Discover Inspiring Stories

A captivating exploration of Grace Sherwood, the “Witch of Pungo,” whose 1706 witchcraft trial became legend in Virginia Beach. Using historic documentation, author Scott Moore lays out the facts, and then explores the lore, to reveal how the story has evolved, from accused witch to symbol of resilience, becoming the region’s enduring folk hero.

America’s forgotten founder, George Wythe, signed the Declaration of Independence and mentored Thomas Jefferson. He was America’s first law professor—a brilliant scholar whose influence shaped a nation. His tragic end reads like a modern-day true crime story. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

President Donald Trump went to Iowa on Thursday to start the countdown to the nation’s 250th Independence Day next year. To mark the anniversary, the nonpartisan Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress is looking at 250 years of U.S. innovation. John Yang speaks with Glenn Nye, the center’s president and CEO, about the project. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/07/what-the-us-has-accomplished-in-250-yea

As the country observes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Judy Woodruff is starting a new chapter of America at a Crossroads. She’ll explore what it means to be an American, how that idea has evolved since the nation’s founding and where we might be headed. She begins by looking at how closely our identity as Americans adheres to the template created by George Washington. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-new

“Two Roads” reveals two centuries of connection between African American and Irish culture, as expressed through dance and music. Full of wonderful surprises, the film offers a fresh perspective, confounding assumptions and demonstrating the transcendent power of art to bridge divisions.

This video covers the brutal Battle of Blue Licks (August 19, 1782), where 72 of Kentucky’s 182 militia were killed in a surprise ambush. We spotlight the decisions, like ignoring Daniel Boone’s caution, and cover how this tragic battle shaped early Kentucky’s settlement patterns and frontier defense strategy. Funded in part by the Kentucky Historical Society and the America250KY Commission.

In 1887, a gang of horse thieves killed as many as 34 Chinese gold miners along the Oregon and Idaho border in Hells Canyon. It’s thought to be the worst massacre of Chinese people by white settlers in the United States. Chinese immigrants helped build the West Coast of the United States, but they faced unprecedented legalized discrimination and violence. For over a century, locals covered up the murders, and no one was held accountable. This program delves into the mystery o

This story takes a deep archival dive into the rise of white nationalism in Portland, Oregon, which led to the murder of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in 1988 at the hands of racist skinheads. The story is grounded in the personal account of Mulugeta’s uncle Engedaw Berhanu, who led the charge to hold the racist organization White Aryan Resistance responsible for his nephew’s murder. The film draws on oral histories of antiracist activists and people from Portland’s musi

Hidden secrets launch a son’s life-long quest to discover a father he never knew. Revealed: a WWII pilot’s journey from a passionate romance to a heroic doomed air battle; imprisonment in a famous POW camp; a death march across Germany, and unexpected tragedy. The story’s intimate personal details of war speak to the archetypal trauma faced by veteran families of all eras. Martin Sheen narrates.

The railroad station once was in institution an American life, in small towns and big cities alike. This human-interest tale is interwoven with history as the program explores how people interacted with the stations in their towns through multiple generations.

The Route to Emancipation by Black History Bike Ride follows three friends as they embark on a 350-mile cycling route from the Texas Capitol in Austin to the site where Juneteenth began in 1865. The journey takes viewers back through centuries of Black history in Texas.

Burying the Hatchet: The Tom Quick Story is the fascinating account of how Lenni Lenape tribes had been dislocated from their Milford, Pennsylvania, homeland in the late 18th century and how this largely white community and disenfranchised tribal leaders worked together to reconcile the past and forge a shared path forward based on trust, friendship, and an inspiring and healing vision of the future.

Told exclusively through the words of the project’s visionaries, leaders, artisans and champions who made “the impossible plausible”, Remember Us is the remarkable story of America's new national World War I Memorial--an exceptional vision brought to life by a diverse coalition of Americans who overcame all odds to deliver a stunning achievement a full century after the War That Changed the World.

Explore the stories and contributions of Black jockeys, trainers, owners, grooms, and exercise riders in the 1800s who persevered through...

New Jersey, the Garden State, is known for its produce, but not for the enslaved people who tilled the soil. In this two-part...

It’s been more than 400 years since the first Thanksgiving. And there is a lot we are learning about that time. Just prior to the...

By Parties Unknown explores the story of the violent lynching of four Black men in Russellville, Kentucky in 1908 after they were singled...

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom is a documentary by award-winning director, Ya’Ke Smith that invites viewers into the story of Juneteenth –...

During World War II, the U.S. government initially imposed policies that limited the use of cameras by Japanese Americans in the...

The inspiring true story of 20 women who raced across America in 1929. Wearing breeches and goggles during the day and ball gowns at...