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American Experience
Building the Locks
In all, approximately 5 million bags and barrels of concrete went into building the Panama Canal's locks, dams, and spillways. The locks were engineered to be hollow and water tight, making them buoyant, so that the weight and pressure on the hinges would be significantly reduced. The locks at Gatun were 80 feet high, completely powered by electricity generated by a nearby hydroelectric spillway.
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The untold story of the people who fought tirelessly to save women from cervical cancer.
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The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.
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The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.
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Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.
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The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.
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Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.
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Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.
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Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
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1:22:39
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
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The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.
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How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.
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Part Two examines the mounting dispute over strategies and reveals the pervasive racism.