The history of Uncle Sam

In the series "USA to Z," "CBS Mornings" breaks down the history of Uncle Sam and who inspired the national icon.

• Jun 9
• 4:11

These United States: Broadway's George M. Cohan

Mo Rocca celebrates the career of a founding father of American theater: George M. Cohan (1878-1942), an actor, playwright, producer, and composer of such standards as "Give My Regards to Broadway," "The Yankee Doodle Boy," and "Over There."

• Jun 7
• 2:26

Vanilla Ice on Freedom 250 concert series

A number of artists have recently said they will not perform at the upcoming multi-day Great American State Fair at Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. It's being put on by the group Freedom 250, which the BBC says was launched by the Trump administration, with the president appointing its CEO. Rapper Vanilla Ice joins to discuss why he believes the show must go on.

• Jun 1
• 3:57

Descendant of Betsy Ross donates sewing table to her house in Philly

A descendant of Betsy Ross is donating her sewing table to her house in Philadelphia and taking a historic journey of his own this summer.

• Jun 1

Unveiling the history beneath the Lincoln Memorial

Beneath the Lincoln Memorial is one of Washington's best-kept secrets: the Undercroft, a soaring 50,000-square-foot foundation built to keep the landmark from sinking into D.C.'s swampy ground. Now home to a museum, the public is being invited to visit underground.

• May 31

Native Americans work to protect salmon

"CBS Saturday Morning" meets members of the Muckleshoot tribe, also known as the Salmon People, to learn why protecting salmon in the Pacific Northwest and passing on their fishing traditions is about spirituality as much as it is food.

• May 30
• 4:59

How reality TV has shaped American culture

Reality TV is one of the most beloved and controversial genres to emerge from the 20th century. For the "USA to Z" series, Vladimir Duthiers takes a look at how it has shaped American culture.

• May 28
• 5:05

Sally Field on protecting democracy

Sally Field memorized the First Amendment as a child. The Oscar winner says she now understands "it like never before," stressing that "this fragile thing called democracy needs to be protected."

• May 24
• 1:42

These United States: The Marshall Plan

In 1947, two years after the end of World War II, President Truman's secretary of state, George C. Marshall, delivered a commencement speech arguing the U.S. should help its European allies and enemies rebuild in the post-war world. This was the foundation of an economic aid program that came to be known as the Marshall Plan. Seth Doane looks at its monumental impact.

• May 24
• 2:36

Nate Bargatze on American comedy

Nate Bargatze says a laugh can be found almost anywhere in the U.S., on nearly any topic out there. "When done right, American comedy shines light into dark places in a digestible way," he said.

• May 17
• 1:42

How fast food has shaped America

In the series "USA to Z," "CBS Mornings" goes behind the scenes for a taste of history and shows how fast food has become part of American culture.

• May 14
• 4:03

One man's determination to preserve history

David Butcher's family settled in Tablertown, Ohio in 1830. He spoke with "CBS Saturday Morning" about his goal to preserve local civil rights legacy with the Tablertown People of Color Museum.

• May 9
• 3:56

Historian Jill Lepore on the amendments

As the U.S. prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, historian Jill Lepore says now is a good time to ask if the public wants to see constitutional amendments.

• May 3
• 1:52

Retired Admiral William McRaven on honor

Retired Adm. William McRaven, who organized the mission to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, says that, to him, honor is "about upholding the values that were baked into our national DNA."

• Apr 26
• 1:41

The evolving role of first ladies of the U.S.

Saturday is National First Ladies Day. Anita McBride, former chief of staff to Laura Bush and co-chair of the "In Pursuit" essay series, which honors the country's presidents and first ladies, joins "The Takeout" to discuss further.

• Apr 24
• 5:45

José Andrés on food's role in U.S. history

Chef José Andrés, who became an American citizen in 2014, says food is both tradition and "also our future. The strength of America depends on how we feed ourselves but also how we feed the world."

• Apr 19
• 1:39

Apollo 16 astronaut reflects on NASA's impact

Charles Duke, a former NASA astronaut and Air Force officer who became the youngest person to walk on the moon during the 1972 Apollo 16 mission, sits down with "CBS Saturday Morning" to reflect on U.S. space exploration amid the recent Artemis II moon mission.

• Apr 18
• 4:50

President Harrison's marathon inaugural address

The shortest-serving U.S. president, William Henry Harrison, spent one month in office. He died of pneumonia, following his almost two-hour-long inaugural speech delivered in the blistering cold without an overcoat and gloves. Historian Sharon McMahon joins to discuss the legacy of Harrison's address.

• Apr 17
• 4:51

Elizabeth II's relationships with U.S. presidents

Queen Elizabeth II held personal relationships with 13 American presidents during her reign. New York Times bestselling author Susan Page joins "The Takeout" to discuss her new book exploring the queen's political influence, "The Queen and Her Presidents."

• Apr 16
• 5:18

Sundar Pichai on the U.S. advancing AI

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says the U.S. "must take the lead" when it comes to artificial intelligence "and develop it boldly and responsibly so every American benefits."

• Apr 12
• 1:44

Mount Rushmore's controversial legacy

In the series "USA to Z," "CBS Mornings" looks at the history and controversial legacy of Mount Rushmore, which depicts four U.S. presidents. Vladimir Duthiers reports.

• Apr 9
• 4:30

Martin Van Buren's rocky term as president

Colleen Shogan, the former archivist of the U.S. whom President Trump fired early in his second term, is now leading the "In Pursuit" essay series, which honors presidents and first ladies ahead of America's 250th anniversary. Shogan joins "The Takeout" to discuss the latest works from the project, including an essay on President Martin Van Buren, and more.

• Apr 7
• 5:26

Franklin Graham: values that shaped the U.S.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, who's preached in all 50 U.S. states, says he believes faith in God is the value that played the biggest role in shaping the nation.

• Apr 5
• 1:41

These United States: An ode to baseball

If our national pastime has a national anthem, it is "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," penned in 1908 as a celebration of the sport. Correspondent Lee Cowan looks at the history of Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer's song, which expresses the thrills, fun and romance of baseball.

• Apr 5
• 2:26

Donation gives Kansas town its first library

Frontenac, Kansas, is a community of 3,000 residents. When its city administrator received a mysterious $4.6 million dolllar donation from a couple whose dying wish was for a library to be built, the town sprung into action to solidify its legacy.

• Apr 4
• 4:14

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