jesse james is no less a legend.e hails from rural western missouri. >> jesse james was born in september 1847. >> missouri historian christopher gordon. >> his father was a baptist preacher, a hemp farmer, and he was a slaveholder. >> jesse and his older brother, frank, grow up as tensions are escalating across the u.s. over slavery... with neighboring kansas, a territory deciding whether to be free or slave, exploding in violence. >> the rhetoric is heating up how law-abiding missourians should be able to maintain the lifestyle that they want to lead. >> when civil war breaks out in 1861, missouri remains in the union but is bitterly divided. frank james joins a band of confederate guerilla fighters. at 14, jesse is too young to join, but he's spoiling for a fight. did the family pick sides in the war? >> oh, absolutely. >> freda cruse hardison is an author, whose latest book uses genealogical research to track thousands of local stories, going back to frank and jesse james. >> they were never anything but southern

jesse norman is incredibly moving. >> you have written a biography of the song may we forever stand is the name of the book. jamesdon johnson and john rosemont johnson. >> the author and the composer, they were brothers who were born in jacksonville, florida, renaissance men and back in the day they were called race men. people who saw every achievement they had as being in service, johnson became the first secretary-general of the naacp, the first black man admitted to the bar in florida, really extraordinary but one of the signature accomplishments of their lives is the composition of this song. >> they were first-generation friedman born in the 1870s. >> yes. there mother's family had been enslaved in virginia but of that generation that emerged from the slavery with all these hopes and dreams and aspirations that were so quickly dashed at the end of reconstruction. >> what was the reception in 1900 when the song was written? >> guest: what was extraordinary was the song caught on like wildfire. it was almost immediately embraced as an and some of black america. the united states did not have a national anthem

jesse battle then studying for the spatient, thrusting into history as sergeant-at-arms . this 1909 incident take a picture to me of the amazing personal and grassroots base labor force james williams built up for grand central station porters really was sitting from the collective bargaining based organization the brotherhood of sleeping car which founded in 1925 which in turn would inspire the only national union movement iand 37. in the decade longspan of williams tenure , he glanced the impressivebreadth of the redcap impact on grand central and greater harlem . i think the best way to fully introduce williams is a start. by reading something from the introduction . >> new york city grandcentral terminal has been celebrated tour de force . it's captivated the traveling public for more than acentury . open in february 12th, 1913 the world's largest railroad station was built by the american firms reading it again and warren and whitmore showcases a host of such artistic talents as to six, thompson was altar of minerva polytechnic five crowns the buildings entry and charles basing whose painted feeling transports a mind wandering traveler to the blue heavens area many re

jesse norman who has recently departed is incredibly moving. >> host: you've written a biography. >> guest: of the song. o host: of the. song, "may we forever stand" is the name of the book. jamesohnson and [inaudible] >> guest: yes, they are the author and composer. they were brothers who were born in jacksonville, florida, renaissance man and of course, back in the day they were called race men, people who saw every achievement they had as being in service of the race. james weldon johnson became the first secretary-general of the naacp and the first black man admitted to the bar in florida and it's really extraordinary but you know, what is the signature accomplishment about their lives is the composer of the song. >> host: they were first-generation freemen. >> guest: yes, and so, well, their mother's family had been enslaved and was bahamian and their father had been enslaved in virginia but yes, of that generation and that emerge from slavery with all the hopes and dreams and aspirations that were so quickly -- with the end of reconstruction. >> host: what was the reception in 1900 when the song was written? >> guest: what was extraordinary is that the song caught on like