Films: 1800 - 1900
Browse the entire American Experience series featuring over 250 films. Watch full films online, download teacher’s guides, go behind the scenes, and learn more about your favorite films.
The Abolitionists : 3 hrs
How five abolitionist allies turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation.
Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided : 6 hrs
The six-part story of a frontiersman farmer and a wealthy Confederate slave-owner's daughter.
Alexander Hamilton
The founding father laid the groundwork for the nation's modern economy, including the banking system and Wall Street.
Annie Oakley : 1 hr
As the star attraction of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Annie Oakley thrilled audiences around the world with her shooting feats. Part of the Wild West collection.
Around the World in 72 Days
Intrepid journalist Nelly Bly went on a journey around the world breaking the record of Julius Verne's fictional character.
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln : 90 mins
As a nation mourned the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, a manhunt closed in on the twenty-six-year-old actor, John Wilkes Booth.
Barnum's Big Top : 1 hr
P.T. Barnum -- huckster, con man, promoter, entertainer and founder of "The Greatest Show on Earth".
Billy the Kid : 1 hr
The boy behind the myth, who in just a few short years transformed himself from a skinny orphan to the most feared man in the West and an enduring icon. Part of The Wild West collection.
Buffalo Bill : 1 hr
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's legendary exploits helped create the myth of the American West that still endures today.
Chicago: City of the Century
The story of Chicago's dramatic transformation from a swampy frontier town to a massive metropolis in the nineteenth century.
Coney Island
The internationally famous carnival of delights in New York was the birthplace of the hot dog and the roller coaster.
Custer's Last Stand : 2 hrs
The Last Stand, the final act of General George Custer's larger-than-life career, played out on a grand stage with a spellbound public engrossed in the drama. Part of the Wild West collection.
Death and the Civil War : 2 hrs
The staggering death tolls of the Civil War permanently altered the character of the republic and the psyche of the American people.
Dinosaur Wars : 1 hr
The epic battle waged over dinosaur fossils by rival paleontologists in the American West.
Dolley Madison : 90 mins
America's first First Lady defined the role of the President's wife and in the process changed the face of the American presidency.
The Donner Party : 90 mins
Three years before the Gold Rush, 87 pioneers took a shortcut westward to California, only to get caught in the snows of the Sierra Nevada.
The Duel
Founding father Alexander Hamilton went up against political rival and former vice president Aaron Burr in one of history's most famous duels.
Edison's Miracle of Light
"The Wizard of Menlo Park," Inventor Thomas Edison, built the first practical light bulb and revolutionized the world.
Geronimo : 1 hr
The Chiricahua Apache medicine man and warrior who refused to accept white man's 'civilization.' Part of The Wild West collection.
Geronimo and the Apache Resistance : 1 hr
The Native American leader fought against U.S. expansion onto Apache tribal land. The story of a tragic collision of two civilizations.
God in America : 6 hrs
For the first time on television, God in America will explore the historical role of religion in the public life of the United States.
Gold Fever
The Klondike Gold Rush in Canada's Yukon Territory saw 100,000 people make the treacherous journey in search of riches.
The Gold Rush
The worldwide migration by eager gold-seekers turned California into a land of opportunity and fierce competition.
The Great Fever
Major Walter Reed's discovery in 1900 that mosquitoes spread yellow fever halted an outbreak and led to the disease's eventual eradication.
The Great Transatlantic Cable
The remarkable story of mid-19th century ingenuity and perseverance during the laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable between North America and Europe.
The Greely Expedition : 1 hr
A daunting story of shipwreck, starvation, mutiny and cannibalism amongst a group left abandoned in the high Arctic.
Hawaii's Last Queen
The story of Liliu'okalani, the last queen and ruler of the independent Kingdom of Hawaii.
Hearts and Hands : 1 hr
Quilting and the intimate clues it yields about the lives of 19th century women.
Henry Ford : 2 hrs
The story of a farm boy who rose from obscurity to become the most influential American innovator of the 20th century.
