Loved Ken Burns’ The American Revolution? We’ve got you covered with programs delving into more American history from the colonial period to modern day. Discover the fascinating figures who slipped past the textbooks, and explore the events that shaped and define our nation. You can stream these programs for free or with PBS KVIE Passport, a member benefit offering access to an on-demand library of your favorite PBS shows, on the PBS app.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS app
Courtmaker: John Marshall and the Forging of America’s Supreme Court
Now streaming
Courtmaker explores how Chief Justice John Marshall transformed the Supreme Court into a coequal branch of government. Through interviews, stunning locations, and re-creations of landmark cases like Marbury v. Madison, the film reveals how Marshall shaped the nation’s legal foundations and enduring ideals of liberty and self-government.
Rogue History, Season 3
Now streaming
It’s been said that history is written by those in power. But what about the outlaws, outcasts and rogues? What if they had their say? Rogue History, a digital series produced by PBS Digital Studios and PBS North Carolina, shakes the dust off the history books to unravel myths, unearth narratives, and discover fresh perspectives. Was the founding father of the American Navy a pirate? Who was the colonial “mean girl” who almost ended the American Revolution? Explore the answers to these questions in season 3 of Rogue History, and check out other fascinating topics in seasons 1 & 2.
The War of 1812
Now streaming
Wondering about the battles after the American Revolution? This documentary shows how the glories of war become enshrined in history. How failures are quickly forgotten and how inconvenient truths are ignored forever. With stunning reenactments, evocative animation and the incisive commentary of key experts, The War of 1812 presents the strange and awkward conflict that shaped the destiny of a continent.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS app with PBS KVIE Passport
PBS KVIE Passport is a benefit of station membership. Members gain extended access to more videos available to stream on the PBS App.
Benjamin Franklin
Now streaming
Interested in more Ken Burns’ films? This 2-part, 4-hour documentary explores the revolutionary life of one of the18th century’s most consequential and compelling personalities, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.
Empire with David Olusoga
Now streaming
Explore the history occurring before, after, and around the American Revolution with this series. David Olusoga explores the history and legacy of the British Empire and why it is essential in the 21st century to fully understand its legacy. Across three episodes, Olusoga examines the British Empire’s founding under Elizabeth I, Australian colonial history and the Indian indenture system, and how the British Empire ultimately fell apart.
Jamestown
Now streaming
Itching for some historical fiction? In the 17th century, on the edge of the untamed Virginian wilderness, sits the English colony. The settlement barely survived its first decade but is on the brink of change with the arrival of a new governor and 90 so-called “maids to make brides.” Follow the expected and unexpected relationships that Verity, Jocelyn, and Alice must confront as they navigate their new world and get to know the men of Jamestown. Seasons 1 – 3 are available through Passport.
Native America
Now streaming
Looking for another historical perspective on American history? Native America explores the world created by America’s First Peoples. Season 1 reaches back 15,000 years to reveal massive cities aligned to the stars, unique systems of science and spirituality, and 100 million people connected by social networks spanning two continents. Seasons 1 & 2 are available to stream with Passport.
Secrets of the Dead: Jamestown’s Dark Winter
Now streaming
Peer into the mysteries surrounding one of the most infamous colonies, Jamestown, which archaeologists have been excavating in for more than 20 years. In April 2012, a team of Historic Jamestowne archeologists discovered something surprising. In the trash layer of a cellar, among the butchered animal bones and household trash discarded by the Jamestown colonists, they found the mutilated skull and severed leg of a 14-year-old English girl dating back to 1609.
Secrets of the Dead: Secrets of Spanish Florida
Now streaming
Uncover another story of America’s past that never made it into textbooks. The first permanent European settlement in the United States was founded in 1565 — two generations before the settlements in Jamestown and Plymouth — not by English Protestants, but by the Spanish and a melting pot of people they brought with them from Africa, Italy, Germany, Ireland and even converted Jews, who integrated almost immediately with the indigenous tribes. Follow some of America’s leading archaeologists, maritime scientists, and historians as they share the story of Florida’s earliest settlers. It’s a story that has taken more than 450 years to reveal.
Thomas Jefferson
Now streaming
Explore the life of another founding father, Thomas Jefferson, in Ken Burns’ two-part portrait of our enigmatic and brilliant third president. Thomas Jefferson embodies within his own life the most profound contradictions of American history: as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he gave voice to our fervent desire for freedom, but he also owned more than 150 slaves and never saw fit to free them.