Back to Show
American Experience
Clinton's Carson Appearance
In 1988, Bill Clinton bungled the biggest speech of his young career during the Democratic National Convention. Harry Thomason, Arkansas-born television and film producer and longtime friend of the Clintons, remembers the ill-received speech and his wife Linda's idea to have Clinton redeem himself by going on the Johnny Carson show.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

1:52:38
Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.

1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.

1:22:39
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:17
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.

1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.

52:45
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.

1:52:49
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.

1:52:23
How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:52:47
Part Two examines the mounting dispute over strategies and reveals the pervasive racism.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:52:42
The fiery campaign that led to passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the vote.

1:53:12
The Eugenics Crusade tells the story of the campaign to breed a “better” American race,