American History

JFK inauguration; first man in space; Kennedy meets Khrushchev; East Germany builds the wall; Bay of Pigs invasion; trial of Adolf Eichmann; Civil Rights Freedom Riders; the pill; Chubby Checker and the Twist.

Presidential Election: Kennedy vs. Nixon; U-2 spy plane incident; African independence and the Congo; Sharpeville massacre in South Africa; Caryl Chessman executed; Ban the Bomb demonstrations; Payola scandal; Elvis Presley is drafted.

Short was a poor man's Jesse James, a Confederate Army deserter who took to raiding and robbing in and around Turkey Neck Bend, just above the Tennessee border in Kentucky. His memory is alive today not because of history books--nothing was written about his exploits for over 100 years--but due to a tradition of oral history and local storytelling.

Tells the little-known story of the Justice Department's postwar pursuit and conviction of Japanese-American Iva Toguri for what it deemed treasonous radio broadcasts during WWII.

Where The Thin Red Line leaves off, The Tears of Peleliu picks up some fifty years later, as it follows five American WWII veterans as they meet their former Japanese adversaries on the bloodiest battlefield in the history of warfare. The residents of Peleliu, a tiny island in the South Pacific, regard with some trepidation the return of the men who destroyed their island.

Profiles the colorful history of the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides," which won America's first victories at sea, and, following its historically accurate restoration in 1997, retains its status today as a national symbol.

This historical documentary uses Civil War re-enactments, historical footage, photos and contemporary interviews to explore a controversial event in American and African- American Civil War history.

From the first concept to the final rivet, The Statue of Liberty was the creation of volunteers. Strange to say, no government was involved. This documentary tells the exciting story of who was involved: hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens from all walks of life, even children, gave their small earnings to realize Miss Liberty, first in France and then in the U.S. It took 14 years to consummate.

Based on actual historical events, this docudrama, which blends archival photos, dramatic reenactments and interviews with former students, portrays the efforts of the Mexican- American community in Lemon Grove, California, to challenge local school segregation practices and racial discrimination in Depression-era America.

This video looks at a nationwide rebellion that brought the U.S. to a standstill, when 80,000 railroad workers went out on strike to protest the excesses of the railroad companies.

This video features a fugitive woman slave describing life, work, and day-to-day resistance to slavery on a North Carolina cotton plantation during the 1840s and 1850s.

This video is based on the life of Boston shoemaker George Robert Twelves and reveals how working people helped make the American Revolution.