American Experience | PBS (original) (raw)

22 Aug American Vice President FILM

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The American Diplomat

Explore the lives and legacies of three African American ambassadors who broke racial barriers to reach high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations and left a lasting impact on the Foreign Service.

The Big Burn

In the summer of 1910, hundreds of wildfires raged across the Northern Rockies. By the time it was all over, more than three million acres had burned and at least 78 firefighters were dead. It was the largest fire in American history.

Riveted: The History of Jeans

Discover the fascinating story of this iconic American garment. From their roots in slavery to the Wild West, hippies, high fashion and hip-hop, jeans are the fabric on which the history of American ideology and politics is writ large.

Documentaries to Watch Now

Stream these American Experience documentaries anywhere, anytime. We will update this page as new films become available.

Songs of the Summer

We asked some of our favorite music writers to pick a year and a song from that summer’s top ten. Take a listen and read through our historical mixtape.

Scenes of Summer

From Massachusetts to Mississippi, see snapshots of how Americans spent the hottest months of the year.

How a Black Journalist-Turned-Ambassador Changed the Game in Both Media and Diplomacy

The Washington Post’s first Black female reporter remembers one of her heroes, Carl Rowan.

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space

Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean — reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms.

Mississippi Justice

A new telling of the story of the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi—carried out by the Klan and enabled by police collusion and a Mississippi state spy agency.

The Mississippi Summer Project

In 1964, over 700 volunteers joined organizers and local African Americans in Mississippi to participate in The Mississippi Summer Project. Explore the photos.

PAST FORWARD: Conversations with American Experience

History is alive. We are still living it. Let’s talk about it.

The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.