Special Features
- Teacher's Resources: Teacher's Guide
- Interview: Tales From the Rails
- General Article: Striking a Chord: Railroads and Their Musical Heritage
- General Article: Added Obstacles for African Americans
- Preview: Riding the Rails Preview
- Further Reading: Related Books and Websites
At the height of the Great Depression, more than a quarter million teenagers were living on the road in America, many criss-crossing the country by illegally hopping freight trains. This film tells the story of ten of these teenage hobos -- from the reasons they left home to what they experienced -- all within the context of depression-era America.
My American Experience
Share Your Story
What do the 1930s mean to you? We invite you to tell us your own stories — whether you lived through the tumultuous decade or learned about it from a relative, a book or a movie. Comment on the decade as a whole, or on any of our 1930s film subjects.
Amelia Earhart
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Earhart disappeared in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the world by airplane.
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The Polio Crusade
The story of the polio crusade pays tribute to a time when Americans banded together to conquer a terrible disease.
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Murder at Harvard
Accused by a janitor, a respected Harvard professor was hanged for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, one of Boston's richest citizens, in 1849.
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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.
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Seabiscuit
Thoroughbred racehorse Seabiscuit was the long shot that captured America's heart during the Depression.
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Roberto Clemente
Clemente was an exceptional baseball player whose career sheds light on larger issues of immigration, civil rights and cultural change.
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New York: The Center of the World
Postwar New York City and the global economic order told through the story of the World Trade Center.
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