the week of October 31, 2004.  40 minutes.

Tribute to Ulysses S. Grant

From New York, NY: During the Republican National Convention, Illinoisans pay tribute to the legacy of Ulysses S. Grant at his tomb in New York.  Members of the delegation include Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar-Topinka.

Recorded September 1, 2004.  Aired the week of October 3, 2004.

Brown v. Board of Education

From Evanston: Juan Williams presents the program, “Brown versus the Board of Education: 50 Years Later.”  Mr. Williams discusses race relations in the United States 50 years after the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision declaring that separate but equal schools were not equal at all.  Mr. Williams is a senior correspondent for National Public Radio and a political analyst for Fox News.  He is also the author of the critically acclaimed biography, “Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary,” which this year has been reissued with a new epilogue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic Brown decision.

Recorded February 16, 2004.  Aired the week of July 18, 2004.  70 minutes.

Reflecting on World War II Veterans

From Washington, DC: The recent opening of the World War II Veteran's Memorial in Washington, DC has brought about reflection of the people and time the memorial represents.  Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism brings us stories of the war from people who lived and served during that time.  We see how the different aspects of life from family time to work were effected and influenced by the war.

Recorded June 2004.  Aired the week of July 11, 2004.  30 minutes.

Civil Rights Milestone Remembered

From the John Marshall Law School in Chicago: A panel discussion on Escobedo v Illinois. On June 22, 1964 the US Supreme Court issued its decision on Escobedo v. Illinois, which recognized the right of a suspect in police custody to have counsel present. 

"We hold only that when the process shifts from investigatory to accusatory and its purpose is to elicit a confession-- our adversary system begins to operate, and, under the circumstances here, the accused must be permitted to consult with his lawyer."  US Supreme Court in Escobedo, 1964

This case led to the Miranda decision in 1966.  In this panel discussion, a number of the actual participants recall the legal climate leading up to the decision, and discuss the impact it had on criminal law.  In 1964, a young attorney by the name of Jim Thompson represented the state before the US Supreme Court.  Though he lost the case, he later achieved some prominence within state government.

Recorded April 2004.  Aired the week of June 13, 2004.  1 hour and 20 minutes.

Religion's Influence on the Common Civil War Soldier

From Illinois College in Jacksonville: Historian Steven Woodworth delivers his insights into the influence of religion on the common Civil War soldier.  His address was part of a multi-day presentation on "Religion and the Civil War" held at Illinois College.

Recorded April 16, 2004.  Aired the week of June 6, 2004.  25 minutes.

Religion and the Civil War

From Jacksonville: What role did religion play in the major issues at conflict within the Civil War?  Illinois College examined this issue in a symposium that brought together historians from around the nation to discuss religion's role and how it shaped the views of the political culture in the 1860s.

Recorded April 16, 2004.  Aired the week of May 9, 2004.  55 minutes.

Holocaust Commemoration

From Springfield: In the same chamber where Abraham Lincoln delivered his "House Divided" speech, members of the legislature join with leaders of the Jewish community to commemorate victims of the Holocaust. This marks the 24th annual commemoration ceremony for those who died in Nazi concentration camps.

Recorded April 21, 2004.  Aired the week of April 25, 2004.  55 minutes.

Religion and the Civil War

From Illinois College in Jacksonville: Historian Steven Woodworth delivers his address on the impact of religion on the beliefs of the South during the Civil War.  This was part of a two-day symposium on the Civil War organized by Illinois College.

Recorded April 15, 2004.  Aired the week of April 18, 2004.

Hidden Children of the Holocaust

From the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC: We take a tour of the museum and learn more about the hidden children of the Holocaust.

Recorded March 10, 2004.  Aired the week of April 4, 2004.  30 minutes.

Documenting Illinois History

Recorded August 2003.  Aired the week of August 31, 2003.  30 minutes.

Society, Slavery and the Civil War

From the University of Illinois at Springfield: Two lectures that were part of a day-long seminar on Society, Slavery and the Civil War.  The two lecturers are Professor Vernon Burton of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Professor Philip Paludan from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Recorded June 24, 2003.  Aired the week of July 13, 2003.

Remembering the Victims of the Holocaust

From the House Chamber of the Old State Capitol in Springfield: Governor Blagojevich joins with members of the Jewish Federations of Illinois to commemorate those who lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps in WWII.

Recorded May 1, 2003.  Aired the week of May 4, 2003.  50 minutes.

Tour of the Lincoln Collection

From the Old State Capitol in Springfield: In a vault under the Old State Capitol, the state holds priceless artifacts from the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.  These rarely seen remnants include his son Tad's toy cannon and a bloodstained swath of cloth from actress Laura Keene, who cradled Lincoln's head in her lap following the fatal shot from John Wilkes Booth.  Viewers get a rare view at these and other parts of the Lincoln collection that will be on display when the Lincoln Library and Museum are completed.

Recorded February 6, 2003.  25 minutes.

From the University of Illinois at Springfield: In this first annual “Lincoln Legacy Lecture,” the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Center for Governmental Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield hosts U.S. Civil Rights Commission Chair, Mary Frances Berry and Professor Phillip Paludan.  They discuss Lincoln’s record on race issues and the continuing impact of race relations on modern American society.

Recorded November 19, 2002.  1 hour and 55 minutes.

From the Union League Club in Chicago: Lincoln scholars, including Frank Williams, Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court; John Lupton, Assistant Director of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln; and Vibert White, Chair of African-American Studies at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield, discuss the history, law and politics surrounding the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Recorded October 17, 2002.  1 hour and 35 minutes.

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