American Experience

Early American aviators try to cross the planet with primitive planes of limited range and under harsh conditions.

The story of how prohibition went from local preferences to national law, with specific reference to its application in Detroit, MI.

An examination of a the story of a Japanese family in America from their arrival in the US to the days of suspicion during World War II.

America enters the fighting in what is now called World War I.

The tale of mavericks whose risk-taking, sweat and dreams changed an American industry. Starting with Spindletop, the first Texas gusher in 1902, rare archival film and interviews with pioneering oilmen are set against a contemporary story of a modern "wildcatter," gambling to find his fortune in yet another narrow hole in the Texas earth.

A nostalgic treatment of the national pastime and its meaning in history.

The story behind the mail order tome that brought merchandise (or dreams of it) within reach of Americans far and wide.

The story of Yosemite told through the diary of one of the first white Americans to visit the California valley.

Documentary on the life of civil rights advocate Powell, including his career as a Harlem minister and a US Congressman.

Documentary on the great influx of immigrants between 1890 and the 1920s.

Story of a folklore historian who sought to preserve the traditional music of the Appalachians for posterity.

The work of a notable civil rights crusader in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A tale of British children sent to North America during the early World War II bombing of London.

The Americanization of Chinese people in the 1920s and 30s, including public roles that ran counter to their cultural history.

A profile of an early environmental dispute over the construction of a dam in California after the earthquake of 1906.

A chronicle of the organized efforts to help slaves find freedom in the north.