Back to Show
American Experience
Occupying Iraq
After the U.S. took Baghdad, Iraq ground to a halt and became a free-for-all, as homes, stores, museums, hospitals & electric plants were looted. "There was a decision to be lean and count on others showing up to secure the peace,” recalled chief of staff Andrew Card. “There was not as much discussion that I remember in the National Security Council about the process of organizing a government."
Support Provided By

52:39
The story of L.A.’s noxious smog problem and the creation of the EPA and Clean Air Act.

52:20
The story of Edwin Land, whose iconic Polaroid camera let everyone instantly chronicle their lives.

53:00
The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

1:52:47
The story of one of the most influential yet forgotten civil rights figures, Walter White.

1:51:27
The little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC.

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:36
A look at the US vice presidency, from constitutional afterthought to position of political import.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:53:04
When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.

1:52:30
The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.

52:54
The untold story of the people who fought tirelessly to save women from cervical cancer.

1:52:39
The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.

52:51
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.

51:46
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.