Issues & Controversies in American History‘s This Month in History, October 2015—Columbus’s Voyages to the Americas
COLUMBUS’S VOYAGES TO THE AMERICAS: How Should His Legacy Be Assessed? Christopher Columbus’s epic voyage to the Americas in 1492 is widely recognized as the starting point of the modern era, and seen by some as the beginning of globalization. Yet his legacy and the impact of later European explorers on the Americas are still controversial. […]
Issues & Controversies‘ Featured Controversy—Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran Nuclear Deal: Will the Iranian nuclear deal prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons? SUPPORTERS ARGUE The Iran nuclear deal is the best way of preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Rejecting the agreement and increasing sanctions on Iran would alienate U.S. allies who have long worked on the deal. It would also embolden Iran […]
Issues & Controversies in American History‘s This Month in History, September 2015—Afghanistan War
AFGHANISTAN WAR: Should Congress Authorize an Attack on Terrorist Targets in Afghanistan? Issue: Should the United States attack Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks? Following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Congress debated how the nation should respond. Some legislators called the attacks an act of war and urged the United States to use […]
Issues & Controversies in American History‘s This Summer in History, June 2015—Atomic Bombing of Japan
70 YEARS AGO: ATOMIC BOMBING OF JAPAN—Barbaric Tactic or Quick Way to End the War? In July 1945, President Harry Truman learned that American scientists had successfully built the world’s first atomic bomb. Although Germany had surrendered two months earlier, ending World War II in Europe, the United States remained at war with Japan. Truman knew […]
Issues & Controversies’ Featured Controversy—Domestic Surveillance
Domestic Surveillance: Should the United States substantially curtail its domestic surveillance? (National Debate Topic) SUPPORTERS ARGUE The legal basis for collecting data on phone and Internet activity is thin, and the benefits of bulk data collection do not outweigh its threat to privacy, liberty, and democracy. OPPONENTS ARGUE Wanton violations of privacy are simply not occurring […]
On Demand Platform: ISIS, Birth of a Terrorist State Now Available
ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has established itself as the new brand of international jihad. How did it come to life? How is it financed? And how does one fight a structure that no longer depends on outside funding? In November 2014, Jérôme Fritel and Stephan Villeneuve spent a month in Iraq […]
On Demand Platform: Spotlight on New Presidential Debates Series
In 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon met face to face in the first televised presidential debates in American history, a new era began in which on-camera personality, media exposure, and public image had major impacts on political campaigns. Fifty-six years later, televised presidential debates have become commonplace and even more critical to the outcome of presidential […]
Infobase Adds California Newsreel Films to Its Films On Demand Streaming Video Products!
Infobase Learning has announced the addition of California Newsreel films, some exclusively, to its award-winning Films On Demand family of streaming video subscription products—Films On Demand (for academic institutions), Classroom Video On Demand (for high schools), and Access Video On Demand (for public libraries). The oldest, non-profit, social issue documentary film center in the United States, California Newsreel has inspired, educated, and […]
Update to the World Cinema Streaming Video Collection: New Captions and Transcripts
The 380+ classic and contemporary feature films in our World Cinema Streaming Video Collection are now more accessible than ever. Most films in the collection contain subtitles, and closed captions have been added to each film for which subtitles are not available. And that’s not all! All films that have closed captioning also feature new, interactive transcripts. The transcripts […]
