American Experience | Official Site

Film

Oklahoma City

Explores how a series of deadly encounters between American citizens and federal law enforcement — including the standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco — led to the the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history.

Film

Ruby Ridge

A riveting account of the event that helped give rise to the modern American militia movement.

Return With Honor | Article

Sybil Stockdale on Being the Wife of a POW

In their book, In Love and War,Vice Admiral Jim Stockdale and his wife Sybil wrote about their lives during the eight years Jim was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

The Rockefellers | Primary Source

Letters Requesting Donations

Here is a sample of the appeals (with original spelling and grammar retained) that drove Rockefeller to seek more organized and efficient ways to donate his money.

Film

The Island Murder

In 1931, Honolulu's tropical tranquility was shattered when a young Navy wife made an allegation of rape against five nonwhite islanders.

Emma Goldman | Article

Prelude to the Red Scare: The Espionage and Sedition Acts

The roots of America's first Red Scare extended deep into the preceding years.

Jesse James | Article

Biography: John Newman Edwards

An ex-soldier, alcoholic, and newspaper editor, Edwards was instrumental in creating the mythical image of Jesse James.

Fidel Castro | Article

Fidel Castro (1926 - 2016)

For the leader of a small Caribbean nation, Fidel Castro's impact on the latter half of the twentieth century has been inordinate.

Remember the Alamo | Article

Notable People in the Alamo Battle

Read about José Antonio Navarro, Stephen F. Austin, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Samuel Houston, Juana Navarro Alsbury, James Bowie, and more.

Eisenhower | Article

Nixon's Checkers Speech

Nixon counters claims that he used an $18,000 contribution for personal expenses, but he admits that his dog, Checkers, was a political gift.

Film

Chasing the Moon

Nearly 50 years ago, we took one small step. In 2019, join American Experience and PBS to relive the journey that defined a generation.

Andrew Carnegie: The Richest Man in the World | Article

Biography: Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie helped build the formidable American steel industry, a process that turned a poor young man into the richest man in the world.

Film

Mr. Polaroid

Before the iPhone, the Polaroid camera let people instantly chronicle their lives. Along with instant photo mania, its company culture became the model for Silicon Valley. Mr. Polaroid is the story of Edwin Land, the man behind the camera.