American Experience

1624 - 1865
1866 - 1900
1901 - 1925
1926 - 1945
1946 - TODAY

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CHRONOLOGICAL: 1866 - 1900:

1866 | 1878 | 1887 | 1898

Edison's Miracle of Light (1878-1887)
He harnessed electricity and revolutionized the world.

In 1878, Thomas Edison announced his intention to harness Niagara Falls and produce a safe, electric light system. He said he could do it in six weeks. Almost three years later, all the components -- bulbs, sockets, switches, wires, junction boxes -- were finally ready. The "Wizard of Menlo Park" may have revolutionized the world, but he was caught in a web of personal, patent and corporate battles, eventually losing control of the industry he founded.

MacArthur (1880-1951)
A portrait of a complex, imposing and fascinating American general, General Douglas MacArthur.

No soldier in modern history has been more admired -- or more reviled. Douglas MacArthur, liberator of the Philippines, shogun of Occupied Japan, brilliant victor of the Battle of Inchon, was an admired national hero when he was suddenly relieved of his command. A portrait of a complex, imposing and fascinating American general.

Insanity on Trial (1881)
(no website available)
The trial of Charles Julius Guiteau, the man who shot and fatally wounded President James A. Garfield.

On July 2, 1881, Charles Julius Guiteau shot and fatally wounded President James A. Garfield in the lobby of the Baltimore & Potomac train station in Washington, D.C. As sensational as the assassination itself was, Guiteau's trial lasted over three months and became a very public battle over the meaning of insanity. Was it hereditary? Did it show on a man's face?

The Telephone (1884-1915)
The birth of the device that transformed American life.

At first rented only "to persons of good breeding, " seen as an expensive luxury for doctors and businessmen, within a decade the telephone had begun to transform American life. Trees gave way to telephone poles as operators known as "hello girls" began to connect a sprawling continent.

Ida B. Wells -- A Passion for Justice (1884-1919)
(no website available)
The life of the legendary former slave and crusading journalist.

Born into slavery, she became a journalist and newspaper owner in Memphis, and was radicalized following the lynching of three friends. Her crusade against lynching led to death threats, but she bravely continued for the rest of her life to call for an end to sexism and racism.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
A provocative portrait of one of the century's most influential women.

Eleanor Roosevelt struggled to overcome an unhappy childhood, betrayal in her marriage, a controlling mother-in-law, and gripping depressions -- all the while staying true to her passion for social justice. This biography includes rare home movies, contemporary footage, and reflections from Eleanor's closest surviving relatives, as well as biographers Blanche Wiesen Cook, Allida Black, and Geoffrey C. Ward, bringing to vibrant life one of the century1s most influential women.

CHRONOLOGICAL: 1866 - 1900:

1866 | 1878 | 1887 | 1898