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

Kindred Spirits, from The Perfect Crime

2m 31s

Although Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb came from similar backgrounds, they were very different young men. Loeb was sociable and handsome, while Leopold was quiet and brooding. Despite these differences, the two became fast friends and were soon plotting small crimes which would lead to something much larger. "The Perfect Crime" premieres February 9 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Attorney for the Damned, from The Perfect Crime

2m 57s

After Leopold and Loeb confessed to the murder of Bobby Franks, their families hired famed defense attorney, Clarence Darrow to try to save the boys from the hangman's noose. Darrow was no fan of capital punishment and accepted the case, believing it would provide him with a national platform in his crusade against the death penalty. "The Perfect Crime" premieres February 9 at 9/8c on PBS.

An Unlikely Suspect, from The Perfect Crime

2m 31s

In May 1924, police only had a few clues to point them towards the murderer of 14-year-old Bobby Franks. A pair of glasses found at the scene led them to 19-year-old Nathan Leopold. An intelligent young man from an influential family, Leopold was not a likely suspect -- at first. "The Perfect Crime" premieres Feb. 9 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Murder of a President, Chapter 1

7m 21s

In July 1881, James Garfield was shot by an assassin at a railroad station in Washington, DC. Over the next two months, his doctors tried to save him, though many would later blame the president's death on their lack of proper sanitary measures. Based on the bestselling book, "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard, "Murder of a President" premieres Feb. 2, 2016 on PBS American Experience.

Garfield and Unity: Machine Politics

2m 59s

Factions in the Republican party were breeding corruption, so Garfield worked to nominate James Blaine to combat the machine politics of the Stalwarts. But when Garfield delivered his speech to the Republican Convention to back Blaine, the crowd chanted that it was Garfield they wanted for president instead.

Garfield and Military Service: Committed to the Cause

2m 58s

James Garfield joined the Union Army in 1861, shortly after the start of hostilities. When he came face to face with slavery during his time fighting in the south, Garfield's belief in the cause of abolition and freedom was strengthened. "This is my hope," he wrote, "that when we shall return to civil life, there shall go up an unrelenting cry for freedom."

Garfield's First Lady: Lucretia

1m 43s

The death of their three-year-old daughter and Garfield's affair in New York threatened to tear Lucretia and James apart. But the future First Lady's steadfastness and unwavering moral compass showed Garfield how to be a better man.

Garfield on the Enemy: Racial Inequality

2m 33s

In the only major speech of his presidential campaign, Garfield spoke to 50,000 in New York on the issue closest to his heart: the fate of ex-slaves in the South. Many Northerners felt they had sacrificed enough for African Americans but Garfield believed that every man in America, no matter his color, had a say in the government.

Garfield and Lying: The Conkling Problem

2m 39s

Garfield knew he had to secure New York to win the presidency - but that meant negotiating with Roscoe Conkling and the Stalwarts. Avoiding any specific promises, Garfield met with Conkling's underlings to try and clinch their support.

Coming in 2016

2m 16s

Watch a short video about the documentaries coming to American Experience this February and March on PBS. Executive Producer Mark Samels introduces three new films: "Murder of a President" premiering February 2, "The Perfect Crime" premiering February 9 and "Space Men" premiering March 1. Check your local listings!

Murder of a President Preview

31s

President James Garfield was only four months into his presidency when he was shot by a deranged office seeker. The President was bedridden for two months while doctors probed for the assassin's bullet with unsterilized instruments. When Garfield died in September, the entire nation joined his widow, Lucretia in mourning the late President. Premieres February 2 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

The Mine Wars, Chapter 1

7m 58s

When labor organizer Mother Jones arrived in a West Virginia coal town in 1901, residents were skeptical and mine guards were hostile. The United Mine Workers of America had successfully organized other mining operations in the U.S., but West Virginia remained tightly controlled by the coal company operators. "The Mine Wars" premieres January 26 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Coal Towns, from The Mine Wars

2m 37s

West Virginia coal operators built small, company-owned towns for their miners to live in. The coal towns were almost always unincorporated; there were no elected officials, no independent police forces. Owners hired private detective agencies to watch over their workforce. Company towns were also untethered from the free market competition owners usually championed.

Race and the West Virginia Mine Wars

2m 59s

To meet the growing demand for coal in the early 20th century, West Virginia companies needed more miners. African Americans mixed with European immigrants and native Appalachians in the mines and the coal towns. Coal operators felt that diversity would keep unionization at bay.

Clyde Barrow the Killer

2m 50s

Even though Clyde Barrow claimed to prefer to run than fight, he amassed a large arsenal, including a Browning Automatic Rifle. Between April 1932 and January 1933, Barrow and his gang were responsible for the murders of four men, including a Fort Worth deputy. "Bonnie & Clyde" premieres Jan. 19 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

The Era of Gangsters

1m 32s

During the Great Depression, gangsters became unlikely heroes. As film historian Jeanine Basinger notes in this clip, "The gangster figure represented somebody at the bottom of the social scale condemned to a life of nothing, who did not accept that as their fate and who found a way to change it, which was through violence." Bonnie & Clyde premieres January 19 at 9/8c on PBS.

Bonnie Parker Goes to Prison

2m 2s

After a botched robbery attempt, Bonnie was arrested and sent to prison. While there, she wrote poetry using gangster lingo she picked up from pulp magazines and Hollywood. When she read the poems, her mother "began to see a strange and terrifying change in the mind of my child." Bonnie & Clyde premieres January 19 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Bonnie & Clyde, Chapter 1

7m 16s

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow both grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, yearning to escape the poverty they were born into. By the time he was 17, Clyde had graduated from committing petty theft with his brother, Buck, and was perfecting his signature crime: stealing cars. "Bonnie & Clyde" premieres January 19 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Bonnie & Clyde Preview

30s

Though their exploits were romanticized, the Barrow gang was believed responsible for at least 23 murders, including two policemen, as well as numerous robberies and kidnappings. Discover the true story of the most famous outlaw couple in U.S. history -- Bonnie and Clyde.

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