| Videos
Recommended For Use With Fasttrack to America's Past |
Originating Page |
|
Click on the name
of the video
to find more details about it and information on sources.
|
| Discovery
and Exploration: 1400 - 1600 |
In
Search of History: The First Americans - A very
well
done video from The History Channel about the origins of the Native
Americans. Mexico: Gold, God, and Glory - A solid account of the great civilizations of Central / South America and the Spanish conquest. |
| Colonial America: 1600 - 1775 |
Jamestown:
The Beginning - This is the video shown at the Jamestown
Settlement
museum theater. Pocahontas: Her True Story - The full story of the remarkable young Native American woman who helped save Jamestown. New England Colonies - A short and interesting overview of the Pilgrims, Puritans, and life in early New England. Freedom: A History of US (PBS series) Episode 3: Liberty for All? - The first segment of this episode gives a brief account of the Pilgrims and Puritans. To Keep Our Liberty - National Park Service video about minutemen and the events leading up to the American Revolution. |
| Revolutionary Years: 1775 - 1800 |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 1: Independence - Lexington and Concord, Thomas Paine, the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence. Episode 2: Revolution - The victory over England, the writing of the Constitution, and issues involving the first three presidents. Fighting for Freedom (PBS) - A very useful selection of segments from the Freedom: A History of US series, at a more affordable price. A Powerful Performance - Your students will be moved by this powerful rendition of America's most famous document. The Siege of Yorktown - This National Parks video dramatizes the final battle in Virginia that won independence for America. Symbols and Ceremonies: Celebrating America - All about the U.S. flag, the Great Seal, Uncle Sam, and other symbols. |
| The Growing Years: 1800 - 1860 |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 3: Liberty for All? - The second half of this episode deals with westward growth, Andrew Jackson, and the Trail of Tears. Episode 4: Wake Up America - The Industrial Revolution, canals, railroads, and reform movements. Episode 5: A Fatal Contradiction - The Underground Railroad, Frederick Douglass, and the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Fighting for Freedom (PBS) - A very useful selection of segments from the Freedom: A History of US series, at a more affordable price. Canals and Steamboats - A short video with lots of good content that will hold students' attention. |
| Civil War
and Reconstruction: 1860 - 1877 |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 6: A War to End Slavery - Examines the key people, events, and issues of the Civil War. Episode 7: What is Freedom? - Reconstruction and the rise of segregation. Fighting for Freedom (PBS) - A very useful selection of segments from the Freedom: A History of US series, at a more affordable price. Civil War Minutes - A great collection of short video segments. Reconstruction & Segregation - A Schlessinger Media video with very thorough coverage of these topics. |
| The Gilded Age: 1865 - 1900 |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 8: Whose Land is This? - Immigration, Western Indians, and Ellis Island. Episode 9: Working for Freedom - The rise of the labor movement and women's rights. Episode 10: Yearning to Breathe Free - Reform movements and muckrakers (select segments). Industrialization & Urbanization 1870 - 1910 - This Schlessinger Media video covers many Gilded Age topics. Greed - A great introduction by ABC News to the system of capitalism and its role in creating progress and opportunity in America. |
| Becoming
a World Leader: 1900 - 1950 |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 10: Yearning to Breathe Free - Reform movements and muckrakers (select segments). Episode 11: Safe for Democracy - The Wright brothers, Woodrow Wilson, World War One. Episode 12: Depression and War - The Crash of '29, the Great Depression, World War Two. The Money Connection - This short video about the Federal Reserve System is a classroom favorite. The Great War - A Schlessinger Media video that hits all the key points about World War One in easy to use segments. The Great Depression & The New Deal - A Schlessinger Media video with excellent material on these topics. The Perilous Fight - All color film makes this one of the best World War Two documentaries ever. From PBS. The Century: America's Time - An ABC News series that covers the 20th century. |
| Modern America: 1950 - Present |
Freedom:
A History of US (PBS series) Episode 13: Democracy and Struggles - The iron curtain, McCarthyism, Brown v. Board of Education case. Episode 14: Let Freedom Ring - The Civil Rights movement and Rev. Martin Luther King. Episode 15: Marching to Freedom Land - The issues of the 1960s. Episode 16: Becoming Free - America's prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, and the challenges of the 9/11 tragedy. Post-War U.S.A. - This Schlessinger Media video has great segments on topics from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. The Sixties: The Decade That Changed America - A good introduction to an interesting and troubled time. The Century: America's Time - An ABC News series that covers the 20th century. Is America Number One? - Sure to get students thinking about America and freedom in new ways. ABC News reporter John Stossel hosts. Faith & Belief: Five Major World Religions - With religious beliefs such a big force in current events, this is worth the price. |