Retro Report looks into how past events shape the present, and the actions of U.S. presidents often drive our work. For this President’s Day, Feb. 17, explore videos that examine events that led to each president’s rise or fall.
These videos are accompanied by free lesson plans and student activities that are ideal for history or civics courses. Teachers can access them by creating a free account at RetroReport.org.
DONALD TRUMP
What’s behind Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s victories in the 2024 election? We updated this Retro Report about the 1966 midterm elections that explore how voting blocs and party affiliations have shifted over time and are shaping modern-day elections. Explore the education resources.
BARACK OBAMA
In 2004, a state senator from Illinois turned the convention stage into a launching pad. Barack Obama’s speech that night would transform the arc of American politics and catapult him into the White House four years later. Explore the education resources.
GEORGE W. BUSH
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, President George W. Bush was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Fl., when he received word of an attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. Within weeks, the U.S. went to war. The conflict would last 20 years. Explore the education resources.
BILL CLINTON
Republicans had been pushing to overhaul welfare for decades, with little success. But in 1996, in a move that outraged liberals, President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, signed into law a bill that in his words ended “welfare as we know it.” Explore the education resources.
RONALD REAGAN
“Warm and fuzzy” political ads can trace their lineage to one created by a team of advertising all-stars working for Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign. Their work resulted in one of the most memorable catchphrases in American politics. Explore the education resources.
RICHARD NIXON
In 1971, President Nixon went to war with the press over the Pentagon papers, leaked classified documents that were published by The New York Times. Explore the education resources.
LYNDON B. JOHNSON
An early television spot for Lyndon Johnson aired just once but generated enough news media coverage to become a factor in the 1964 presidential election. Explore the education resources.
JOHN F. KENNEDY
The first presidential debate, in 1960, was a creation of the television age. According to one version of events, many of those who watched the debate on TV saw the handsome, well made-up Kennedy as the winner. Radio listeners, on the other hand, thought Nixon had won. This version is a mix of anecdote, assumptions and a debunked survey, but it continues to shape how we understand debates today. Explore the education resources.
HARRY TRUMAN
During the Cold War, President Harry Truman watched with alarm as North Korean Communists invaded South Korea. Truman believed the U.S. had to intervene. His decision to rush troops to stop the Communist advance had unintended consequences that shape the world today. Explore the education resources.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Animosity between William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt was palpable, with insults like “puzzlewit” and “honeyfugler” thrown about. The battle transformed the primary process and American politics forever. Explore the education resources.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1860 is remembered as the year Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s most revered and consequential presidents, was elected. His election and his subsequent assault on slavery might not have happened had the Democratic Party not been in disarray. Explore the education resources.
