The Century: America’s Time - 1981-1989: A New World

Part fourteen of a 15-part series of documentaries produced by the American Broadcasting Company on the 20th century and the rise of the United States as a superpower. As the 1970s gave way to the 1980s, Americans were ready for a more conservative leader and they found the answer to their quest in Ronald Reagan. Reagan’s folksy ways and familiar face created an aura of trust and he became one of America’s most popular presidents. But Reagan’s homespun ways could not forestall the economic crises of the 1980s and the widening economic divide between the haves and the have-nots. This episode examines some of the major events of the 1980s including the recession, AIDS, Wall Street, MTV, terrorism, televangelism and the fall of communism. Help us caption & translate this video!