American Experience

History Series / 15 Seasons

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

52m 54s

The Dover Sun House

3m 39s

In 1948, the Nemethy family moved into a curious new solar powered house in Dover, Massachusetts. The Dover Sun House, as it came to be known, was designed by physicist Mária Telkes, and it was the first modern house to be heated by nothing but the sun. This short video details the Nemethy experience of living there while also explaining the thermal heating system used to heat the home.

Teaser | The Movement and the "Madman"

30s

Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement. Told through firsthand accounts, the film reveals how movement leaders mobilized disparate groups to create two massive protests that changed history.

Trailer | Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History

1m 15s

Monopoly is America’s favorite board game, a love letter to unbridled capitalism and our free market society. But behind the myth of the game’s creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing.

The Woman Behind Monopoly

4m 44s

Monopoly might be America's favorite board game, but it has a surprising secret. The true inventor may be a woman you've never heard of: Lizzie Magie. In this episode of "What the History?!" we present the inside scoop of Monopoly's origins.

Zora Neale Hurston, In Her Own Words

1m 44s

In 1936, the anthropologist and noted Harlem Renaissance figure Zora Neale Hurston traveled to Jamaica to learn the customs and traditions of its free Black population. Her experience there highlights one of the many ways she was ahead of her time.

The Films of Zora Neale Hurston

2m 58s

Filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain talks about Zora Neale Hurston and her interest in capturing the rural Black folk in her writings and ethnographic work. In multiple trips to the south, Hurston shot 16mm film of rural Black people, culture and customs amassing 85 minutes of footage that she shot and/or directed.

Chapter 1 | Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space

10m 15s

Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean — reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms.

Teaser | Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming A Space

30s

Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean — reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms.

The Third Degree

4m 16s

Some etymologists trace the phrase 'The Third Degree' back to Freemasonry, but by the early 20th century, the term had become firmly associated with something entirely different: harsh police interrogation, or more accurately, torture.

Chapter 1 | The Lie Detector

10m 24s

Discover the story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern police work, seized headlines and was extolled as an infallible crime-fighting tool. A tale of good intentions, twisted morals and unintended consequences.

Trailer |The Lie Detector

1m 35s

Discover the story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern police work, seized headlines and was extolled as an infallible crime-fighting tool. A tale of good intentions, twisted morals and unintended consequences.

Ways A Rescue Mission Can Go Wrong

3m 40s

On April 24, 1980, after 172 days of captivity, a U.S. Armed Forces operation attempted to rescue the hostages. Colonel James Q. Roberts recalls the details of the failed Iran Hostage rescue mission.

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