Abolitionist John Brown viewed the fight against slavery as a holy endeavor that could only be won through violence. His raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt to spark a mass uprising of enslaved people across the South.

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth was part of a conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Lincoln’s death united the nation in grief and set the stage for a tumultuous Reconstruction era.

At the time of the American Revolution, enslaved Africans made up a fifth of the population of the Thirteen Colonies. Though they were initially barred from taking part in the war, eventually thousands did. But what part did they play...

Bacon's Rebellion, a violent conflict between Virginia's poor working class and wealthy elite, had far-reaching consequences in North America.

James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution” – but he was so much more than that. As author of the Virginia Plan and the Bill of Rights, his political genius proved vital in the founding of our nation.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion was the deadliest slave uprising in U.S. history. By shattering the illusory peace of the Southern states, it led to restrictive new laws that codified slavery across the U.S.

The video covers events since the founding of Jamestown in 1607 in the English Colony of Virginia and Powhatan Confederacy territory until the Jamestown massacre of 1622.

It shows the ralationship between the Native Americans of the...

North Carolina and South Carolina. Two states that began their life as a single province and colony of England. So how did we end up with two states that share a single connected piece of land? Well, as with the Dakotas, it boils down...

Virginia and West Virginia: two states with basically the same name, existing right next to each other, but with completely independent state governments, laws and, today, even political leanings. But at one point, these two states were...

We learn about geography in school. We have a basic understanding, or at least we should, of where places are, how they got there, and why they are that way. We piece together an image of the world in our heads based on maps and globes,...

Learn about Robert E. Lee, the skilled Confederate general of the American Civil War.

Learn about George Washington's childhood in Virginia leading up to his service in the French and Indian War.

Learn about George Washington's service in the French and Indian War.

Learn about George Washington's years at his plantation and estate in Virginia called Mount Vernon.

Discover the story of Katherine Johnson, a pioneering mathematician who broke racial and gender barriers at NASA. Learn how her calculations made space missions possible, including John Glenn's historic orbit and the early space...

This video explains how racial and prison gerrymandering affect minority communities' political representation. Learn about cases like North Carolina's 2011 map and Virginia's redistricting case, as well as the concept of prison-based...

Learn about the early history of Black land ownership in America, starting with Anthony Johnson, the first recorded Black landowner. Explore the impact of Special Field Order 15, the reversal of promises of "40 acres and a mule," and...

This video explores the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, which abolished poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections. Learn how this amendment was a key victory of the Civil Rights movement, aimed at removing...

Dive into the fascinating early life of George Washington, America's first president, and uncover the formative experiences that shaped him into a key figure in the nation's history. From his birth in Virginia to his adventures in...

Explore the significance of state governments in shaping daily life and enacting laws that affect citizens. Learn about the historical context of state powers, from the Constitutional Convention to the adoption of the Bill of Rights....

Dr. Forrester tells about Pocahontas, Captain John Smith, and Captain John Rolfe.

Dr. Forrester tells the history of the thirteen colonies and how those original colonies became states. She tells the story of Jamestown, the first English settlement in the New World.

The arrival of Europeans and creation of the 13 colonies led to immense challenges and profound changes for Indigenous peoples.

Every year, on the third Monday of February, Americans celebrate Presidents’ Day. A federal holiday that originally began as a birthday celebration for George Washington, the first President of the United States.