The Scale of Mount Rushmore
Since 1930, more than 50,000,000 people have visited Mount Rushmore, the biggest -- and arguably the most compelling -- monument on the face of the earth.
Sculpting Jefferson's Head
Even though the workers blasted down 60 feet to find carve-able rock, huge cracks took shape on the Jefferson face. Borglum used a special concoction of materials to fill in the cracks in Jefferson's head, costing additional time and money.
Mount Rushmore Challenges
Gutzon Borglum and his team of workers were aware that there would be challenges to face during the sculpting of Mount Rushmore. While some of the faults were easy to identify, others were difficult to detect.
Chapter 1 | Fatal Flood
In 1927, the Mississippi River flooded from New Orleans to Illinois, leaving a million people homeless and leading to a major black migration to the North.
Trailer | Fatal Flood
In 1927, the Mississippi River flooded from New Orleans to Illinois, leaving a million people homeless and leading to a major black migration to the North.
Flood Film Clips
Footage from the 1927 flood. Clips include shots of workers along the Mississippi River enforcing the levees with sandbags, Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover surveying the damage, and aerial views of the flooding.
Behind the Scenes with Cinematographer Boyd Estus
Cinematographer Boyd Estus talks about filming the Pioneer Zephyr exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and the joys of shooting historical documentaries.
The Rockefellers Chapter One
John D. Rockefeller was the world's first billionaire and the most hated man in America. Watch the epic story of the man who monopolized oil.
Rockefellers at Play
Home videos of Rockefeller family members at the family estate -- playing in the yard, learning to drive, swimming, and John D. Sr. arriving home.
Paul Krugman Interview
In this exclusive interview, Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman discusses the relevance of the Rockefellers in today's business environment of mergers, monopolies, and the new "age of the heroic entrepreneur."
Attica Prison Riot
Robert Douglass served as Counsel and later Secretary to Governor Nelson Rockefeller from 1965-1972. He was sent to Attica during the uprising to represent the Governor and to help quell the riot and appease the inmates. Frank Smith was an inmate at the prison and acted as a guard during the uprising, trying to assure that none of the officials sent in to negotiate with the prisoners were harmed.
Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt
"Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt" first aired on WGBH in October, 1959. The monthly series was a forum for prominent leaders and decision makers to discuss current issues with Eleanor as mediator and host. "Prospects of Mankind" is an example of Eleanor Roosevelt's fervent interest in world affairs during the last years of her life.
The High Scalers of Hoover Dam
People came from across the country to witness the construction of Hoover Dam. One worker's daughter compared the scene to a hill of ants. "It was just fantastic to watch... It was a monument task," she said. During the dam's construction, the job of the high scaler was by far the most dangerous, as well as the most dramatic.
Building Diversion Tunnels
The most dangerous phase of Hoover Dam's construction was building the diversion tunnels, two on each side of the Colorado River. Blasting holes 56 feet in diameter, three-quarters of a mile through the canyon rock, the workers faced a huge engineering challenge along with strict time constraints. Chief Engineer Frank Crowe solved the problem by building a contraption called a drilling jumbo.
Rerouting the Colorado River
Throughout the course of a day, workers dumped rocks into the river's path. By the next morning, they moved the Colorado River from the bed it had known for 12 million years.
Hoover Dam: Moving the Concrete
On June 6, 1933, workers began pouring concrete to build what would become the face of the dam. To move the concrete across the construction site, Chief Engineer Frank Crowe designed a network of cableways to carry material. Pretty soon, a cable would deliver a 20-ton bucket of concrete every 78 seconds!
The Government's Plan
Building the 700 foot high dam was only one piece of the puzzle. Workers would also build two power plants, dig four tunnels into rock yard canyon, divert the flow of the river, pour 4 1/2 million cubic yards of concrete, and build a city in the desert to house 5,000 families.
Truman: Part 2 Preview
He was a farmer, a businessman gone bankrupt, an unknown politician from Missouri who suddenly found himself president. Facing some of the biggest crises of the century, Truman would end the war with Germany, use the atomic bomb against Japan, confront an expanding Soviet Union and wage war in Korea-all while his wife Bess refused to stay in the White House and play the role of First Lady.
Truman: Part 1 Preview
He was a farmer, a businessman gone bankrupt, an unknown politician from Missouri who suddenly found himself president. Facing some of the biggest crises of the century, Truman would end the war with Germany, use the atomic bomb against Japan, confront an expanding Soviet Union and wage war in Korea-all while his wife Bess refused to stay in the White House and play the role of First Lady.
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