she was inspired, of course, by charles lindbergh, that spring, may 1927 lindbergh had flown the oceanand arrived in his now famous spirit of st. louis on long island, roosevelt field that may. i want to be clear, lindbergh was not exactly flying for the pioneering spirit of it all, he was flying for a jackpot of money. $25, 000, about a quarter of 1 million dollars in today's money had been put up for the first man, and it was believed it would be a man, it would fly nonstop from new york to paris, paris to new york. many man had tried to win that prize and failed in spectacular fashion before lindbergh arrived in new york that may. these men crashed on runways, planes loaded down with too much fuel. they burned up in infernos right there on the airfield. or they disappeared over the ocean, never to be found or heard from again. lindbergh himself nearly crashed on takeoff in may 1927. it had rained all night in long island, his fellow competitors who were also trying to win this prize decided not to fly that day, lindbergh's plane that was quite small sank into the clay runway as it e

she was inspired of course by charles lindbergh. that spring may 1927 lindbergh had flown the ocean arriving and is now famous spirit of saint louis on long island at roosevelt field that may and and i want to be clear that lindbergh wasn't really flying exactly for the pioneering spirit of it all. he was flying for a jackpot of money. $25,000 about a quarter of a million dollars in today's money had been put up for the first man and it was believed. it would be a man. who would fly non-stop from new york to paris or paris to new york? many men had tried to win that prize and failed in spectacular fashion before lindbergh arrived in new york that may these men crashed on runways and planes loaded down with too much fuel. they burned up and infernos right there on the airfield. or they disappeared over the ocean never to be found or heard from again. lindberg himself nearly crashed on takeoff and may 1927. it had rained all night. in long island his fellow competitors who were also trying to win this prize decided not to fly that day

american first committee dismanded a week later, challenges lindbergh -- charles lindbergh who was anlationist became a controversial figure and decided to join the war effort and spoke out against any further isolation ism, he joined the war effort. i'm talking about this you hear many of the same people who claim to be american firsters who don't understand what that means, would they put u.s. people in a position where they wind up in a world war, a door strategic position? -- poor strategic position. geographically, with a military not properly built up or caught flat footed? i hear a lot of people who suggest that is how they view america first, they bring up the same issues, we have our own economic problems, what about our borders that and this. >> we're a great nation, we have domestic enemies and hugely critical domestic problems that i talk about almost every week. you cannot take your eye off foreign enemies, federal government is only level of government that can protect us. you can point too afghanistan, 20 years, to iraq, to whatever you want. we're talking about major p

many recall the first news lindbergh's safe landing in paris.at this moment, then manda i think the planet mars. it has only been 80 years since the smithsonian it likely launched his amanda pardo for half-mile flight before plunged into the potomac. the amazing american achievement in space tell us something even more important about ourselves on earth. the hallmark of the american inventors has been the willingness of the minute and eagerness to reach for the unknown. for three and a half centuries, americans and their ancestors have been explorers and inventors. pilgrims and pioneers all searching for something new across the ocean at, across the continent, across the solar system, across the frontiers of science and beyond the boundaries of the human mind. and find within these walls and windows, are the products of american men and women is imagination and determination could not be confined. there is nothing no more american than saying you don't succeed, try try again. good americans be going to the atlantic seaboard, the wide open spaces

how many recall the first news of lindbergh safe landing in paris?w men's first giant step that planted the american flag on the moon? at this moment, an unmanned viking spacecraft is circling the planet mars. it has only been eight years since the smithsonian -- launched his unmanned drone for a half mile flight before it plunged into the -- the amazing american achievements in air and space tell us something even more important about ourselves on earth. the hallmark of the american adventure has been a willingness even eagerness to reach for the unknown. for three and a half centuries, americans and their ancestors have been explorers and inventors. pilgrims and pioneers. always searching for something new. across the oceans, across the continent, across the solar system, across the frontiers of science, beyond the boundaries of the human mind. confined within these walls and windows are the products of american men and women whose imagination and determination could not be confined. there is nothing more american than saying, if you don't succeed,

the america first committee disbandedded a week lighter, and lindbergh who was an isolationist for various, became a controversial figure he decided to join the war effort and spoke out against any further isolationism, he wanted too war the join effort, fdrsaid now, he joined anyway, i'm talking about this because you hear many of the same people who claim to be american firsters. who don't understand what that means, machine that -- someone that putting u.s. people in a position where they wind up in a world war in a poor strag strategic possession with a military not properly built up or trained up or caught flat footed. is that american people, i hear a lot of people whoing is suggest to me that is their america first. what about our borders. , that and that, we are a great nation, we better be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, we have domestic enemies and critical huge domestic problems, you cannot take your eye off foreign enemies either, federal government is only level of government that can protect us, it has not done a very good job, afghanistan, and iraq or whatever yo

eleanor flew in an airplane, you know from albany to new york city two years after lindbergh. she was doing a lot of things. this was also the time i should mention just for the background that fdr as governor presided over the opening of the empire state building with al smith. who was the general manager that building in 1931. he presided over the opening of the george washington bridge in this i think it was that year. he presided over the opening of the teddy roosevelt memorial at the museum of natural history. he loved that event and then the lake placid olympics. and just a few other things to close up. i always loved the line this was later when she was in the white house eleanor roosevelt. franklin would joke. dear lord, please make eleanor a little tired. because as doris kearns goodwin said eleanor knew what should be done and franklin knew what could be done. he always listened to her. he always respected her opinion. she always nagged him and pushed him and pushed him. and quite often he would think a few days later. she was right. she was right about the japanese

we had people like charles lindbergh talk about what a great man hitler was and how beautiful the naziar machine was. so as a nation, we were not in favor of the war. roosevelt had to be very cautious about how he managed his relationship with churchill. >> 10 days after churchill's speech the nazis advanced on paris. you referenced this, but did the french even attempt to defend their city at that point? >> no, not at all. the french army was done. there was no reason to defend the city. the night before they marched in triumphantly. the germans took time outside the city gates to shower and shave and polish their uniforms and the rifles. meanwhile, the people of paris were, fled. if you see pictures of it, there was just a mass migration of people trying to get into the south of france and get into the war. the city of paris were refugees. they would murder their pets so their pets would not go hungry. they would close up their houses hoping it would be there when they came back. children were told you can take one doll, one toy. it was just one of those things where everybody ran. t