American Experience

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

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CHRONOLOGICAL: 1866 - 1900:

1866 | 1878 | 1887 | 1898

Gold Fever (1898)
When gold was discovered in a frozen no man's land between Canada and Alaska, 100,000 people made the treacherous journey in search of riches .

The 1890's in America were desperate times. A depression brought bank and business failures and forced millions of men and women from their jobs. When gold was discovered in a frozen no man's land between Canada and Alaska, 100,000 people made the treacherous journey in search of riches.

Hawaii's Last Queen (1898)
The story of Liliu'okalani, the last queen of Hawaii.

Liliu'okalani moved easily between two worlds -- she had dined at the White House, had been a guest at Buckingham Palace, yet never abandoned her Hawaiian traditions. A writer and composer, she was thrust into a role she was never prepared to play, caught between two opposing forces.

TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1898-1912)
Author, soldier, scientist, outdoorsman and caring father, he was the youngest man to become president.
(More about Theodore Roosevelt on The Presidents Web site)

He was an unpredictable dynamo, a "steamroller in trousers." At the turn of the century, Theodore Roosevelt embodied America. Author, soldier, scientist, outdoorsman and caring father, he was the youngest man to become president. Expanding the power of the Oval Office, Roosevelt helped create the modern presidency and redefined the course of the nation. But behind all the unbridled confidence and achievement was a man haunted by grief.

Wildcatter -- A Story of Texas Oil (1899-1933)
(no website available)
The tale of mavericks whose risk-taking, sweat and dreams changed an American industry.

The tale of mavericks whose risk-taking, sweat and dreams changed an American industry. Starting with Spindletop, the first Texas gusher in 1902, rare archival film and interviews with pioneering oilmen are set against a contemporary story of a modern "wildcatter," gambling to find his fortune in yet another narrow hole in the Texas earth.

America 1900 (1900)
America at the turn of the century.

Over one hundred years ago, Americans looked forward to the uncertainty of a new century with a mixture of confidence, optimism and anxiety. Following a range of characters from famous public figures to ordinary citizens, this chronicle of a year in the life of America examines the forces of change that would come to shape the twentieth century.

The Wright Stuff (1900-1909)
Wilbur and Orville Wright build the flying machine.

Theirs is a quintessential American story of two midwestern boys who believed they could break the barrier of the air, succeeding where others with government grants and engineering educations had failed. Their remarkable breakthroughs in design and engineering shaped the course of the twentieth century.

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life (1900-1999)
A man of public triumphs and private pain.

He was one of the greatest sports heroes ever -- and one of the most unlikely. Raised in a poor Italian fishing community in San Francisco, Joe DiMaggio joined the New York Yankees in 1936 and quickly rose to become the star of baseball's golden age. He was graceful, elegant, and inspiring; his 56-game hitting streak electrified the nation. But Joe was always obsessed with being perfect, and over time became bitter and cynical about his celebrity. After his tumultuous marriage to Marilyn Monroe, he turned to cashing in on his fame.

CHRONOLOGICAL: 1866 - 1900:

1866 | 1878 | 1887 | 1898