Social Studies

As the 18th century dawned on the North American continent, four powers - the French, the Spanish, the British and the Native Americans were competing to see who would control this remarkable land. However, after half a century of almost continuous wars, a new entity emerged: The Americans.

This program explores the daily life and customs of enslaved children and adults from colonial times through Emancipation. Through these activities students will come to better understand and appreciate the hardships and plight of African Americans living under the institution of slavery.

Stirring dramatizations, archival photographs and colorful maps help tell the story of the Underground Railroad.

Travel back in time to Old Deerfield, Massachusetts circa 1750 to get a "kid's-eye" view of a colonial kitchen in New England. Learn about cooking techniques and gadgets from long ago. Compare the similarities and differences of how people prepared the family meal in 1750 to now.

This episode establishes the course themes of American identity, freedom, and equality at the end of Reconstruction, then examines the reasons behind the large scale industrialization in the late 19th century.

An integral part of the changing American landscape in the late 19th century was the transformation of the West. The causes of the changes occurring in the West are explored, and the consequences for people living and moving there are assessed.

Millions of immigrants, as well as thousands already in America, moved to the city in the decades following Reconstruction. The living and social conditions of the huddled masses during this era are examined, using the cities of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

While millions pursued the American Dream in the late 19th century, women of all ethnic minorities encountered special obstacles in their paths. Why did this happen? How did they respond? What did it mean?

Industrialization changed the nature of work, working conditions and the composition of the American workforce. Labor's struggle to organize, management's fierce resistance to their efforts, and the status of the American worker at this time are analyzed.

Farmers became more productive and marginalized in economic and political life, responding by organizing significant challenges to the established political powers of the era. The meaning and legacy of the Populists is assessed.

The 19th century ends with the internal transformations of the U.S. propelling the nation to look outward. Causes and consequences of the Spanish American War, the decision for empire, the resulting war in the Philippines, and the use of the Big Stick in Latin America are discussed and analyzed.

After examining how and why American identity, freedom, and equality had changed since 1876, the Progressives and the causes they pursued are profiled. The meaning of progressive reform and the paradox of segregation is assessed.