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American Experience

The Great Famine Preview

The little-known story of the American effort to relieve starvation in the new Soviet Russia in 1921, The Great Famine is a documentary about the worst natural disaster in Europe since the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Half a world away, Americans responded with a massive two-year relief campaign, championed by Herbert Hoover, director of the American Relief Administration known as the ARA.

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Season
Casa Susanna
1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.
The Sun Queen
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52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
The Movement and the "Madman"
1:22:29
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History
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52:17
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.
Women in American History
1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.
The Lie Detector
52:45
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.
Plague at the Golden Gate
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1:52:39
Discover how bubonic plague in 1900 set off fear and anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco
Earth Month
Flood in the Desert
52:45
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Spanish
1:52:49
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
1:52:23
How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.
Part 2 | The Vote | American Experience
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1:52:47
Part Two examines the mounting dispute over strategies and reveals the pervasive racism.
Part 1 | The Vote | American Experience
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1:52:42
The fiery campaign that led to passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the vote.
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