Movies: American history

Freedom, rights, obligations, the pursuit of happiness -- meanings of these terms are explored as this film develops its theme that the Declaration of Independence is not a dead historical document, but a vital force and guide to living today....

Chronicles early history of the Jamestown Colony. Describes voyage and hardships of the first settlers from England and the trials of later arrivals....

Explains the ways the English culture influenced our own--Democratic thought, jurisprudence, civil liberties, language, literature, art and styles....

A documentary covering the history of TWA, from its origins to its ultimate sale to American Airlines....

From Race Track to Assembly Center documents life for San Francisco Bay Area residents of Japanese ancestry incarcerated at the Tanforan Race Track in San Mateo County after being evicted from their homes during World War II....

A documentary film about the internment of Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain, Wyoming during World War II. The program, hosted by Jan Yanehiro, proceeds in part as a series of interviews. It also includes archival film footage of Heart Mountain an...

Agent Yellow is a powerful indictment of the U.S. government’s systematic prejudice against Chinese-American scientists. The film focuses on the mistreatment of Chinese scientists who contributed significantly to American military research, specifica...

When Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, he left behind a mountain of personal debt, which forced his heirs to sell his beloved Monticello home and all of its possessions. The Levys of Monticello is a documentary film that tells the little-known story of ...

Documentary about WWII propaganda cartoons....

For over 150 years, Fort Niagara protected the strategic point at the mouth of the Niagara River. Four nations struggled to conquer it, and thus control that critical water artery....

With a mission of collecting, preserving and making accessible the materials of human culture, the New York Public Library plays a vital role in the cultural life of the Big Apple. This film provides a multifaceted portrait of the institution. Viewer...