TED Talks
TED: Songs that bring history to life | Rhiannon Giddens
Rhiannon Giddens pours the emotional weight of American history into her music. Listen as she performs traditional folk ballads -- including "Waterboy," "up Above My Head," and "Lonesome Road" by Sister Rosetta Tharp -- and one glorious...
Crash Course
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 Crash Course Black American History
One of the ways that the US Constitution baked the institution of slavery into the very core of the new United States was through the fugitive slave clause. The clause required that people who escaped slavery be returned to their...
Crash Course
The Civil War, Part I Crash Course US History
In which John Green ACTUALLY teaches about the Civil War. In part one of our two part look at the US Civil War, John looks into the causes of the war, and the motivations of the individuals who went to war. The overarching causes and the...
Crash Course
Women in the 19th Century Crash Course US History
In which John Green finally gets around to talking about some women's history. In the 19th Century, the United States was changing rapidly, as we noted in the recent Market Revolution and Reform Movements episodes. Things were also in a...
PBS
How America Moved On In The Days After The Civil War
President Abraham Lincoln died 150 years ago, just days after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, ending the Civil War after four years. To discuss the lasting effects of both events, Jeffrey Brown talks to Martha Hodes, author...
Curated Video
Mexico Attitudes towards Foreigners
New ReviewMexicans are usually warm and gentle toward strangers, including foreigners. They’ll sometimes stare at them, especially if the foreigners don’t look like Americans, whom they’re used to seeing. Curiosity and wonder quickly vanish once...
Curated Video
Brazil Religion
New ReviewSince the sixteenth century, Roman Catholicism has influenced just about every facet of Brazilian life, from daily mass to weekly churchgoing to major events like births, weddings, and funerals. And although Catholicism is losing...
Curated Video
Atlantic Slave Trade
New ReviewThis World Cultures instructional video discusses the evolution of the Atlantic slave trade.
Curated Video
How to Understand the Controversy about the Columbus Day Holiday
Celebrated on the second Monday in October, Columbus Day has been observed since 1792. While celebrating Italian explorer Christopher Columbus's 1492 landing in the New World, learn why this holiday has always generated debate.
Curated Video
Ghost Fleet: Battling slavery in Thailand's seafood industry | Witness
A group of activists risk their lives to free enslaved fishermen working for Thai fishing companies in Indonesia.
Curated Video
What Are The American Myths: Civil War
Civil War myths both big and small persist to this day. LiveScience clears up a few.
Curated Video
Moment police rescue trafficked slaves from Enfield home
Moment police rescue trafficked slaves from Enfield home
Curated Video
Descendants of enslaved Africans find connection in Ghana
Northern Ghana was historically a center for the trade of human lives: captives from northern communities like Nok, now part of Togo, were taken to slave markets.
The Daily Conversation
Modern Slavery: The Most-Afflicted Countries
These ten countries have the most people living in modern slavery, or victims of human trafficking.
Curated Video
History of The Caribbean Islands
Sail through the beautiful islands of the Caribbean and discover a rich and complex history. Long before explorers arrived, Indigenous peoples like the Taíno and Carib lived on these islands with unique cultures and traditions. Later,...
Curated Video
Battle of Gettysburg for Kids | Civil War
The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important battles in the American Civil War. In this episode, we’ll explore how Union and Confederate soldiers met in Pennsylvania for three days of fierce fighting. We’ll learn why the battle...
Curated Video
Abraham Lincoln's Childhood & Rise to the Presidency for Kids
Discover how Abraham Lincoln rose from humble beginnings to become the 16th President of the United States. This video explores Lincoln’s early life, his work as a lawyer in Illinois, and his growing passion for politics. Learn about his...
Brainwaves Video Anthology
Mary Anne Franks - Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment
Mary Anne Franks, professor of law at George Washington Law School, recently published Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment. In the book, she explores the concept of "fearless speech," drawn from the ancient Greek idea...
Brainwaves Video Anthology
Annette Gordon-Reed - On Juneteenth
Annette Gordon-Reed, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard, is a historian and author of On Juneteenth, a blend of memoir and history. In the book, she explores her family's deep roots in Texas, dating back to the 1820s and...
Brainwaves Video Anthology
Annette Gordon-Reed - Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy
Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor at Harvard University, wrote a groundbreaking book in the 1990s examining the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello. Initially interested in how...
Makematic
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War saw the U.S. and Mexico fight over Texas between 1846 and 1848, leading to significant territorial changes and setting the stage for future conflicts.
Makematic
Secession and Confederacy
In 1860, tensions over slavery pushed the United States to the brink of collapse, leading to secession of 11 states and the creation of the Confederacy.
Makematic
Expansion and Settlement of the United States
Today, the United States is home to more than 330 million people. In this video, learn about how the population has expanded and changed over time.
Makematic
Coming to the Colonies
Have you ever dreamed of moving to a new place? What might make you want to go? In this video, learn about what motivated settlers to travel to North America centuries ago.