Cavalcade of America
TV ShowEnded

Cavalcade of America

3.5 / 10
1952
5 seasons
131 episodes
Drama

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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Cast

Seasons

  • Ep 1

    1.Poor Richard

    01-10-195260m

    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...

  • Ep 2

    2.All's Well with Lydia

    15-10-195260m

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

  • Ep 3

    3.The Man Who Took a Chance

    29-10-195260m

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

  • Ep 4

    4.A Romance to Remember

    12-11-195260m

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

  • Ep 5

    5.What Hath God Wrought

    26-11-195260m

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

  • Ep 6

    6.No Greater Love

    10-12-195260m

    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 conducte...

  • Ep 7

    7.In This Crisis

    24-12-195260m

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

  • Ep 8

    8.The Arrow and the Bow

    07-01-195360m

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

  • Ep 9

    9.What Might Have Been

    21-01-195360m

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

  • Ep 10

    10.New Salem Story

    04-02-195360m

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

  • Ep 11

    11.A Matter of Honor

    18-02-195360m

    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...

  • Ep 12

    12.Experiment at Monticello

    04-03-195360m

    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.

  • Ep 13

    13.Mightier Than the Sword

    18-03-195360m

    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 printi...

  • Ep 14

    14.The Indomitable Blacksmith

    01-04-195360m

    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 Davenpo...

  • Ep 15

    15.The Gingerbread Man

    15-04-195360m

    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 w...

  • Ep 16

    16.Night Strike

    29-04-195360m

    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 unexp...

  • Ep 17

    17.Slater's Dream

    13-05-195360m

    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 jealousl...

  • Ep 18

    18.The Pirate's Choice

    27-05-195360m

    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.

  • Ep 19

    19.John Yankee

    10-06-195360m

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

  • Ep 20

    20.The Tenderfoot

    24-06-195360m

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

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