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

Alice Paul: The Militant

1m 7s

While studying in London, Alice Paul joined the 'suffragettes'. In the summer of 1909, she and 111 other suffragettes were arrested. In jail, she declared herself a political prisoner, refused nourishment and was force fed twice daily — some fifty-five times.

Carrie Chapman Catt: The Politician

1m 25s

As president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Carrie Chapman Catt devised a diplomatic plan. They would continue state-by-state campaigns, but the goal was to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Chapter 1 | Mr. Tornado

9m 19s

Meteorologist Tetsuya Theodore “Ted” Fujita spent ten months studying the outbreak’s aftermath in the most extensive aerial tornado study ever conducted, and through detailed mapping and leaps of scientific imagination, made a series of meteorological breakthroughs.

Trailer | George W. Bush, Part 2 | American Experience

30s / TV-MA

Part Two opens with the ensuing war in Iraq and continues through Bush’s second term, as the president confronts the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina and the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Chapter 1 | George W. Bush, Part 2

8m 56s

The life and presidency of George W. Bush, from his unorthodox road to the presidency to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the myriad of challenges he faced over his two terms, from the war in Iraq to the 2008 financial crisis.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction

5m 21s

The final nail in the coffin of the hunt for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction came in January 2004 when David Kay told Bush the intelligence reports had been wrong. There were none. “It went to the heart of the Iraq question,” said journalist Peter Baker. “Did the administration mislead the public in some way? Did it intentionally deceive the American people in order to go to war?”

Saddam Hussein

3m 49s

Initially resistant to the neocons argument to invade Iraq right away, President Bush felt himself increasingly drawn to the idea. The reasons were not only political, they were personal. "Bush developed a sense that there was unfinished business from the first Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s, that leaving Saddam in power had been a mistake,” recalled journalist Barton Gellman.

Occupying Iraq

3m 45s

After the U.S. took Baghdad, Iraq ground to a halt and became a free-for-all, as homes, stores, museums, hospitals & electric plants were looted. "There was a decision to be lean and count on others showing up to secure the peace,” recalled chief of staff Andrew Card. “There was not as much discussion that I remember in the National Security Council about the process of organizing a government."

Media Gaffes

2m 7s

President Bush shone when he met voters in person, but that was not the case in television appearances. “He went into politics as a middle-aged person,” said chief speechwriter Michael Gerson. “He didn't have a set of acting skills that a lot of other politicians had developed over time.”

Neocons and Moderates

3m 15s

President Bush's cabinet included Donald Rumsfeld, who brought with him a coterie of advisors known as “neoconservatives,” and moderates such as General Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice. “I don’t think President Bush intentionally went for a team of rivals,” deputy chief of staff Joshua Bolten said. “I think he went for a team of strong members and if that meant they were rivals, so be it.”

The Surge of Troops in Iraq

3m 18s

“To sell the surge to the American public, Bush had been forced to take a rare step — admit his mistake.” President Bush than enlisted the assistance of General David Petraeus to lead the surge, a move that later paid off.

The Fighter Pilot

2m 36s

To avoid combat in Vietnam, Bush joined the 147th Texas Air National Guard, along with other sons of wealthy and well-connected Texans. "In his heart of hearts he did not want to go to Vietnam,” said writer Bill Minutaglio, “but he knew damn well that his father's next step had been to join the military and then become a war hero."

Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

4m 55s

The behavior of American soldiers at Abu Ghraib shook President Bush, but, to him, there was no connection with his decision to approve harsh interrogation techniques on Al Qaeda suspects. "It showed the kind of rot that was occurring in Iraq under American occupation,” said journalist Elisabeth Bumiller, “and it showed how far off we had come from American ideals."

Criticism and Hurricane Katrina

6m 11s

During his second term, President Bush was criticized for the federal government’s response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. “Katrina ends up being a media domestic version of Iraq,” said journalist Ron Suskind.

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