Films: Biographies
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.
Adam Clayton Powell : 1 hr
A civil rights leader in Harlem before entering politics, Powell was one of the most charismatic black leaders of the 20th century.
Alexander Hamilton
The founding father laid the groundwork for the nation's modern economy, including the banking system and Wall Street.
Alone on the Ice
In 1934, American polar explorer Richard Byrd became the first to experience winter in Antarctica's interior.
Amelia Earhart : 1 hr
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Earhart disappeared in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the world by airplane.
The Amish : 2 hrs
Their intense faith and strict adherence to 300-year-old traditions have by turn captivated and repelled, awed and irritated, inspired and confused America.
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.
Ansel Adams
The life of the legendary photographer, known best for his black and white images of the wilderness of the American West.
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.
Ballad of a Mountain Man : 1 hr
Bascom Lamar Lunsford and his campaign to preserve mountain music and dance.
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.
The Boy in the Bubble
The unusual life of David Vetter, who lived permanently inside a germ-free environment due to severe combined immunodeficiency.
A Brilliant Madness
Mathematician and paranoid schizophrenic John Nash's work became a foundation of modern economic theory.
Buffalo Bill : 1 hr
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's legendary exploits helped create the myth of the American West that still endures today.
The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken
The influential musical pioneers from Appalachia whose recordings lifted spirits during the Great Depression.
Citizen King
An African American minister whose dream of ending racism galvanized millions of Americans in the civil rights movement.
Clinton : 4 hrs
A president who rose from a broken childhood to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history, and one of the most complex and conflicted characters to ever stride across the public stage.
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.
Daley, the Last Boss : 2 hrs
For 21 years, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley ruled the city, building the Sears Tower and O'Hare Airport.
Daughter from Danang
The story of a Vietnamese mother, the Amerasian daughter she sent away for adoption, and their reunion 22 years after the Vietnam War.
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.
Duke Ellington - Reminiscing in Tempo : 2 hrs
The African American jazz composer and bandleader performed regularly at Harlem's Cotton Club, leaving a legacy in music.
Edison's Miracle of Light
"The Wizard of Menlo Park," Inventor Thomas Edison, built the first practical light bulb and revolutionized the world.
Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of America's least understood presidents. Part of the award-winning Presidents collection.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt supported the President's New Deal and advocated for civil rights, becoming one of the 20th century's most influential women.
Emma Goldman
The story of a Russian immigrant and anarchist who is said to have inspired the assassination of President William McKinley.
Eric Sevareid's Not So Wild A Dream : 1 hr
The young CBS reporter changed his pacifist ideals after reporting on the rise of fascism in Europe during World War II.
Eudora Welty - One Writer's Beginnings : 1 hr
A writer's childhood and the development of her photography and writing about the American South.
