The abolitionists tore the nation apart in order to create a more perfect union. Men and women, black and white, Northerners and Southerners, poor and wealthy—these passionate anti-slavery activists fought body and soul in the most important civil rights crusade in American history. What began...

This five-part series traces the story of Asian Americans, spanning 150 years of immigration, racial politics, international relations, and cultural innovation. It is a timely, clear-eyed look at the vital role that Asian Americans have played in defining who we are as a nation. Their stories are a...

Episode One: Reactions Just about every solid, liquid, or gas in the world begins with reactions between individual atoms and molecules. David Pogue dives into the transformative world of chemical reactions, from the complex formula that produces cement to the single reaction that's allowed farmers...

This epic documentary brings to life America's most destructive, and defining, conflict.

Every historian knows the tale of the Pilgrim's journey to the New World - but where does legend start and reality begin? In this expansive, three-hour look at the arduous voyage to a new land, the award-winning filmmakers of A&E attempt to deliver the final word on the historical trek that would...

The course takes viewers through the mists of time to the rugged landscape of the British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton, of The Catholic University of America, surveys the forging of a great nation from a series of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples....

Take an unprecedented look at the intersection of African-American women artists, politics, and entertainment and hear the story of how six trailblazing performers - Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier - changed American culture through their films,...

Based on the autobiography of the civil-rights leader who rose from criminal to crusader. Directed by Spike Lee, who plays Shorty.

The medieval era continues to influence our world and shape our collective consciousness. In the 36 lectures of The Medieval Legacy, you'll learn to recognize the medieval impacts on the modern world. You'll find the origins of our representative government and labor unions; study the enduring...

The Middle Ages was a time of major historical shifts and transformations across the globe. In this enthralling course you'll chart the fall and rebuilding of empires; learn about the economics and technology that drove medieval civilizations; map the great medieval trading networks; study the Age...

Other than scale, what is the difference between a pirate and the vast armies of an emperor? Were the men who famously traversed the Atlantic heroic explorers or were they… pirates? In The Real History of Pirates, you'll look at world history from a new point of view, realizing much of what...

Some 30 million Americans have sent their DNA to be analyzed by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA, hoping to obtain clues to family origins and forecasts of their future health. Some users have found family members and discovered lurking genetic risks. But what happens once the sample is in the...

Delve into some of history's most notorious unsolved crimes with three experts who will guide you through the evidence and shed new light on old mysteries. Disc 1: episodes 1-4; disc 2: episodes 5-8.

Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein's three-part, six-hour documentary series examines how the American people and leaders responded to one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of the twentieth century, and how this catastrophe challenged America's identity as a nation of immigrants and the...

When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of 2,000 survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These anecdotes have been brought to vivid life by HBO.

In July 1945, a Japanese submarine sinks the USS Indianapolis. Indianapolis' final resting place remains a mystery for more than seven decades, until an expedition launched by philanthropist Paul G. Allen discovers the ship in August 2017. Now the story of USS Indianapolis is told as PBS...

Carrie Fisher's autobiographical stage production chronicles her life in and out of show business as the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actor Debbie Reynolds; her role in the early Star Wars films; her bipolar disorder; and relationships, including an on-again, off-again romance with singer...

Since 1972, UNESCO has designated World Heritage Sites across the globe, marking locations of outstanding value to humanity. This course tours 24 of the foremost UNESCO sites, highlighting marvels of human culture, such as India's Taj Mahal, Egypt's Thebes, and Uzbekistan's Samarkand, plus natural...