The History Channel

The United States of America was a bold invention of enormous risk. An 8-year war of independence, followed by intense political debate produced a government of, by and for the people. This democracy in a world ruled by Kings and Emperors was a new experiment with three branches--a Court, a Congress and an Executive--all sharing power; a precarious balancing act purposely left open to interpretation.

America in 1824 saw the era of the Founding Fathers coming to an end. Over the next 25 years, six presidents would reflect the country's sometimes uneasy transition from old traditions to an expansion of land, influence and opportunity. Democracy was the word on everyone's lips, and the true power of the nation's leader would be found in the common man.

Another history lesson filled with surprising facts, figures and stories from five American states. Texas hit the jackpot in 1901 with the discovery of oil at Spindletop Well in Beaumont. Puritans came to Massachusetts to escape religious persecution, but their own zeal to convert Native Americans led to one of the bloodiest wars in US history. Arkansas, 1957--nine African American high school students attempted to enroll at Little Rock's Central High School and made Civil Rights history. During the Iowa Caucuses farmers rub elbows with would-be presidents. Finally, Delaware patriot Caesar Rodney rode into history in 1776 when he raced 80 miles on horseback to break the deadlocked vote for American independence.

Crossing the icy Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776, allowed George Washington to surprise the British at Trenton, a critical American victory in the Revolutionary War. One of the world's most recognizable natural landmarks, the Grand Canyon, defies the imaginations of the five million people who visit there annually. Pioneer Daniel Boone blazed the Wilderness Trail through Kentucky in 1775 and tamed the wild frontier. The opening of "The Unassigned Lands" in Oklahoma resulted in 50,000 settlers racing across the prairie to grab a stake and claim ownership of a homestead. The discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in 1975 called for an ingenious feat of engineering to transport fuel across 800 miles of icy wilderness.

Alaska--a land of extremes. Its size is staggering--nearly 600,000 square miles, or more than twice the size of Texas. Its vast distances, extreme weather, imposing landscape--all helped shape its history and the lives of those who come under its spell. Our 2-hour special heads to far-flung corners of the 49th State to hear compelling stories of life in the bush--from Russian expeditions in the 1700s to building of the Alcan Highway to the WWII Battle for the Aleutian Islands and 1959 statehood.

Did a number of explorers discover the New World long before Christopher Columbus staked his claim in 1492? No less than a dozen cultures have tales of these adventurers woven into their histories, but they are noticeably absent in American history books. This documentary explores the possibility that the Chinese, Japanese, Polynesians, Norse, Welsh, Irish, Ancient Hebrews and the Solutreans all made it to the Americas earlier than Columbus. Rebuild the ships, trace the routes, test the artifacts and analyze blood evidence to finally learn the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of all time--who really discovered America?

Join the Pawn Stars as they are presented with an Abraham Lincoln campaign ribbon from the 1860 presidential race. Will this historic piece of presidential memorabilia win their vote or will a tough debate leave the shop divided? Then, Chumlee and the Old Man have a chance to buy a fully functional 19th century dynamite detonator. Will they wire up a deal and blast through a negotiation or will it blow up in their faces? And later, a man comes in with a pair of classic 1990 Air Jordan basketball sneakers. Will the guys make an easy slam dunk or will a late whistle on the play call foul?

The Pawn Stars meet a man hoping to sell a mysterious coin from the 1800's believed to be from George Washington's funeral. Will this piece be linked to one of our most revered Presidents or will it get stamped with a Presidential veto? Then the boys head out to the farm to see an early 1900s hand-crank corn shucker. Can they count the kernels and make a deal or will this husk prove too thick? And later Rick has a chance to buy an antique gaming wheel commonly used in speakeasies. Can he turn a profit, or will this deal spin out of control?

The United States of America was a bold invention of enormous risk. An 8-year war of independence, followed by intense political debate produced a government of, by and for the people. This democracy in a world ruled by Kings and Emperors was a new experiment with three branches--a Court, a Congress and an Executive--all sharing power; a precarious balancing act purposely left open to interpretation. America in 1824 saw the era of the Founding Fathers coming to an end. Over the next 25 years, six presidents would reflect the country's sometimes uneasy transition from old traditions to an expansion of land, influence and opportunity. Democracy was the word on everyone's lips, and the true power of the nation's leader would be found in the common man.

The Pawn Stars have a chance to buy a saddle that may have been used by Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. Will the gang pony-up and make the deal or will they let it ride off into the sunset? Then Rick looks to buy a late 1800s Winchester rifle that was one of first lever-action repeating rifles ever made. Can he load-up and make a big bang of a deal, or will this negotiation have too much of a kickback for him to handle? Then Corey meets a man hoping to sell his tattoo kit. Will Corey make the deal and get inked-up or will he pass on the deal and get ink-ed up anyway?

The Pawn Stars prepare for battle when a collection of secret plans from the WWII D-Day invasion marches into the shop. Will the guys storm the beach for these former top-secret wartime documents or will a ferocious negotiation force them to retreat? Then, Corey and Chumlee are presented with the head of a rare 1970's toy called Stretch Serpent. Will Corey try to charm this slithering snake head or will this bodiless deal come back to bite him? And later, a man walks in hoping to sell a leather football helmet from the 1940's. Can Rick keep his head in the game or will he be forced him to punt?

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

First there were balloons and blimps. Then, visionaries enlarged, reinforced, and motorized them and the airship was born. The biggest aircraft ever flown, they remain one of the most romantic aerial creations. In all, 161 rigid airships were built before spectacular crashes, including the EM Hindenburg /EM , put an end to the era.

Take a history lesson filled with surprising facts, figures and stories from five American states. In California, see how the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, in 1848 started the largest migration in US history, and then learn how scientists are currently trying to predict the next big earthquake. Next it's off to North Carolina's tobacco fields and the mystery of Roanoke--the lost colony. Wichita, Kansas is the "Aviation Capital of America" and Wyatt Earp put Dodge City on the map. New Hampshire is the state where the first act of open rebellion in America's Revolutionary War took place and the first presidential primary each election season is held. Finally, learn about The Battle of Blair Mountain, West Virginia, where in 1921, over 10,000 unionizing coal miners faced off with state and federal troops in what was one of the largest armed uprisings in America since the Civil War.

Travel back to the origins of New York City at New Amsterdam, the 16th century Dutch merchant colony. Discover how French Acadians fled Canada in 1873 to settle in Louisiana, developing the "Cajun" subculture. The Oregon Trail opened in 1843, bringing half a million settlers to the west. Visit Los Alamos Laboratories in New Mexico's remote high desert, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, and where today research continues to advance science. Finally, learn how two friends from Vermont opened an ice cream shop in 1977 and would go on to become America's most famous entrepreneurs.

The Cahokia civilization thrived in the region known today as Illinois, from 700 to 1400 AD, but when the culture mysteriously disappeared, it left behind pyramids that rivaled those of ancient Egypt. Changing with the times, Connecticut's shipbuilders shifted from sails to steam to diesel power, culminating in the construction of the first nuclear submarine. The 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, world's largest silver deposit, prompted the Federal government to offer statehood to Nevada, a region it had previously written off as worthless desert. Work chants, gospel and traditional folk music were combined in the Mississippi Delta to create an original American art form--the Blues. The first frontiersmen to report the wonders of Yellowstone, Wyoming, were thought to be either crazy or lying.