Chapter 1: (3:06)
"Teaser" introduction for New Orleans on American Experience.

Chapter 2: (10:55)
The French establish New Orleans in 1718 and an urban culture develops from its diverse population.

Chapter 3: (3:00)
A cemetery caretaker discusses the important connection between past and present in New Orleans.

Chapter 4: (10:36)
New Orleans struggles with reconstruction, racial turmoil and the emergence of the Crescent City White League.

Chapter 5: (3:45)
The Mardi Gras carnival is rich with long-standing traditions.

Chapter 6: (8:43)
Homer Plessy challenges the segregation of railroad cars in Louisiana in the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.

Chapter 7: (5:20)
Hurricane Katrina destroys the historic Dooky Chase's restaurant.

Chapter 8: (11:00)
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and home to a rich tapestry of musical influences.

Chapter 9: (12:51)
The overflowing Mississippi floods New Orleans in 1927, revealing weaknesses and errors in the city's planning and preparation.

Chapter 10: (3:44)
The citizens of New Orleans pick up the pieces after Hurricane Katrina to plan for Mardi Gras.

Chapter 11: (9:27)
In 1938 Tennessee Williams finds his inspiration in New Orleans.

Chapter 12: (3:11)
One artist explains his affection for the French Quarter and the creative community that exists in New Orleans.

Chapter 13: (9:20)
In 1949 Louis Armstrong returns to New Orleans and is disillusioned by the racial divisions and tensions now present in his hometown.

Chapter 14: (10:52)
Beginning in the mid-1940s, many of the New Orleans' middle-class residents move out of the city to the suburbs.

Chapter 15: (3:15)
New Orleans manages to preserve its culture and vibrancy despite past hardships.

Chapter 16: (3:39)
Credits