Cavalcade of America

1952 - 1957

Poor Richard

1st October 1952

Episode 1

Dramatized incidents are used to show how Benjamin Franklin delayed a conference between Lord Howe and John Adams until the spring rainy season commenced, thereby allowing General Washington to extricate his troops from Long Island under the cover of a storm. This drama sent the ""old and obstinate"" Franklin to delay American surrender talks with the British, thereby allowing General George Washington to escape capture to fight another day.

All's Well with Lydia

15th October 1952

Episode 2

The Revolutionary War story of Lydia Darragh, American patriot and Philadelphia widow, who by her cleverness gained information instrumental in an American victory.

The Man Who Took a Chance

29th October 1952

Episode 3

The story of an 19th century genius who adapted 20th century methods to solve an American problem, Eli Whitney first begins to manufacture muskets.

A Romance to Remember

12th November 1952

Episode 4

The tale of the two beautiful Peabody Sisters who become rivals for the love of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

What Hath God Wrought

26th November 1952

Episode 5

The story of how Samuel Morse, after many hardships, gained recognition for the first telegraph.

No Greater Love

10th December 1952

Episode 6

A story about Clara Louise Maas, a Spanish-American War nurse who allowed herself to be bitten by a Stegomyia mosquito in order to further the experiments which were being conducted in the Las Animas Hospital in Havana under the direction of Dr. William C. Gorgas during a yellow fever epidemic at the turn of the century.

In This Crisis

24th December 1952

Episode 7

John Honeyman, American patriot, pretends to be a Tory in order to gain information that will mean Washington?s victory over the Hessians.

The Arrow and the Bow

7th January 1953

Episode 8

The career of Andrew Johnson, who, starting as a tailor, became the 17th President.

What Might Have Been

21st January 1953

Episode 9

The story of the tragic romance and marriage of Jefferson Davis and Sarah Knox Taylor.

New Salem Story

4th February 1953

Episode 10

The legendary tale of Abe Lincoln and his great love for Ann Rutledge.

A Matter of Honor

18th February 1953

Episode 11

A historical drama portraying the misunderstanding between Sam Houston and his wife, Eliza, which resulted in Houston's resignation of the governorship of Tennessee. The story of Sam Houston, hero of the Alamo, who gave the woman he loved a locket engraved with one word, ""integrity"" but had she earned the right to wear it?

Experiment at Monticello

Episode 12

Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States, uses himself as a guinea pig and is inoculated with the germs of small pox in a heroic effort to establish control of the disease.

Mightier Than the Sword

18th March 1953

Episode 13

A pre-Revolutionary War drama. The freedom of the press is upheld through the trial and acquittal of John Peter Zenger, a New York newspaper publisher who was imprisoned for printing the truth about corruption of the British administration. Story of John Peter Zenger in the famous trial that established American freedom of the press.

The Indomitable Blacksmith

Episode 14

A story about Thomas Davenport, a blacksmith, and his long struggle to invent and perfect the electric motor. Setting: Brandon, Vt., in the 1830's. The story of how Thomas Davenport neglected his blacksmith trade and failed in business, but won immortality in science by inventing the first electric motor.

The Gingerbread Man

15th April 1953

Episode 15

A true story about Christopher Ludwick, the baker, who came to America in 1776 from Germany. He made a most unusual gingerbread man which later became famous in America. He lived with his wife in Philadelphia. A comedy-drama about an elderly German baker who persuades 123 Hessian soldiers to desert the British Army during the American Revolution.

Night Strike

29th April 1953

Episode 16

Dramatizes an incident in the career of Captain John Paul Jones. Describes a raid made by Americans under Jones' leadership on the English coast at Whitehaven in 1778 and the unexpected outcome of the action.

Slater's Dream

Episode 17

Dramatizes the story of Samuel Slater, a young Englishman, who came to America in 1790 and struggled to construct from memory the cotton spinner, the plan of which England jealously guarded to insure a monopoly on the machine.

The Pirate's Choice

Episode 18

Dramtizes the events which led to the decision of the pirate Jean Lafitte to join Andrew Jackson in the defense of New Orleans against the English forces in 1814.

John Yankee

Episode 19

Dramatizes John Adams' difficult and unpopular decision to defend eight English soldiers who participated in a Boston riot prior to the Revolution.

The Tenderfoot

Episode 20

A historical drama showing how young Theodore Roosevelt, undaunted by a blizzard, pursues and captures three outlaws in the Dakota Bad Lands. Time: 1886.

Top Cast

Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS, the series pioneered the use of anthology drama for company audio advertising. Cavalcade of America documented historical events using stories of individual courage, initiative and achievement, often with feel-good dramatizations of the human spirit's triumph against all odds. This was consistent with DuPont's overall conservative philosophy and legacy as an American company dating back to 1802. The company's motto, "Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.

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