Discover Inspiring Stories

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

NWPB traveled across Washington state to ask everyday people what the American Revolution—and America today—mean to them. Released to accompany the new documentary series, The American Revolution, this short documentary invites viewers interested in history, politics, and community to explore how “We the People” define America—its food, its freedoms, its contradictions, and its promise.

“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.

"Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England" features Indigenous perspectives and takes a fresh look at the history of the region, including the hidden history of Indigenous slavery, "paper genocide" and efforts to keep traditions alive.

Jeremiah Denton battled the North Vietnamese for eight long years as a prisoner in the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison. Family, friends, and fellow POWs help tell the story of this American hero who returned from Vietnam and became a U.S. Senator from Alabama.

Defending Freedom tells the story of Birmingham-native Arthur D. Shores, and the impact he had on the civil rights movement as one of Alabama's first Black trial attorneys.

Joe Minter is the world-renowned Alabama sculptor of the African Village in America. The project is a half-acre art gallery constructed using found objects, reclaimed metal and store-bought materials. Thousands travel to Birmingham to see this 400-year historical record of Black people in America.

Quilt making has a long history in Alabama, and there are no finer examples of this art form than the motifs and craftsmanship of the quilts of Gee’s Bend.

The story of the now legendary Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56. Locally engineered by Montgomery's Black community, this nonviolent protest to end bus segregation inspired a new era in freedom and human rights struggles around the globe.

Throughout our history and even before human habitation, the Missouri River has played a significant role in shaping not only the physical geography of South Dakota but also the human geography. This episode examines how the Missouri River has shaped human habitation in the state and region. In this collection of resources, your students will learn how the river served as a life source for many early Indian tribes and as a watery highway for exploration and settlement. It has

Most people think the Revolution was fought only in the original 13 colonies. But while Washington battled in the North, Florida remained a British stronghold and became the site of its own fierce conflicts.

Discover the story of Florida during the American Revolution: a place loyal to the British Crown, shaped by international land swaps, cultural clashes, and the determination of its people.

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 the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA organized a secret war in neighboring Laos to prevent communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. The Hmong fought for the U.S. — and for themselves— to keep Ho Chi Minh’s regime from destroying their way of life.

A reflection on the life of freedom fighter and civic leader Josie Johnson, who fought for fair housing, education, and civil rights. Hear in her own words how her experiences turned her to activism. Johnson was inspired by activists who came before her, and the documentary shows how her activism continues to inspire the next generation of activists, including her grandchildren. The struggle for justice and equality continues, but there is hope in the struggle. Explore Hope i

The Bozeman Trail was an offshoot of the Oregon Trail, a shortcut to the newly discovered gold fields of Montana Territory. Cutting through the heart of Indian country. It became a flash point for a clash of cultures that would explode into warfare, destruction and tragedy. First telecast March, 2019.

Why does Minnesota suffer through some of the worst racial disparities in the nation? One answer is the spread of racist, restrictive real estate covenants in the early 20th century. Jim Crow of the North charts the progression of racist policies and practices from the advent of restrictive covenants after the turn of the last century to their final elimination in the late 1960s.

Anthony Veliz, a fifth-generation Oregonian, shares his family's connection to Colegio César Chávez—the first accredited Chicano college in the U.S. founded in Mt. Angel, Oregon—and how it inspired his mission of educational reform.

The story of a third-generation Japanese American-owned fruit orchard in the shadow of Oregon’s Mount Hood. The Kiyokawas have been stewards of the land since 1911 and, over the next century, survived the forcible relocation of Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II and the continuing challenges of generational farming.

In the 1930s, archeologist Luther Cressman made a series of discoveries that shocked the scientific world. They included a cache of 75 sagebrush sandals that proved to be the oldest shoes ever found. He believed people were in the Americas far earlier than most researchers thought possible. Today, modern science is finally proving him right.