Premiered March 1989
For 200 years, the United States Congress has been one of the country's most important and least understood institutions. Using historical photographs and newsreels, evocative live footage and interviews, Ken Burns chronicles the events that have shaped the first 200 years of congress and, in turn, our country.
Funding Provided by: General Motors Corporation; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; PBS; Ameritech
For more than three decades, Ken Burns and his colleagues at Florentine Films—directors, writers, producers, editors, and cinematographers—have produced some of the most critically acclaimed and most watched documentaries on public television.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Providing Support for PBS.org
The amendment transferred the election of senators from state legislators to the people.
The Most Recognizable Building in America
The United States Capitol is a building in which countless historical decisions were made.
Importance of the First Congress
David Broder talks about the importance of the first congress.
The Real Reason Members Vote For or Against Legislation
David McCullough talks about the real reason members vote for or against legislation.
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