skip to main content

U.S. History - 1784-1860

Within History
Man looks at camera and parts lips mid-speech. Backdrop displays black and white illustration of shirtless man falling forward with hair swept up behind him. Caption. One on the eastern seaboard near present-day Boston.
A History Of American Indian Achievement
Season 0 / Ep 4
28 minutes 5 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Green-roofed paifang stands between 2 buildings on a city street. Car and pedestrians in foreground. Caption. Of many major American cities is a bit of China.
A History Of Chinese American Achievement
Season 0 / Ep 1
26 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Black and white photo of Abraham Lincoln wearing a top hat and flanked by men in uniform. Large tent and trees in background.
A History of Civil Rights in America
Episode 2
26 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Mottled illustration of a woman's face in profile and abstract colors with shapes of the U, S flag wrapped around her face like a hood. Title card reads, "1819, Luís de Onís Prevents a War Between Spain and the United States."
A History of Hispanic Achievement in America
Episode 4
28 minutes 2 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Woman raises eyebrows and opens mouth in mid-speech. Painting with mounds of pottery and a figure holding up their fist as backdrop. Caption. And, in the process, founded San Antonio, Texas.
A History of Hispanic Achievement in America
Episode 5
28 minutes 13 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Woman parts lips in mid-speech. Painting with mounds of pottery and a figure holding up their fist as backdrop. Caption. And, in the process, founded San Antonio, Texas.
A History of Hispanic Achievement in America
Episode 3
28 minutes 11 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Closeup of the Constitution with red and white stripes superimposed over it. Title card reads, "Testing the Constitution."
A History of the U.S. Constitution
Episode 4
29 minutes 12 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Red and white stripes of U, S flag with overlay of the U, S Constitution. Text overlay reads, The Constitution Survives.
A History of the U.S. Constitution
Episode 5
30 minutes 45 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Red and white stripes of U, S flag with overlay of the U, S Constitution. Text overlay reads, Writing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
A History of the U.S. Constitution
Episode 3
27 minutes 42 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Group of actors wearing Civil War-era costumes stand and watch a figure who resembles Abraham Lincoln. Caption. Elected him to the state legislature.
17 minutes 48 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 6
Sepia tone portrait of Abraham Lincoln with short dark hair and a beard wearing a black and white tuxedo. Caption with Lincoln as narrator. With malice toward none, with charity for all.
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 8
10 minutes 23 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Still image from: All the Answers: The Oregon Trail, Ice Age, Memories
All the Answers
Episode 21
19 minutes 31 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 9
ASL
Men in waistcoats stand clustered together, looking at papers being held by one of them. Caption: Lincoln's victory makes war inevitable.
America the Story of Us
Season 1 / Ep 4
43 minutes 55 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Bright sun shines through cloudy sky over hazy landscape. Caption. Narrator. Land hunger becomes a fever, even for the government.
America the Story of Us
Season 1 / Ep 3
44 minutes 1 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Color illustration of 3 figures in top hats standing on a boat with a paddlewheel in the foreground.
American Entrepreneurial Genius
Episode 2
27 minutes 44 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Sepia tone close up of a sign that reads, "Wells and Fargo Company Express. Ramsay MacKay, agent."
American Entrepreneurial Genius
Episode 3
27 minutes 1 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Black and white portrait painting of a young Davy Crockett. Caption. Davy Crockett had become an American legend.
23 minutes 26 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 10
Black and white photo of Black men wearing Civil War-era clothing, hoeing fields alongside Black women and children. Caption. Her skill in speaking impressed many people.
Black American History
Season 0 / Ep 2
48 minutes 22 seconds
Grade Level: 8 - 12
Still image from: Bloodlines of the Slave Trade
1 hours 13 minutes 20 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Group of settlers wearing cowboy clothing next to a covered wagon with others in cowboy clothing on horseback in the background. Caption. Were traders and gold seekers.
22 minutes 27 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 10
Animation of men digging and panning a river for gold in 1848 California. Caption. Are the key moments of the Gold Rush.
Butterfly Effect
Season 2 / Ep 2
25 minutes 59 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Still image from: Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg: Name One War Fought by the United States in the 1800s.
Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg
Episode 70
2 minutes 23 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg: What Happened at the Constitutional Convention?
Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg
Episode 63
2 minutes 32 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg: What Territory Did the United States Buy From France in 1803?
Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg
Episode 69
2 minutes 12 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg: When Was the Constitution Written?
Civics Fundamentals With Judge Douglas Ginsburg
Episode 64
2 minutes 7 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: 19th Century Reforms
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 15
14 minutes 42 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: Age of Jackson
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 14
15 minutes 3 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: The Election of 1860 and the Road to Disunion
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 18
13 minutes 58 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: The Market Revolution
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 12
14 minutes 9 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: The War of 1812
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 11
12 minutes 41 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: Thomas Jefferson and His Democracy
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 10
13 minutes 5 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: War and Expansion
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 17
12 minutes 45 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
ASL
Still image from: Crash Course U.S. History: Westward Expansion
Crash Course U.S. History
Episode 24
12 minutes 42 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Black and white illustration of crowded outdoor scene in a city. Spanish caption. El tratado de compra se firmó el 2 de mayo de 1803.
33 minutes 51 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Black and white sketch of a light-haired man sitting in an armchair above other men. Large pillars appear in the background. Caption. "Fillmore put the weight of the presidency."
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 7
9 minutes 24 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Actors wearing Continental Army costumes hold rifles and stand at attention. Caption. They served for only a three-month period.
18 minutes 27 seconds
Grade Level: 2 - 5
Painting. Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware showing Washington in a rowboat with several men. He's looking out ahead across the water with an American flag waving in the wind behind him. Caption. That was the leader I was willing to be.
Getting To Know The U.S. Presidents
Episode 1
16 minutes 2 seconds
Grade Level: 2 - 6
Cartoon. A gray-haired man wearing formal colonial clothing holds up a finger, pointing at an actual portrait painting of President John Adams. Caption. I played an important role in the American Revolution.
Getting To Know The U.S. Presidents
Episode 2
17 minutes 48 seconds
Grade Level: 2 - 6
Black and white illustration of Jefferson and 4 others gathered around a small table looking at a handwritten document. Caption. And they chose me to write a Declaration of Independence.
Getting To Know The U.S. Presidents
Episode 3
20 minutes 28 seconds
Grade Level: 2 - 6
Black woman faces away from camera and looks over her right shoulder within a forested setting. Caption. The journey for Harriet was long and hard.
America's Journey Through Slavery
Season 0 / Ep 3
12 minutes 30 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 10
Black and white frame of slave men, women and children walking on a dirt path. Caption. To lead nearly 300 slaves to freedom.
10 minutes 52 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 10
Sepia-tone photo of two men with black skin dressed in Western cowboy attire. A white saddled horse stands next to them.
25 minutes
Grade Level: 7 - 10
ASL
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: Lewis and Clark Expedition--Introduction (Part 1)
History in a Nutshell
Episode 2
7 minutes 47 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 8
ASL
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: Lewis and Clark Expedition--Ocean in View (Part 3)
History in a Nutshell
Episode 4
7 minutes 44 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 8
ASL
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: Lewis and Clark Expedition--The Heroes' Welcome (Part 4)
History in a Nutshell
Episode 5
6 minutes 8 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 8
ASL
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: The Mexican American War
History in a Nutshell
Episode 10
13 minutes 44 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 8
ASL
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: The Trail of Tears
History in a Nutshell
Episode 1
12 minutes 41 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: History in a Nutshell: Women's Suffrage Movement (Part 1)
History in a Nutshell
Episode 24
7 minutes 14 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Sunlight fades behind trees, casting a field of yellow wildflowers in shadow. Caption. Commemorates and American ideal.
America's National Monuments: Legacy Of The Great Plains
Episode 6
12 minutes 48 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Group of teenagers wearing yellow t-shirts shirts exit vans, stepping out onto a field. Caption. Man as narrator. Hi, guys.
1 hours 23 minutes 42 seconds
Grade Level: 6 - 12
Painting of Andrew Jackson with white hair, a black top coat and bow tie, and a red cloak draped over his shoulders. He rests his left hand on the base of a pillar as he looks to his right. Caption. As President, Jackson demanded personal loyalty.
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 5
12 minutes 50 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Portrait of John Adams with white hair and a beige vest and top coat. His face is serious as he looks into the distance. Caption. Adams was hailed a national hero for his actions.
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 3
14 minutes 41 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
ASL
Wooden sign hangs above green mountain silhouettes and reads, "Lewis and Clark for Kids."
10 minutes 17 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 8
Still image from: Living St. Louis: Bicentennial of the Missouri Compromise
Living St. Louis
Episode
14 minutes 53 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: Living St. Louis: Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing
Living St. Louis
Episode
2 minutes 46 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Painted portrait of James Monroe. He has short white hair and wears a white frilly collar and black jacket. Caption. But not all view it as Monroe's most important achievement.
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 4
12 minutes 57 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Still image from: Mossback's Northwest: George Bush--Washington's Pioneer
Mossback's Northwest
Season 3 / Ep 6
5 minutes 15 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Still image from: Mossback's Northwest: Japanese Castaways in the Northwest
Mossback's Northwest
Season 4 / Ep 2
4 minutes 24 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Black man stands in a dark room, light spilling in from 1 small window behind him. Caption. I tended to believe that in the face of such diversity.
57 minutes 31 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Black and white photo of group of people working a harvest, some carrying crates and others standing on ladders leaning on trees.
27 minutes
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Still image from: Origin of Everything: Why are Patriotic Songs All the Same?
Origin of Everything
Season 2 / Ep 13
12 minutes 36 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Low-angle closeup of a Native American woman appearing to portray Sacagawea. Her black hair is in low, braided pigtails wrapped with tan leather against a blue sky background. Caption. My heart is full.
Sacagawea
Episode 3
16 minutes 55 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Closeup of a Native American woman appearing to portray Sacagawea. Her black hair is in low, braided pigtails wrapped with tan leather. She stands in front of 2 Native American men wearing traditional Native American clothing. Caption. My heart may be saying, 'I am needed.'
Sacagawea
Episode 2
15 minutes 39 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Low-angle closeup of a Native American woman appearing to portray Sacagawea. Her black hair is in low, braided pigtails wrapped with tan leather and wears an off-white shirt against a blue sky background. Caption. It is here that I see them for the first time.
Sacagawea
Episode 1
15 minutes 54 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 8
Black and white photo of rugged men in work clothes sitting in rows. Title bar at bottom reads, "California gold rush. 1848 to 1855." Caption. Between 1848 and 1855.
Social Studies Video Vocab
Episode 4
2 minutes 35 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 9
Black and white typographic poster arranged next to an illustrated flyer. Both advertise travel to California. Spanish caption. Esta gran población de personas que llegaron a California.
Social Studies Video Vocab (Spanish)
Episode 4
2 minutes 36 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 9
Black and white still of 3 young men in colonial costumes. Title bar reads, "Taxation ruling. Toll free. 1-800-238-9669. www.StandardDeviants.com. Caption. Slang for money.
Standard Deviants School: American Government
Episode 6
20 minutes 29 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Young woman touches fingertips together in front of her and parts lips as if speaking. Text over black and white images behind her reads, "Basic principles of the Constitution." Caption. Look at the articles it contains.
Standard Deviants School: American Government
Episode 2
17 minutes 14 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Illustration of Abraham Lincoln wearing white speaking from an outdoor podium to a crowd around him. An 1850s U, S flag is nearby. Caption. Male as narrator. In the following debates with Douglas, Lincoln came closer.
Supreme Court Decisions That Changed The Nation
Episode 2
15 minutes 30 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Image of men in Confederate uniforms riding horses in a Civil War battle reenactment. An overlay of an oval shaped photo appears next to the soldiers with text that reads, "Robert E. Lee." Caption. They don't have a general the equal of Robert E. Lee.
Talking Maps
Episode 3
35 minutes 13 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 12
English soldiers march through the fog, moving towards a distant blaze. Caption. Mad Anthony's troops indiscriminately destroy.
27 minutes 41 seconds
Grade Level: 6 - 12
Painting of a senior Benjamin Franklin reading. Caption. But the great American diplomat, 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.
20 minutes 39 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 10
Wide shot of Spanish mission with flag. Text on image reads, Day 12, March 5, 1836. Caption. Santa Anna completes his plan for the assault.
49 minutes 30 seconds
Grade Level: 6 - 12
Closeup of a man in a neckerchief and wide brimmed hat. Caption. Milt Elliot joined the party as James Reed's main ox driver.
The Hard Road West: The Story of the Donner Party
Episode 1
25 minutes 50 seconds
Grade Level: 6 - 12
Woman in pioneer costume sits at the edge of a covered wagon with children in pioneer costumes surrounding her. Caption. This scene made a woman of me.
The Hard Road West: The Story of the Donner Party
Episode 2
25 minutes 9 seconds
Grade Level: 6 - 12
Closeup of a procession of men in period costumes with rifles slung over their shoulders.
The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen
Episode 4
1 hours 21 minutes 16 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Color illustration of an ox pulling a covered wagon. A man stands beside the ox and 2 people huddle under a blanket nearby. Caption. We have reached our destination.
15 minutes 49 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Black woman and man wearing plain Civil-war era clothing across from a man wearing a suit and brimmed hat. Caption. This path will lead to a road.
37 minutes 57 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Woman signs in front of a gray background with an image of the flag of the United States. Caption. Oh, say, does that.
2 minutes 51 seconds
Grade Level: Ps - 4
Painting. 2 Colonial-era women sew white stars onto a giant American flag. Caption. She spent several weeks measuring, cutting, and sewing.
15 minutes 4 seconds
Grade Level: K - 6
Linear print of a colonial fort topped with a flag. Boats sail in the water and mountains stand in the background. Caption. People of every sort keep coming to America's shores.
The Story Of America
Episode 1
57 minutes 12 seconds
Grade Level: 5 - 11
Cluster of plain buildings stand beneath a partly cloudy sky. Caption. Forever altering the nature of work in America.
The Story Of America
Episode 2
58 minutes
Grade Level: 5 - 11
Still image from: The War of 1812
1 hours 53 minutes 16 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Soldiers wearing 19th century British military dress uniforms. They are marching in twos with rifles down a grassy hill.
Timeblazers
Season 3 / Ep 3
24 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 9
Young girl walking out of a door. Caption: I'm taking it to the experts-- the post office.
Timeblazers
Season 1 / Ep 12
24 minutes 22 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 9
A bear laying across train tracks with two people standing above it. Caption: Train robberies were a big problem in the Wild West.
Timeblazers
Season 1 / Ep 10
24 minutes 20 seconds
Grade Level: 4 - 9
ASL
Close up of a young girl looking down and facing a senior person in a headscarf whose back faces camera. Caption. And if he was, all you have to do.
22 minutes 56 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Painted portrait of John Tyler. His hair is dark but graying, and he has a tall white collar underneath a black coat. He looks serious. Caption. President Tyler signed it on March first, 1845.
Our Presidents In America's History
Episode 6
12 minutes 44 seconds
Grade Level: 3 - 8
Black and white photo of a woman wearing 1800s clothing smokes a cigarette and leaning on a knee. She watches a woman rings out a cloth over a wood bucket.
32 minutes
Grade Level: 8 - 12
Apply for a Free Membership

Major funding provided by the Department of Education