vietnam is far away from this quiet campus. we had no territory there, nor do we seek any. the war is dirty and brutal and difficult. and some 400 young men born into an america bursting with opportunity and promise have ended their lives on vietnam's steamy soil. why must we take this painful road? why must this country hazard its ease, interest, and power for the sake of a people so far away? we fight because we must fight if we are to live in a world where every country can shape its own destiny, and only in such a world where our own

freedom be finally secured. this kind of the world will never be built by bombs or bullets. yet the infirmities of man are such that force was often precede reason and the waste of war the works of peace. we wish that this were not so, but we must deal with the world as it is if it is ever to be as we wish. >> join american history tv on april 9 and 12 for live coverage of ceremonies marking the 100 80th anniversary of the surrender appomattox. in april of 1865, confederate general robert e lee met union village ulysses s. grant and

surrendered his army of northern virginia, effectively ending the civil war. we will be live from the national historical park in virginia on both april 9 and 12 as historians reflect on the last battles and explore the aftermath and legacy of appomattox. we will also bring you reenactments of some of the key moments from 150 years ago and open our phone lines to take your calls for the authors. the surrender appomattox, live april 9 and 12 here on american history tv on cspan3. >> all weekend, american history tv is featuring tulsa oklahoma. referred to as black wall street i booker t. washington, the greenwood district in tulsa was the center of black commerce in the early 1900s. together with our cox cable partners, the c-span staff recently visited many sites

exploring tulsa's rich history. learn more about tulsa all weekend here on american history tv. woody guthrie: i got started in oklahoma. that is where i was born. the population is one third indian, one third negro, and one third white people. i have the -- hit the road when i was 12 years old traveling and working on jobs. that is where i picked up these songs. ♪ this land is your land this land is my land from california to the new york island from the redwood forest to the gulf stream waters this land was made

for you and me ♪ >> woody guthrie's most famous for his writing of "this land is your land," but he was very much more than that. he was born in 1934 in oklahoma. we are proud to have this work back in oklahoma where we think it belongs. he was an advocate or people who were disenfranchised, for people who were micro workers -- migrant workers during the just bolt europe -- dust bowl era who found themselves in california literally starving. he saw this vast difference between the house and have-nots and became their serviceman through his music. the woody guthrie center was opened in april of 2013. it started with the purchase of the woody guthrie archives from woody's daughter, nora. the plan was to have this research facility in tulsa. as the concept grew into the

idea of opening up the archives to a new generation and teaching people about woody's important part in american history, this museum came to be. we consider it a place to inspire people. we want them to investigate what would he did with his talent and inspire people to use their talents to do something of their own. woody guthrie: ♪ when the comesun come shining i was strolling ♪ >> many people displaced during the dust bowl were just looking for a better way of life. some had lost their forms due to foreclosure. others had lost their farms due to the dust bowl itself, the drought, and all of the winds that blew their soil away. and they had nothing. they were promised this garden of even and plenty of work. come to california and we

will have plenty of work for you. it is a wonderful place to be. when they arrived, they found that was not what was going on. they had been the victims oftentimes of a marketing ploy by large landowners who were trying to get very cheap labor because they knew they had overabundance labor that they did not have to pay them very much. the workers did not have rights. when woody saw that, it it did not seem right. in our country plenty where so many have so much, to allow families to struggle so horrifically and grade them -- degrade them in a way that makes them feel less than human. it was just not acceptable. this area of the center focuses on the dust bowl experience and dust bowl era since that was such an important part of who

would he was and started his work. it is a significant thing for us to mention. it is an important part of our history as oklahomans. we want to make sure our young people understand the resilient people they came from and the way they persevered in the face of this natural disaster that was actually man-made. had the plains not been cloud like they were and over cultivated, the dust will would not have occurred like it did. in this area, we have some dorothy lane photos with whatoo dy's writings as a complement about the dust bowl migrants and what they were dealing with. a sketch of him going to california. one of his scrapbooks, one of my favorite pages, a short notation in answer to articles posted about him. he just says i will do

everything i can to help the folks from oklahoma, don't you worry. i think that really speaks for who he was and what he was intending to do. also, we have lyrics woody wro te. lyrics to "tom joad," a nod to john steinbeck and the joad fami ly. woody guthrie: ♪ he woke her up out of bed and he kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved everybody might be just one big soul it looks that way to me wherever you look in the day or night that's where i'm going to be, ma

w wherever little kids are hungry and cry wherever people ain't free wherever men are deprived of their rights that's where i'm going to be ♪ ♪ [applause] >> if you ain't got the do-re-mi talks about the way people would be greeted at the border and told if they did not have money, they would not get into california. many of the very young and old died because of dust pneumonia. woody recorded very few songs of his own. we have a listening station that features 46 of his songs in his

own voice. most of the time when people hear woody guthrie songs, they are not woody singing them. they are someone else. he spent his time traveling. he spent his time in the migrant worker can't, in union organization rallies. so he did not spend a great deal of time in recording studios that is what makes the recordings he did make so significant and important to us. woody guthrie: ♪ have a little fun the price is up the rain come down got a raise me a family ♪ ♪ >> woody definitely had themes to his writing. woody wanted to make sure his

people were well represented in his artwork and lyrics. there are some sketches here, the city of los angeles, "no children wanted." we have the hoovervilles over here and the shining city in the background. he said one consolation left is that children raised in the city of the sun will always be the brightest. he felt the one way the migrant workers could create workers rights was to unionize. at this time, that was a dangerous concept. today it is like yes, i will join a union. at that time, not so much of an option without facing some kind of violence. in these lyrics, "1913 massacre, " he talks about a party where

some union members were joining during christmas and the boss been created a panic by saying there was a fire and then locked the doors. it was in calumet, michigan. woody guthrie: ♪ one of them screams and says there's a fire a lady, she hollered, there is no such a thing keep on with your party there is no suchy thing ♪ ♪ >> i think woody would go back into history and research other events that were pertinent to the struggles the workers were still facing. in the first line, he says,

"take a trip back with me to 1913." so he makes it clear he is going back. he is telling the story of this massacre that happened in 1913. he is pointing out this fight they are facing for workers, for displaced oklahomans, the problems they are facing are still alive today. and these people who faced this disaster should not be forgotten. again, woody was an artist. he used his artwork sometimes in a playful way. other times, for social commentary. oftentimes, a combination of both. he has almost a little story he tells about the hand, the worker. the hand thinks it over and the hand cusses the boss out. the boss yells "cops!"

law and order comes in the hand is charged with trying to overthrow the u.s. government. and then "join the cl.i.o" if you have the struggles, join the union. we are in the center dedicated to "this land is your land." that is the song most people recognize as a woody guthrie song. it is an important thing for our country. we wanted to make sure it was given its proper credit here. "this land is your land" celebrated its 75th earth day family 23rd of this year. we had the original handwritten lyrics on display. most people recognize the song as a sing-along from our elementary school days, usually that did not involve singing the fourth and the sixth worseverses

which were much more social commentary about how things could be improved in our society. woody got we had a beautiful land. he brings this beautiful landscape of the things he thought as he traveled from coast-to-coast. but he also wants to point out things about the people and how we are treating the people, and how we should be taking care of each other better. woody guthrie: ♪ there was a big high wall there that tried to stop me the sign was painted private property put on the backside it didn't say nothing this land was made for you and me ♪ ♪ >> the idea of a land owner seeing people starving outside this beautiful land he had an saying no, you have to keep out, this is private property did not go along with what woody got

demonstrated our beautiful country and what we have to offer our citizens. woody guthrie: ♪ this land was made for you and me ♪ >> i think it is important to note woody was a class warrior in a day when so many artists were not. he gave a voice to the voiceless. woody guthrie: ♪ the fog was lifting this land was made for you and me ♪ ♪ >> throughout the weekend, american history tv is featuring tulsa, oklahoma. our staff recently traveled there to learn about its rich history. learn more about tulsa and other stops. you are watching american history tv all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. >> join american history tv on april 9 and 12 for live coverage

of life ceremonies marking the 150th anniversary of the surrender appomattox. in april, 1865, confederate general robert e lee met union general ulysses s grant and surrendered his army of northern virginia, effectively ending the civil war. we will be live from the national historical park in virginia on both april 9 and 12 as historians reflect on the last battles and explore the aftermath and legacy of appomattox. we will also bring you reenactments of key moments from 150 years ago and open our phone lines to take your phone calls. the surrender appomattox, live april 9 and 12 on american history tv on cspan3. >> next, we visit the national portrait gallery in washington

d.c. with curator jim barber who gives us an in-depth look at one of the oil paintings of ira aldridge an early 19th-century african american actor. he was born free in new york in 1807 and became famous in after being unable to find work in america. this program is part of a series called "face to face" about important players in the struggle for justice in american history. jim barber: hello and welcome. i am ian cooke of the national portrait gallery. it is an article of faith that every picture tells a story. this series exists to connect some of the thousands of stories we have on hand and make one step from stories to history. our presenter today is jim barber, and historian at the particularly -- portrait gallery. jim has lectured extensively on the civil war.