it is known as the heritage hill historic district. it is about a quarter of a mile wide and a mile-long and encompasses about 1200 residential properties. it was the premier residential neighborhood in the late 1800s and early 1900s. if your business was successful and you had a successful professional this is where you , wanted to live. most of the architecture was very traditional northern european architecture. may house iseyer not reflective of that architecture. as a matter of fact, frank lloyd wright was reacting to characteristics of other architecture that he felt were inappropriate. the neighborhood response when the home was under construction was "what is that?"

it is an easy house to make fun of as you look at it starting with the fact that you went all the way to chicago and hired this hotshot architect who did not even know to what the front door on the front. he had a philosophical reason for doing this. it was about privacy. if the neighbors did not understand the concept and the philosophy the house was very , strange to them. there were several principles that were important. you might begin with the fact that it is a place of tranquility and serenity. it was not a commercial structure where you would hang out a shingle to encourage people to come and visit you. it was a place where you could retreat to at the end of a busy day or that you could invite friends over and socialize in the serenity and tranquility of your own residence. in contrast, the neighboring homes would have a large public sidewalk connected to a large

private sidewalk that would lead you to a very obvious front door, frank lloyd wright talked his primary guest entry into a n alcove so that guests were not on display while they were waiting to be welcomed into the home. once inside, it opened up a great deal to be very spacious. one area would flow into the next. we are in a living area which flows very fluidly from the welcome space i was standing in just earlier. behind me is the southern exposure. in this instance, what frank lloyd wright has done is not only take advantage of the fact that the sun was shining, it would come from the south, so we have a tremendous expense of glass along the southern portion of this area, and then defying the convention of the period, he wraps his glass into the

ceiling. overhead what you notice our natural skylights. they serve that function also. in addition, he has placed levels between the exterior glass and the interior decorative glass so that early in the morning and late at night, cloudy or overcast, it has this wonderful diffuse light. it is all very, very fluid transition from one area to another. rather than a rigidly subdivided area that guests will experience when they enter the home. we are in the dining area. to me, this is one of frank wright's magical

creations also. in this instance, the architecture that surrounds the dining space actually becomes very recessive. it is just kind of there. what is important is the conversation you are enjoying and the food you are enjoying. he deletes the overhead chandelier that wants to call attention to itself and replaces it with lights at the four corners of the table. he combines that with high backs on the chairs so that now the focus becomes who am i eating with and what kind of food are we experiencing together? what is amazing about it is everyone gets a good seat at the table. perhaps you have been invited by a host or hostess to sit there. if it was not the chair they give you a view outside, you might have felt that the person

who got the view to the exterior got a better seat. every seat at this table gives you the opportunity to have a view to the outside. if it happens to be on one side of the table, you have a full wall of glass behind me. if you are on this side of the table, you have a lovely mural, one of frank lloyd wright's favorite flowers. it is in the same color palette and balance as the home. it's very fluidly blends it and brings the outside inside. adjacent to it you have sightlines to exterior windows as well. we are always connected, and we always like to be connected to the outside. that is a very significant feature of this space. the second level of the house contains family bedrooms and bathrooms as well as staff bedroom and bathroom. all spaces where you fully expect to have privacy. in those areas, the walls go to and connect with the ceiling to

provide that level of privacy. frank lloyd wright wants to ensure that it does not become a box followed by a second box followed by a third boring box. he modulates the volume of the he pushes into the attic in order to increase the sensation of spaciousness. he makes a narrow corridor, reduces the ceiling height, almost claustrophobic to some of the collar guests today. -- the taller guests today. he wants you to have that experience. at the end of the corridor, the space opens up again. it feels very different from the one you just exited. in addition to connecting the inside and outside from the standpoint of the visual experience, it also helps the natural light helps to expand the feeling of the space.

the master bedroom as an example. he pushes out the windows and adds perpendicular side glass. you have a 180 degree panoramic view. some may look atand instead say why not push out the floor, too? he did not want people to fill it with more stuff, which would cause it to look crowded and diminish the experience of this expansive, panoramic view. if you were to retain him as your architect, first of all you had to have a wonderful revenue stream and it had to be continuous. you have to be progressive because your house would be very progressive. you have to be very compliant. you have to be willing to say ok, here is my checkbook, do what you think is best for me. as you look around the first level of the home, you will note that there is no additive art on the walls.

wright felt that this entire structure was a piece of art and that anything mere mortals might add would simply diminish it. he also was a realist and realize you might wish to you express yourself occasionally. in limited locations on the second floor, he designed limited picture frames. this is where it can go. express yourself. it has to hang in that spot on that wall. meyer may moved into the home in 1909. at that time, they did not have children. they adopted an infant daughter in 1914, a son in 1916. his wife passed away in 1917. he remarried. she had two children from her first marriage. they chose to expand the home.

the expansion was not designed by frank lloyd wright. it added about 50% square footage to the house. additional bedrooms, bath space, less formal living space. may lived into the home into 1936 when he passed away. a buyer acquired the home and had it rezoned multi family. a third owner acquired the home. they brought it back to what it represented in 1909 when the family moved in. you might walk into the house and say it looks different, and it does. the more important thing is to understand how it lives different and how it can support and reinforce an experience that family would have living in this

space. it is not a museum in the traditional sense that you have to stay on plastic runners and stay behind velvet ropes. it is a home. with some imagination, we hope that you can understand and feel how a family could live very comfortably in an environment that is intended to help shape and support and reinforce their experience. >> this weekend, we are featuring the history of grand rapids, michigan together with our comcast cable partners. learn more about grand rapids and other cities on our cities tour at c-span.org/citiestour. you are watching american history tv. all weekend every weekend on c-span3.

on february 20 second, 2012, the national museum of african american history and culture broke ground. c-span was there for the ceremony. up next, john lewis and sam bipartisanwho led a effort to establish the museum in 2003. you will also hear from first lady laura bush. she served on the advisory council and her husband, bush, signedrge w. it into law. representative lewis: mrs. obama , on her friends --

. the i never to behold. that itat moment becomes critical. it leaves the realm of inspiration and becomes visible, even to the untrained eye. this is an idea whose time has come. i think about all it took to civil war,point, the the veterans who took up the cause many years ago, spirited debates, and long years of violence. the electionabout of this poor boy from rural alabama who spent more than half of his professional career

introducing the museum bill, only to have it and in a bipartisan effort, inspired by men and women of faith. you remind me of the words of one of my favorite poets, langston hughes. andseems so fitting appropriate here. in it he says -- what happens to a dream deferred? does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? just sags like a heavy load. today we must thank the white house and the united states the smithsonian board of regents, the secretary

of the smithsonian, the director of the museum and his entire staff. the distinguished advisor council of scholars and individual donors who have taken a dream deferred and helped it find its place in history. this is an end, but it is also a beginning. there is still much work to do as we pursue this worthy goal. we must not shrink. ofmust call upon the courage those who would end the struggle long before any of us were born. theust tell the story, whole story.

without anger or apology. today as a we face nation -- make it plain, make it clear. still a great deal of pain that needs to be healed. the story -- the stories told in this building will speak the truth to set a nation free. it will bring justice and truth and democracy to us all. day i canward to the go through the archives and --duce a fake in the program and participate in the program .nd get lost inside the history we did not give up.

we did not give in. we did not give out. we did not get lost in a sea of despair. we kept our eyes on the prize. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, congressman lewis. inspiring. it gives me pleasure to introduce another renowned supporter of museum. governor sam brownback served 14 years and united states senate prior to becoming the governor of kansas in 2011. this is based on his deep

commitment to human rights. while in the senate he called on the united states to condemn the genocide in sudan failed darfur region. sponsoredrownback legislation in the senate to establish this museum. please join me in welcoming governor sam brownback. governor brownback: what a great honor to be with you, mr. president, mrs. obama, john lewis, or colleagues who are here. this is an immense location and i am delighted to be part of it. we have a sense of our state's history and destiny. we are one of the few states in the union that was formed for a cause.

our cause was to in the barbaric practice of slavery. john brown was one of our most famous residents. the president was also a resonant kansas at one time. his cause was the undoing of the enormous crime of slavery. before he was executed for treason, he spoke these haunting and prescient words. brown, are now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but by blood. a great deal of blood was shed evene years that followed, after the civil war. the nation have a long way to go before we could realize the goals laid forth in our founding documents. bigotry, casual disrespect, and then ever

present disregard for the americans wasican the rule and not the exception in our land. marchedn after dr. king on washington, even after rosa parks refused to give up her seat. even after those three shots right out in memphis and another american poet and profit was called home to be with the lord. havefrican-american people suffered the worst of our shortcomings as a nation, the shortcomings of justice, compassion, humanity. allow them will culture and identity of the american -- african-american people as one that has shed the unconscionable challenges and rose to unimaginable achievement. the groundbreaking of this museum could not be more timely.

some could cynically see it as an attempt to gloss over the sins of the past. of a a celebration uniquely american triumph of will. to consider this museum and airing of grievances is to sell it dramatically short. it is the triumph of the african-american people. [applause] be forseum cannot caucasian grandchildren just to crimes offul the their ancestors were, or for the african-american children to see how terribly their ancestors were treated. at this is for the african-american grandchildren to see the triumph of great americans. at

in 1957, dr. king wrote these words -- at the end is reconciliation. at the end is redemption. at the end is the creation of a beloved community. we are one step closer to that vision today. god bless you all and thank you for being here. [applause] mrs. bush: thank you all. thank you all so much. for that very much introduction, and good morning to everyone, good morning

president and mrs. obama and all of our distinguished guests who joined us for this very important occasion. fitting we arey dedicating this plot of land on our national mall for a museum that remembers, reveres, and great struggles and even greater contributions african-americans have made to our nation's history. just down the road from here, the white house and the capitol were built in part by the labor of african-american state -- slaves. we don't know most of their names, but they left a lasting legacy in the stone and craftsmanship. this is where a young congressman named abraham

lincoln was horrified by the slave pens near the capital and where later president lincoln transforming emancipation proclamation. this is where frederick douglass was welcomed into the white house. here on this very mall is where the reverend martin luther king jr. stood and shared his dream of the nation where we are all ourured by the content of character and joined together at to take a look at brotherhood. and here in the city is also what president lyndon johnson out for and signed the landmark of 1964.hts act today, african-americans help leave our -- lead our nation in

all facets of public life. military to the law, to business to the arts in medicine and education. this museum will pay tribute to the many lives -- known and unknown that have so immeasurably enriched our nation. the national museum of african american history and culture began as a bipartisan effort through legislation sponsored by john lewis and jc watts and senators sam brownback and max cleveland. bushsband, president number was proud to sign it into law in 2003 and envisioned the museum to build -- to be built on the mall where we honor investors, artists, soldiers, and statesman. i am particularly proud of the museum's vision, which is

dedicated not simply to this building, but also reaching out to communities around the nation. it is a museum that is dedicated to welcoming all americans whether or not they will be able to travel to washington, d c -- to washington, d.c. i am glad that this will stand asked to the monument to our first president, george washington. freedom andught for came to recognize the evil of bondage. side-by-side, these thoughts are symbolic of our own national journey. for the stories that will be preserved within these walls, andstories of suffering perseverance, of suffering, imagination, and tryouts are the

stories of african-americans, but they are also stories that are forever woven through the fabric of our nation. thank you all and god bless you. >> the smithsonian national museum of african american history culture opens its doors to be public for the first time next saturday, september joint fourth. american history tv will be live on the national mall. we will be live with the dedication, which includes remarks by president obama and lonnieg museum director bunch. this is american history tv only on c-span3.

>> adams was not a good president. he was not a successful president. if his career ended at the end of his presidency, i don't think i would have written a book about him. q&a" james traub on his book -- "john quincy adams" independent spirit." traub: he did not form alliances. he did not do anything you would do in order to persuade people who otherwise might not go along with your agenda to do so. and so his 40 years in the white house or just pain -- just pain. he achieved almost nothing.

>> tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span's "q&a." first worked as a photographer to president bush in 1993. he shows some of his work and discusses is position as a photojournalist for the bush family. here's a preview. mr. valdes: as we traveled around the world, we had a couple planes. this is the older air force one we used. you can see some of the grandchildren and his dog would come with us sometimes, and this is at their house in kennebunkport. the guy on the left, that is bush, later became president. the guy in the red pants is his grandson and

now the texas land commissioner. and of course, just to the classic wave folders. of china.'s republic that was an interesting trip to go on. if you know the bio of george herbert walker bush, at one time , he was the liaison to the people's republic of china and lived there. so, when he went back as some of the embassy staff were still there, and he had a little private dinner with the staff, so it was kind of fun to see that. >> watch the entire program sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's three american history tv. >> next on "american history tv's reel america," "why we fight, the battle of russia." this 1943 documentary tells the

long history of russia's military from the 13th century through world war i, then details the soviet war against nazi germany between 1941 and 1943. this is a series of seven films created during world war ii by hollywood director and u.s. army major frank capra and a team of experienced writers, composers, and technicians. this was to explain to the troops the reasons behind the war effort but were eventually shown to the american public as well. almost 90 minutes, it puts a positive spin on the communist soviet union as a necessary ally in the war against hitler, celebrating the success of the people. the film and in 1943 when the soviets are beginning to reclaim lost territory from the invading

german army. ♪ ♪