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Timeline of a Nation
Public Media 250
1700s—The Revolutionary Era
Burying the Hatchet: The Tom Quick Story
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.
Courtmaker: John Marshall and the Forging of America's Supreme Court
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.
Thomas Paine's To Begin the World Over Again
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: Liberty For All
Inventing America brings our Founding Fathers back to life in a TV talk show before a live audience. In Episode 3, Liberty for All ,...
1800s—Expansion, Division & Reconstruction
Massacre at Hells Canyon
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
Washakie - Last Chief of the Eastern Shoshone
From his birth in the Bitterroot Mountains among the Salish Tribe, to his exploits as a warrior with the Lemhi Shoshone and Bannocks, Washakie was recognized early as an extraordinary person. But he made his historical claim to greatness in the second half of the 19th century, as chief of the Eastern Shoshone.
Railroad Stations in American Life
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
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.
Early 1900s—Progress & Protest
Kiyokawa Apple Paradise
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.
Mr. Besley's Forest
In 1906, Maryland was third in the nation to establish a state system of forests and parks. Fred W. Besley, appointed by Governor Edwin Warfield, became Maryland's first State Forester. During his 36 years, Besley created a model for scientific forest management and the Big Tree formula. Today, Marylanders are learning his lessons of forest conservation and listening to the music of the trees.
Remember Us: The Fight for America's World War I Memorial in Washington D.C.
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.
The Price of Silence: The Search for Freedom in New Jersey
The third part of “The Price of Silence” series explores the Black American flight to New Jersey during the Great Migration. Blacks hoped to find a better life in the region, devoid of the racism and discrimination they experienced in the South.
1930s-1940s—Crisis, War & Resilience
Kiyokawa Apple Paradise
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.
Luther Cressman, Quest for First People
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.
The Green Box: At the Heart of War
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 Price of Silence: The Search for Freedom in New Jersey
The third part of “The Price of Silence” series explores the Black American flight to New Jersey during the Great Migration. Blacks hoped to find a better life in the region, devoid of the racism and discrimination they experienced in the South.
1950s-1970s—Civil Rights & Social Change
Jim Crow of the North
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.
The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez
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.
33 Black Frog: An American Story
33 Black Frog: An American Story is a powerful documentary about Chief Petty Officer Eddie L. Ferguson, one of the first African American Navy Frogmen. Battling racism and adversity, Ferguson’s journey is one of courage, perseverance, and a legacy that paved the way for generations.
1955, Seven Days in Fall
1955, Seven Days in Fall tells the story of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodger/New York Yankee World Series based upon the poem entitled ‘1955’, by James T. Crawford and directed by Rory Fielding. In unprecedented style, the program uniquely blends the traditional documentary elements of archival footage and stills, narration, period music, player and fan interviews. The poetry recital weaves through 1955 Seven Days of Fall to recount this timeless story decades later.
1980s-1990s—Culture, Technology & Power
The Murder of Mulugeta Seraw
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
Christa
Christa McAuliffe, America’s first teacher in space, is the subject of a moving documentary on the creation of her statue, unveiled in September 2024 at the New Hampshire State House and created by Idaho sculptor Benjamin Victor. Through interviews with former students, educators, and state leaders, the film celebrates her life and belief that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.
UNIDAD: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos
Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU) was founded in 1981, only a dozen years after the Stonewall rebellion and only a couple of years...
Struggle and Success – Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ Communities
Explore the historical and ongoing struggle for equality and dignity in Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ communities through regional perspectives and...
2000s to Today—A Nation in Reflection
The Young Vote
The Young Vote follows a diverse group of students and activists during the 2020 election to understand young people's perceptions of voting and civic engagement.
The Green Box: At the Heart of War
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.
Railroad Stations in American Life
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
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.
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