History Channel Documentaries

The is the story of the fort the war and the flag that inspired the national anthem.

At times, it has been among the most powerful and largest fraternal organizations in America, boasting up to four million members. It has survived for more than a century by wrapping its doctrine of hate and intolerance around the sacred cloth of Christianity and the fabric of American patriotism. The Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History goes beyond the flaming crosses and beneath the robes, to reveal the dark heart of this controversial organisation.

In Ireland, March 17th is a feast day honoring the bishop who Christianized the island; but in America it's a boisterous celebration of Irish heritage. We'll march up New York's Fifth Avenue with over 150,000 celebrants at the largest and oldest parade on the day all Americans are Irish. With Andrew Greeley and Frank McCourt.

They lived by the code of chivalry and woke to the sounds of trumpets. They owed their position and power to the lords whose desperate striving for glory and land rocked Europe for centuries. FOOT SOLDIER: THE MEDIEVAL SOLDIER is a unique look at the lives of the common soldier in the countless and continual wars of the Middle Ages. Drawing on ancient accounts of battles, rare artworks, the latest discoveries and groundbreaking scholarship, a complete account of the lot of these overlooked soldiers emerges. Told in a refreshing, vibrant style, THE MEDIEVAL SOLDIER marches into the heart of history, showing what it was like to fight with the sword and bow and arrow in the armies of feudal lords. Relive some of the storied encounters of the age through dramatic re-enactments, and get an eye-opening look at life beyond the battlefield, where clothes and food were often hard to come by, and the only constant was struggle. From storming castles to weathering the elements and fighting off disease (the deadliest killer of all), this is a captivating introduction to the dangerous and difficult world of THE MEDIEVAL SOLDIER.

The image of the Highland soldier, in his tartan kilt and sporran, is known and admired throughout the world. He has become the symbol of Scottishness: a heroic warrior, marching proudly to the skirl of the bagpipe, ready to fight and die for the honor of his regiment, his clan and his country. But history reveals a very different picture. Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Highlander was seen as a treacherous and barbaric savage. He was despised, even by his own countrymen, and hunted like an animal. Laws prohibited the wearing of his tartan, the playing of pipes - even his Gaelic language and his clan names were reviled. This program looks beyond the myth to tell the true and often tragic story of the Highland Clansman.

Looking back at 1937. Included: aviatrix Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific; civil war breaks out in Spain.