Presidential Fun Facts (1:21)
The Oval Office has been filled with extraordinary presidents, but did you know about these not-so-famous firsts?
Videos (39)
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Presidential Fun Facts
Presidential Fun FactsVideo Clip (1:21)
Video Clip (1:21)
The Oval Office has been filled with extraordinary presidents, but did you know about these not-so-famous firsts?
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First Ladies
First LadiesVideo Clip (1:50)
Video Clip (1:50)
These U.S. first ladies made their mark during their stays at the White House.
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The Mayflower
The MayflowerVideo Clip (2:18)
Video Clip (2:18)
From the Pilgrims' reasons for leaving Europe to the treacherous journey across the Atlantic, musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis puts to song the story of the Mayflower.
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Mayflower: Deconstructed
Mayflower: DeconstructedVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
How many people were on the Mayflower? And how long did it take for them to get to Plymouth? Get the facts.
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Declaration of Independence
Declaration of IndependenceVideo Clip (3:03)
Video Clip (3:03)
To many in the Continental Congress, war was unthinkable. So why did they finally create this revolutionary document?
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George Washington
George WashingtonVideo Clip (2:19)
Video Clip (2:19)
How did George Washington turn a rag-tag group of men into a disciplined fighting machine?
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American Revolution
American RevolutionVideo Clip (3:20)
Video Clip (3:20)
Get the story of how a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.
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Boston Massacre
Boston MassacreVideo Clip (3:00)
Video Clip (3:00)
Shots fired by British soldiers in the streets of Boston in 1770 would spark the American Revolution.
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The White House
The White HouseVideo Clip (5:36)
Video Clip (5:36)
The White House has been the home of every U.S. president since John Adams. Without any presidents to house, however, the walls of this iconic building won't be standing for long.
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Faces of America
Faces of AmericaVideo Clip (2:26)
Video Clip (2:26)
Prominent Americans talk about what makes America unique.
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Pocahontas
PocahontasVideo Clip (3:00)
Video Clip (3:00)
Learn the epic story of the famous Native American king's daughter as told by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
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Yorktown
YorktownVideo Clip (3:00)
Video Clip (3:00)
The British were forced to surrender 2 days after patriot soldiers captured the fort at Yorktown in 1781.
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American Buffalo
American BuffaloVideo Clip (2:52)
Video Clip (2:52)
The construction of the railroad led to the near-extinction of the buffalo, which had sustained native populations for centuries.
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Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental RailroadVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
Find out how the transcontinental railroad transformed America into one nation.
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Building the Erie Canal
Building the Erie CanalVideo Clip (2:39)
Video Clip (2:39)
Opened in 1825, the Erie Canal was one of the most extraordinary engineering feats of the 19th century, connecting eastern ports and manufacturing with the rest of the country.
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Alamo: Deconstructed
Alamo: DeconstructedVideo Clip (2:47)
Video Clip (2:47)
It has become the site and symbol of the battle for Texan independence, but there is much more to the story. Find out why Americans will always remember the Alamo.
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The Alamo
The AlamoVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
Find out why the battle of the Alamo still captures the imaginations of Americans after more than two centuries.
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America Divided
America DividedVideo Clip (3:54)
Video Clip (3:54)
America is at the brink of a Civil War as cotton spreads west and threatens to expand slavery into new territories.
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America and the Civil War
America and the Civil WarVideo Clip (4:04)
Video Clip (4:04)
Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.
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John Brown
John BrownVideo Clip (4:34)
Video Clip (4:34)
John Brown's failed attempt to loot the armory at Harper's Ferry sparks the beginning of abolition.
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick DouglassVideo Clip (2:25)
Video Clip (2:25)
Find out how Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery to become one of the most respected and effective abolitionist leaders.
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Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman and the Underground RailroadVideo Clip (3:07)
Video Clip (3:07)
Born a slave, Harriett Tubman became a famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading hundreds of slaves to freedom.
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Gold Rush
Gold RushVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
Discover how the Gold Rush led to the creation of California.
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Mount Rushmore: Deconstructed
Mount Rushmore: DeconstructedVideo Clip (1:38)
Video Clip (1:38)
Nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore symbolizes freedom and hope for America. Get the facts about this national treasure.
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Andrew Carnegie
Andrew CarnegieVideo Clip (2:11)
Video Clip (2:11)
Meet Andrew Carnegie and find out how the wealthiest man of his day ended up giving away his vast fortune.
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The Last of the Sioux
The Last of the SiouxVideo Clip (3:48)
Video Clip (3:48)
Resistant to government regulated reservations, the Sioux retreated into the Black Hills until a final massacre at Wounded Knee.
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Sitting Bull
Sitting BullVideo Clip (2:54)
Video Clip (2:54)
The tragic, yet true tale of Sitting Bull, the leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux tribe who led his people's resistance against the United States, sung by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
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The Donner Party
The Donner PartyVideo Clip (4:24)
Video Clip (4:24)
Western migration through uncharted regions strands a wagon train in the Sierra Mountains leaving little choice for survival.
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Black Gold
Black GoldVideo Clip (2:41)
Video Clip (2:41)
Spindletop, an east Texas oil Field, produced 80,000 barrels a day and changed the country and oil production forever.
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Dust Storms Strike America
Dust Storms Strike AmericaVideo Clip (2:48)
Video Clip (2:48)
Families were driven out of the once fertile Great Plains by massive dust clouds--one that rose to 10,000 feet and reached as far as New York City.
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Meet Madam CJ Walker
Meet Madam CJ WalkerVideo Clip (1:49)
Video Clip (1:49)
From her rough beginnings as an orphan, Madam CJ Walker went on to corner the market in black women's hair care and became the first self-made female millionaire.
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The Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn BridgeVideo Clip (3:08)
Video Clip (3:08)
Linking the borough of Brooklyn with Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge stands as a marvel of engineering.
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Statue of Liberty: Deconstructed
Statue of Liberty: DeconstructedVideo Clip (1:29)
Video Clip (1:29)
How many steps are there to the crown of the Statue of Liberty? Find out that and other facts and figures about America's most recognizable symbol of freedom.
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Statue of Liberty Unknown
Statue of Liberty UnknownVideo Clip (3:40)
Video Clip (3:40)
Did you know the Statue of Liberty was built to withstand hurricane-force winds with copper skin less than two pennies thick? And that's not all you may not know about this American icon.
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The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of LibertyVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
What do the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty have in common?
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Thomas Edison
Thomas EdisonVideo Clip (2:51)
Video Clip (2:51)
Thomas Edison's most famous invention, the light bulb, paved the way for modern life.
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D-Day
D-DayVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
On June 6, 1944, the Allies invade Western Europe in the largest amphibious attack in history.
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Cold War
Cold WarVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
The Cold War is over, but what it left behind may surprise you.
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JFK: A New Generation
JFK: A New GenerationVideo Clip (3:57)
Video Clip (3:57)
John F. Kennedy's progressive agenda during the 1960s inspired a new generation of optimism in America.
Photo Galleries (10)
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American Revolution: Continental Congress
American Revolution: Continental Congress(11 Photos)
11 Photos
Discover the accomplishments of the First and Second Constitutional Congresses, and learn about the major players behind such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris.
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American Revolution: Events and Battles
American Revolution: Events and Battles(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore Revolutionary battle sites such as Lexington, Concord and Yorktown, and learn how the events that took place there shaped the course of the war.
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Founding Fathers and Pre-Civil War Presidents
Founding Fathers and Pre-Civil War Presidents(15 Photos)
15 Photos
View an image slideshow on Founding Fathers and Pre-Civil War Presidents.
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Civil War to Great Depression Presidents
Civil War to Great Depression Presidents(15 Photos)
15 Photos
View an image slideshow on Presidents from Reconstruction to the Great Depression.
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Presidents: World War II to Today's Presidents
Presidents: World War II to Today's Presidents(13 Photos)
13 Photos
View an image slideshow on Presidents from World War II to Today.
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World War I: Trench Warfare
World War I: Trench Warfare(11 Photos)
11 Photos
Trench warfare reached its highest development on the Western Front during World War I (1914–18), when armies of millions of men faced each other in a line of trenches extending from the Belgian coast through northeastern France to Switzerland.
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World War II Pilots and Planes
World War II Pilots and Planes(12 Photos)
12 Photos
View photos of World War II pilots and planes.
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World War II Political Leaders
World War II Political Leaders(9 Photos)
9 Photos
View photos of World War II political leaders.
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Vietnam War
Vietnam War(14 Photos)
14 Photos
The Vietnam War lasted longer than any other war in U.S. history and cost 58,000 American lives
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Space Race
Space Race(13 Photos)
13 Photos
Interactives (4)
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Place the State
Place the StateInteractive
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State the Plate Game
State the Plate GameInteractive
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Civil War 150
Civil War 150Interactive
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Sherman's March
Sherman's MarchInteractive
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