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American Experience
Grand Coulee Dam's Open Spillways
More than a mile long, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest concrete structure in the U.S. In the fall of 2011, dam operators agreed to open the spillway just for American Experience. "It was very exciting that they agreed to spill for us for a short period specifically for the film," said Associate Producer Lauren DeFilippo. "We ran to the top and bottom [of the dam] in about 30 minutes."
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1:47:20
The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.

1:52:38
Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.

1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.

52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.

1:22:39
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.

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52:36
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.

1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.

52:45
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.

1:51:34
The Iran hostage crisis through the stories of those whose ordeal riveted the world.

1:52:24
The Iran hostage crisis through the stories of those whose ordeal riveted the world.

1:52:49
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.

1:52:23
How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.