Discover Inspiring Stories

In December 1775, William “Billy” Flora, a free Black man from Portsmouth and member of the 2nd Virginia Regiment, performed a heroic act during the Battle of Great Bridge. Holding off British forces long enough for Patriot reinforcements to arrive, Flora helped secure a key victory that drove Governor Dunmore from Virginia and shaped the Revolution’s course. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

The Williamsburg Bray School, founded in 1760, is the oldest surviving building built to educate Black children in America. Its lessons reveal deep contradictions—teaching skills and faith while reinforcing enslavement. Today, the school stands as a site of resilience, memory, and critical reflection on America’s complex history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

During the Revolutionary War, Elizabeth Bennett Young risked everything to save her county’s records from destruction at the hands of the British. Her bravery preserved vital Isle of Wight history, which continues to tell the story of her and her neighbors 250 years later. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Michael Twitty, a James Beard Award–winning writer, explores the deep roots of American history, through food. During his time in Colonial Williamsburg, the culinary historian used dishes like sweet potato pumpkin and black-eyed peas, to reveal how food carried culture, resilience and identity, shaping Southern and American traditions and connecting past to present. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man turned double agent, risked his life to spy on the British, delivering crucial intelligence to the Marquis de Lafayette that led to victory at Yorktown. His bravery earned him freedom, a pension, and enduring recognition as one of America’s unsung Revolutionary heroes. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

In 1776, hundreds of formerly enslaved men joined Lord Dunmore’s British forces on Gwynn’s Island, seeking freedom through war. Stricken by smallpox and starvation, they endured fierce cannon fire from Patriot troops under General Andrew Lewis. The British were forced to retreat, making a pivotal turn in the conflict and a huge moment in Virginia’s Revolutionary War history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

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.

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

"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.

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.

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.

Filmed across eleven states, Courtmaker explores the life of the greatest judge in American history, John Marshall, who as the fourth Chief Justice, built the Supreme Court into the third pillar of American government. Through in-depth interviews with scholars, judges and Supreme Court justices, the film sheds light on our democracy's foundational legal philosophies.

Triumphs and tragedies of Thomas Paine’s life unfold in To Begin the World Over Again , a one-man play filmed live in Hollywood. Paine, provocative writer and flawed politician, ignited revolutions yet died ignored. His radical ideas on democracy, equality, and morality still challenge us: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”

Inventing America brings our Founding Fathers back to life in a TV talk show before a live audience. In Episode 3, Liberty for All ,...

Inventing America: Making a Government brings our Founding Fathers back to life in a TV talk show filmed before a live audience. Episode...

Inventing America: Making a Nation brings our Founding Fathers back to life in a TV talk show filmed before a live audience. Episode 1...

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...