American Experience Season 12 Episodes

Episode 1

New York: Part I - The Country and the City

Sun, Nov 14, 1999112 mins

Episode one begins in 1609 and chronicles the arrival of the Dutch.

Episode 2

New York: Part II - Order and Disorder

Mon, Nov 15, 1999114 mins

Episode two looks at New York's rise as a burgeoning cultural center and multi-ethnic port.

Episode 3

New York: Part III - Sunshine and Shadow

Tue, Nov 16, 1999111 mins

Episode three turns the spotlight on greed and wealth.

Episode 4

New York: Part IV - The Power and the People

Wed, Nov 17, 1999114 mins

Episode four follows New York into a new century.

Episode 5

New York: Part V - Cosmopolis

Thu, Nov 18, 1999114 mins

World War 1 had ended and when the troops came back to a victorious parade through the streets of New York city they were quickly disheartened to discover that New York was a "no beer" town due to the prohibition laws. The roaring 1920's also introduced commercial advertising through the new radio broadcasts financed by their advertisers with huge success thus creating a new huge market for consumer products such as washing machines, vacuums and clothes irons. Music and jazz were synonymous with Harlem, New York, and African Americans found a borough to call their own in the 1920's. There was also a rise of vilification against the Governor of New York, a man named Alfred E. Smith who although was once seen as the symbol of New York, the leader of protection for the industrial worker, both men and women, creating new laws to protect workers and provide new safety regulations and fairer wages and hours of work, Al Smith was an Irish Catholic who also created a clear line of choice between the political parties. His many successes for social reform were all but forgotten by the election night of November 06th, 1928, and he lost resoundingly to Herbert Hoover, thus coining the phrase, "tell me, what have you done for me lately?"

Episode 6

Eleanor Roosevelt

Mon, Jan 10, 2000150 mins

For more than thirty years, Eleanor Roosevelt was America's most powerful woman. Millions adored her, but her FBI file was thicker than a stack of phone books. She spoke out fearlessly for civil rights, and the KKK put a price on her head. She helped Franklin D. Roosevelt rise to power and was one of his most valuable political assets, but the media satirized her as an ugly busybody. Drawing on interviews with her closest relatives, friends, and biographers, as well as rare home movie footage, the film reveals the hidden dimensions of one of the century's most influential women. She was born to wealth and power but orphaned at the age of 10. Her private life was marked by tragedy, infidelity, and a never-ending search for intimacy. Yet she persevered, fighting tirelessly for social justice for all and taking a lead role in the United Nations landmark Declaration of Human Rights.

Episode 7

Houdini

Mon, Jan 24, 2000

Episode 8

Nixon's China Game

Mon, Jan 31, 2000

Episode 9

The Duel

Mon, Feb 14, 2000

This episode analyzes the reasons for and the consequences of the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

Episode 10

John Brown's Holy War

Mon, Feb 28, 200090 mins

Documentary on the life of American abolitionist John Brown.

Episode 11

George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire - Part I

Sun, Apr 23, 2000

Episode 12

George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire - Part II

Mon, Apr 24, 2000

Episode 13

Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory

Mon, May 1, 200060 mins

A group of former slaves tries to save its bankrupt school, Fisk University, by performing concerts as the Jubilee Singers. They toured along the path of the Underground Railroad in the United States, as well as England and throughout Europe.

Episode 14

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life

Mon, May 8, 2000

Episode 15

George Eastman: The Wizard of Photography

Mon, May 22, 200060 mins