American Experience

The colorful life of Teddy Roosevelt, from frail youth to larger-than-life persona.

A look at the life of Theodore Roosevelt begins by recalling how he dealt with his first wife's death; his efforts to overcome the limitations of severe asthma. Also: TR's leadership of the "Rough Riders" during the Spanish-American War; and, in 1901, his rise to the Presidency (at age 42, he was the youngest in U.S. history). Jason Robards narrates.

The colorful life of Teddy Roosevelt, from frail youth to larger-than-life persona.

The conclusion of "TR" recalls the "frenzied quality" with which Roosevelt led the country during his second term in office; and his unsuccessful 1912 run for the Presidency under the Progressive party. Jason Robards narrates.

The colorful life of Teddy Roosevelt, from frail youth to larger-than-life persona.

The colorful life of Teddy Roosevelt, from frail youth to larger-than-life persona.

A chronicle of the rise of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, his steel empire, and his philanthropy.

In 1893, the last sovereign ruler of Hawaii is removed by forces that want the islands to come under the official jurisdiction of the United States.

The debut of the telephone in 1876 and its subsequent impact on American communication, and even, America's landscape.

How Philo Farnsworth combined his work with other emerging technologies to contribute to the development of television.

Chronicle of the construction of the New York subway and its dramatic impact on the city.

A story of the realities leading to the vanishing role of the family farm in the United States.

Groundbreaking New York reporter Nellie Bly uses all manner of transportation to beat the fictional feat of Verne's Phileas Fogg.

The story of the last great gold rush in North America, the search in the Yukon and Klondike at the end of the 19th century.

This program traces the rise of a pro-American Vietnamese nationalist, Ho Chi Minh, whose Viet Minh guerrillas grab a stunning victory over French colonial forces. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

The United States is drawn into Vietnam through its support − then abandonment − of South Vietnam's president, Ngo Dinh Diem, who is assassinated in a coup. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

Charging that North Vietnam has attacked American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, President Lyndon B. Johnson orders bombing raids and sends 200,000 troops into an undeclared war. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

With the South Vietnamese army in disarray, the U.S. military assumes control of the war, leading to increased American casualties in a country both beautiful and horrific. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

The war Americans seldom saw: the view from North Vietnam, featuring the perspectives of communist leaders, Vietcong guerrillas and American prisoners of war. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

North Vietnam's dramatic offensive on the lunar New Year stuns American military and political leaders, leading to calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

As the U.S. turns over the war to the South Vietnamese army, American soldiers and Vietnamese citizens feel the dimming prospects for victory. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

With fighting already spread to neighboring Laos, President Richard Nixon orders a secret bombing campaign against Cambodia, which will soon endure a nightmarish post-war holocaust. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

As President Nixon escalates the bombing of Hanoi and North Vietnamese troops advance, negotiators struggle for four years to sign a peace treaty that will be broken quickly. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

Americans at home divide over a distant war, clashing in the streets as demonstrations lead to bloodshed, bitterness and increasing doubts. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.

Ten years after American ground troops arrived in South Vietnam, communists seize Saigon in a lightning attack that brings the war to a startling conclusion. An edited re-broadcast of the 1983 series Vietnam: A Television History.