The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and now the nomination of our first female presidential candidate by a major political party - the list does not stop there as Philadelphia is a city of firsts. Another first for Philadelphia happened at the 1948 presidential convention, when the Democrats, Republicans, and Progressives all hosted conventions here in Philadelphia. These conventions made history as the first to be televised, yet they also were well-known for large scale protests, specifically against a Civil Rights platform. For the first time, all the drama of the conventions was televised for millions of viewers to witness. You can see a full look at the 1948 convention by checking out HSP on Fox News.

When working with students, click here or on the advertisement below from the 1948 convention that describes a television as “almost as big as a large sized newspaper page!"

Using the advertisement, discuss with students the positive and negative aspects that a television would bring to the presidential race. Questions to consider include: What role does technology play in politics and popular opinion? How can a television, or today’s social media, help or hurt a candidate? How can we compare the 1948 conventions to conventions today?