Skip to main content
Watch later

Uniting America

2022• 57 minPG-13

Synopsis

In June 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Henry Stimson and Frank Knox to key cabinet positions, marking a rare bipartisan effort during World War II.

Deep Dive

Why Watch

  • Meet Peter Shinkle, an authority on American history.
  • Find out how WWII politics relate to today's divisions.
  • See how compromise can strengthen democracy.

Did You Know

  • Henry Stimson and Frank Knox were prominent Republicans who worked with FDR during WWII.
  • FDR was accused of being a socialist and a Marxist by the Republican party in the 1930s.
  • The Social Security program was created by FDR during the Great Depression.
  • Shinkle compares the political situation of the 1940s to today's partisan divisions.

Perfect For

American history buffsPolitical enthusiastsReaders of historical biographies
Read full Deep Dive →
Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the author of the book 'Uniting America'?

Peter Shinkle is the author of the book 'Uniting America'.

What significant political event does Peter Shinkle compare to today's partisan division?

Peter Shinkle compares today's partisan division to the situation during World War II when Republicans were in control of the war department under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

What major program did Franklin D. Roosevelt create during his presidency?

Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Social Security program, which made payments to retired and disabled workers.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Why We Fight: Prelude to War (2015)
52m

Why We Fight: Prelude to War

2015•52m•★6.4TMDB

One hundred seventy years of freedom is framed as the basis for America's fight against totalitarian regimes during World War II.

Why We Fight: Prelude to War
2015
1945-1953 From World War to Cold War (2024)
1h52m

1945-1953 From World War to Cold War

2024•1h52m•★7.0TMDB

The Yalta Conference marked a pivotal moment in 1945, where initial optimism among the Allies quickly gave way to deep-seated rivalries that shaped the Cold War.

1945-1953 From World War to Cold War
2024
Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler (2022)
1h2m

Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler

2022•1h2m

Four American diplomats reported from London, Berlin, Rome, Paris, and Moscow on the rise of Adolf Hitler and the growing threat of Nazi Germany.

Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler
2022
Awakening The Spirit of America with Paul M. Sparrow (2024)
50m

Awakening The Spirit of America with Paul M. Sparrow

2024•50m

Paul M. Sparrow and Dr. Colleen Shogan discuss how Franklin D. Roosevelt confronted isolationism and internal opposition from Charles A. Lindbergh during World War II.

Awakening The Spirit of America with Paul M. Sparrow
2024
Frank and Al: FDR, Al Smith and the Unlikely Alliance that Created the Modern Democratic Party (2018)
1h7m

Frank and Al: FDR, Al Smith and the Unlikely Alliance that Created the Modern Democratic Party

2018•1h7m

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Al Smith formed an unlikely political alliance that reshaped the Democratic Party and American politics in the early 20th century.

Frank and Al: FDR, Al Smith and the Unlikely Alliance that Created the Modern Democratic Party
2018
President Franklin Roosevelt’s Address to Congress on the Yalta Conference (2020)
57m

President Franklin Roosevelt’s Address to Congress on the Yalta Conference

2020•57m

Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress on March 1, 1945, outlines the key agreements reached during the Yalta Conference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

President Franklin Roosevelt’s Address to Congress on the Yalta Conference
2020
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies (2020)
31m

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies

2020•31m

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill participated in the White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 24, 1941, during World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies
2020
Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress (2020)
31m

Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

2020•31m

On December 26, 1941, Winston Churchill addressed a joint session of Congress, marking a significant moment in U.S.-British relations during World War II.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress
2020
Why We Fight: War Comes to America (2015)
1h6m

Why We Fight: War Comes to America

2015•1h6m

World War II events that influenced U.S. involvement are depicted through historical dramatizations, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the rise of Nazi Germany.

Why We Fight: War Comes to America
2015
The World at War [1931-1941] (2014)
1h7m

The World at War [1931-1941]

2014•1h7m

Pearl Harbor's bombing, President Roosevelt's war message, and key events leading to World War II are documented through archival footage and commentary.

The World at War [1931-1941]
2014
Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History (2019)
1h6m

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

2019•1h6m

The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people worldwide than combat during World War One.

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History
2019
Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi (2025)
22m

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi

2025•22m

In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi served as a pivotal religious site where priestesses delivered prophecies attributed to the god Apollo.

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi
2025

Explore Uniting America

Deep DiveTopicsFAQ

Where else to watch

The American Diplomat (2022)
1h

The American Diplomat

2022•1h•★8.0TMDB

Three African American ambassadors broke racial barriers in the U.S. State Department during the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations.

The American Diplomat
2022
World War II: Race to Victory (2020)
2h6m

World War II: Race to Victory

2020•2h6m•★5.4TMDB

Three Allied leaders met multiple times during World War II to make strategic decisions that led to Victory in Europe Day.

World War II: Race to Victory
2020
FDR (2023)
Worth a watch
1h25m

FDR

2023•1h25m•★6.5TMDB

The 2023 documentary presents an in-depth look at Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership during the Great Depression and World War II, shaped by his battle with polio.

FDR
2023
George Marshall and the American Century (1993)
1h29m

George Marshall and the American Century

1993•1h29m•★9.0TMDB

As the only soldier awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, George Marshall played a crucial role in shaping post-war reconstruction through the Marshall Plan.

George Marshall and the American Century
1993
War Comes to America (1945)
Worth a watch
1h10m

War Comes to America

1945•1h10m•★7.1TMDB

Unraveling America's path into World War II and its global implications.

War Comes to America
1945
Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin: The Road to Yalta (2025)
1h48m

Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin: The Road to Yalta

2025•1h48m•★7.0TMDB

Between February 4 and 11, 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in Yalta to discuss Europe's political reorganization after Nazi Germany's defeat.

Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin: The Road to Yalta
2025
Volviendo a casa (2019)
1h29m

Volviendo a casa

2019•1h29m•★6.0TMDB

Forty-five crew members of the Italian submarine Macalle were stranded on a deserted island in the Red Sea after their vessel sank in 1941.

Volviendo a casa
2019

Browse more like this

The New Deal: The Man Who Changed America (2021)
53m

The New Deal: The Man Who Changed America

2021•53m•★7.0TMDB

Fifteen critical laws were enacted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933 to address the economic crisis and provide relief to struggling Americans.

The New Deal: The Man Who Changed America
2021
FDR (1994)
4h30m

FDR

1994•4h30m•★7.2TMDB

Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership during the Great Depression and World War II, shaped by his battle with polio, redefined the role of the presidency in America.

FDR
1994
1945 and the Wheelchair President (2015)
1h29m

1945 and the Wheelchair President

2015•1h29m•★5.2TMDB

Franklin Roosevelt's leadership during World War II is portrayed through archival footage and expert commentary on his vision for a postwar world.

1945 and the Wheelchair President
2015
Hollywood Spies (2017)
53m

Hollywood Spies

2017•53m•★6.5TMDB

More than 100 celebrities served as spies, combatants, and propagandists during World War II, mobilizing Hollywood's influence for the war effort.

Hollywood Spies
2017
Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film (1998)
1h28m

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

1998•1h28m•★7.6TMDB

Abraham Zapruder's footage of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, is digitally remastered to reveal new details and its impact on public perception.

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film
1998

Related Films

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →