The NAACP and Its Architects

American Experience

History Series / 14 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.

Watch Latest: S37 E2

53m

The Black Maria

2m 39s

In 1894, Thomas Edison filmed sharpshooter Annie Oakley in his Black Maria studio. He was testing a new device called the kinetograph, an electrically powered camera capable of capturing motion. “Edison” premieres January 27, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

Edison and Competition

3m 4s

Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated his new invention, the telephone, at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. The always-competitive Thomas Edison then worked with his team to develop a device that trumped Bell’s, the carbon-button transmitter, just a few months later. “Edison” premieres January 27, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

Electrifying Manhattan

2m 59s

In February 1881, Thomas Edison established the headquarters of the Edison Electric Light Company in New York City. Edison’s goal of electrifying Lower Manhattan had stalled for two years while Edison and his team grappled with creating the world’s first electrical power grid. “Edison” premieres January 27, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

The Phonograph

2m 14s

On December 7, 1877 Thomas Edison demonstrated his phonograph at the New York City offices of the nation’s leading technical weekly publication, “Scientific American.” The following report set off a stampede of reporters to Edison’s laboratory to hear the amazing device. “Edison” premieres January 27, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

Beyond the Doc: Symbols

2m 59s

The Ku Klux Klan has been a presence in America on and off since Reconstruction in the late 1800s, using symbols as powerful intimidation tools. But some of these symbols have rich histories and deep cultural roots that are completely unrelated to the hate group.

Klansville U.S.A., Chapter 1

7m 33s

In the 1960s, Bob Jones was the most influential Grand Dragon in the United States. In just three years, he grew the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan from a handful of members to approximately 10,000, earning the state a new nickname: "Klansville, USA." But it wouldn't be long before the group caught the attention of the FBI. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

The First Resurgence

2m 11s

After the 1915 premiere of D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," there was a resurgence in the Ku Klux Klan in America. By the mid-1920s, nearly 4 million Americans claimed Klan membership, making them a powerful political force. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Intimidation Tactics

3m 2s

In order to maintain his power as Grand Dragon, Bob Jones cultivated a careful balance between promoting the militant message of the Klan, while still appearing to be non-violent. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

The FBI and the Klan

1m 59s

When the FBI began to investigate the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan, one of their most important informants was a member of Grand Dragon Bob Jones' inner circle. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Grand Dragon Bob Jones

3m 28s

On August 14, 1966 over 5,000 people gathered at the Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, North Carolina to support Klan leaders under investigation by the Federal Government. It was the state's largest political gathering of the year. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Nothing to Hide

2m 55s

Bob Jones dreamed of making his North Carolina Klan a powerful voting block. To do this, he staged street walks to show the "human side" of Klan members, and to prove that his Klan had nothing to hide. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Klansville U.S.A. Preview

30s

As the civil rights movement grew in the 1960s, the long-dormant Ku Klux Klan reemerged with a vengeance. North Carolina, long seen as the most progressive southern state, saw a boom in Klan membership under the leadership of Grand Dragon Bob Jones. In just three years, the North Carolina Klan grew to some 10,000 members, helping give the state a new nickname: “Klansville, USA."

Introducing Robert Ripley

2m 48s

Robert Ripley built a vast multimedia empire by showcasing the bizarre, strange, and downright grotesque from all over the globe. The public was fascinated by his "curioddities," but also by the man himself. Part globetrotter, part "hayseed," Ripley would become an international superstar... "Believe It or Not!" Premieres January 6, 2015 on American Experience PBS.

Ripley Stuck in the Snow

26s

In 1932, Robert Ripley and his entourage got stuck in the snowy Caucasus mountains on the border of Russia. This silent clip shows oxen pulling Ripley's hired car through the deep snow. For the rest of the trip, Ripley ditched the car and took a train.

Ripley's Big Break

2m 27s

Cartoonist Robert Ripley gets a contract with Hearst for $100,000 a year, increasing his income ten fold, and calling for one cartoon per day year-round. "Believe It or Not" enters the American lexicon. Ripley: Believe It or Not premieres on PBS American Experience January 6, 2015 at 9/8c.

Ripley in Papua New Guinea

1m 54s

Ripley traveled to Papua New Guinea in 1934. In this silent film Ripley observes tribal dances, meets warriors and visits homes. The local man wearing a belt was later featured in Ripley's "Believe It or Not!" cartoon, in which Ripley explains: "The Tanobada tribe of New Guinea wear tight belts to show that they eat little in order to obtain wives more easily. It is a disgrace to be fat in Papua."

Ripley in Thailand

34s

This silent film clip shows Robert Ripley's 1932 trip to Bangkok, Thailand where he visited the Wat Arun temple. Ripley referred to it as “The Temple of Broken Dishes” as it is decorated with fragments of porcelain dishware.

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