American Experience poster
8.1/10 (160 votes)
#1

Death and the Civil War

S24:E8

With the coming of the Civil War, and the staggering casualties it ushered in, death entered the experience of the American people as it never had before -- permanently altering the character of the republic and the psyche of the American people. Contending with death on an unprecedented scale posed challenges for which there were no ready answers when the war began. Americans worked to improvise new solutions, new institutions, and new ways of coping with death on an unimaginable scale.

7.8/10 (109 votes)
#2

Clinton: The Survivor (2)

S24:E4

The conclusion of the Bill Clinton biography recalls the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to be impeached. It also details his face-off over the federal budget with Newt Gingrich, whose refusal to compromise led to a government shutdown, and successful 1996 reelection campaign. Among those commenting: Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr; Paula Jones' attorney James Fisher; and White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.

7.8/10 (101 votes)
#3

The Amish

S24:E5

The first documentary to deeply penetrate and explore this profoundly attention-averse group, The Amish answers many questions Americans have about this insistently insular religious community, whose intense faith and adherence to 500-year-old traditions have by turns captivated and repelled, awed and irritated, inspired and confused for more than a century.

7.8/10 (71 votes)
#4

Grand Coulee Dam

S24:E6

Featuring the men and women who lived and worked at Grand Coulee in the wake of the Great Depression and the Native people whose lives were changed alongside historians and engineers, this film explores how the tension between technological achievement and environmental impact hangs over the project's legacy.

7.7/10 (119 votes)
#5

Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1)

S24:E3

Part 1 of a two-part profile of former president Bill Clinton charts his path from Hope, Ark., to Washington, D.C., ending midway through his first term when the GOP, led by Newt Gingrich, took control of the House of Representatives and Senate. The documentary details the scandals and setbacks that Clinton weathered to that point; and features remarks from such Clinton associates as Harold Ickes, Dick Morris, Mike McCurry, Dee Dee Myers, Robert Reich and Betsey Wright.

7.5/10 (81 votes)
#6

Custer's Last Stand

S24:E2

A profile of Gen. George Armstrong Custer (1839-76), nicknamed "the boy general" for his Civil War exploits, who died with many other members of the 7th Cavalry while battling the Cheyenne and Lakota along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. The documentary details his time at West Point, where he became infamous for his rebellious nature; his relationship with his wife Libbie; his year-long suspension from the service; and the campaign against the Cheyenne that led to his death.

7.5/10 (90 votes)
#7

Jesse Owens

S24:E7

Despite Jesse Owens' remarkable victories in the face of Nazi racism at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the athlete struggled to find a place for himself in a United States that was still wrestling to overcome its own deeply entrenched bias.

7.3/10 (111 votes)
#8

Billy the Kid

S24:E1

A fascinating look at the myth and the man behind it, who, in just a few short years transformed himself from a skinny orphan boy to the most feared man in the West and an enduring western icon.

7.3/10 (111 votes)
#1

Billy the Kid

S24:E1

A fascinating look at the myth and the man behind it, who, in just a few short years transformed himself from a skinny orphan boy to the most feared man in the West and an enduring western icon.

7.5/10 (81 votes)
#2

Custer's Last Stand

S24:E2

A profile of Gen. George Armstrong Custer (1839-76), nicknamed "the boy general" for his Civil War exploits, who died with many other members of the 7th Cavalry while battling the Cheyenne and Lakota along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. The documentary details his time at West Point, where he became infamous for his rebellious nature; his relationship with his wife Libbie; his year-long suspension from the service; and the campaign against the Cheyenne that led to his death.

7.5/10 (90 votes)
#3

Jesse Owens

S24:E7

Despite Jesse Owens' remarkable victories in the face of Nazi racism at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the athlete struggled to find a place for himself in a United States that was still wrestling to overcome its own deeply entrenched bias.

7.7/10 (119 votes)
#4

Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1)

S24:E3

Part 1 of a two-part profile of former president Bill Clinton charts his path from Hope, Ark., to Washington, D.C., ending midway through his first term when the GOP, led by Newt Gingrich, took control of the House of Representatives and Senate. The documentary details the scandals and setbacks that Clinton weathered to that point; and features remarks from such Clinton associates as Harold Ickes, Dick Morris, Mike McCurry, Dee Dee Myers, Robert Reich and Betsey Wright.

7.8/10 (109 votes)
#5

Clinton: The Survivor (2)

S24:E4

The conclusion of the Bill Clinton biography recalls the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to be impeached. It also details his face-off over the federal budget with Newt Gingrich, whose refusal to compromise led to a government shutdown, and successful 1996 reelection campaign. Among those commenting: Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr; Paula Jones' attorney James Fisher; and White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.

7.8/10 (101 votes)
#6

The Amish

S24:E5

The first documentary to deeply penetrate and explore this profoundly attention-averse group, The Amish answers many questions Americans have about this insistently insular religious community, whose intense faith and adherence to 500-year-old traditions have by turns captivated and repelled, awed and irritated, inspired and confused for more than a century.

7.8/10 (71 votes)
#7

Grand Coulee Dam

S24:E6

Featuring the men and women who lived and worked at Grand Coulee in the wake of the Great Depression and the Native people whose lives were changed alongside historians and engineers, this film explores how the tension between technological achievement and environmental impact hangs over the project's legacy.

8.1/10 (160 votes)
#8

Death and the Civil War

S24:E8

With the coming of the Civil War, and the staggering casualties it ushered in, death entered the experience of the American people as it never had before -- permanently altering the character of the republic and the psyche of the American people. Contending with death on an unprecedented scale posed challenges for which there were no ready answers when the war began. Americans worked to improvise new solutions, new institutions, and new ways of coping with death on an unimaginable scale.

7.3/10 (111 votes)

Billy the Kid

S24:E1

A fascinating look at the myth and the man behind it, who, in just a few short years transformed himself from a skinny orphan boy to the most feared man in the West and an enduring western icon.

7.5/10 (81 votes)

Custer's Last Stand

S24:E2

A profile of Gen. George Armstrong Custer (1839-76), nicknamed "the boy general" for his Civil War exploits, who died with many other members of the 7th Cavalry while battling the Cheyenne and Lakota along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. The documentary details his time at West Point, where he became infamous for his rebellious nature; his relationship with his wife Libbie; his year-long suspension from the service; and the campaign against the Cheyenne that led to his death.

7.7/10 (119 votes)

Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1)

S24:E3

Part 1 of a two-part profile of former president Bill Clinton charts his path from Hope, Ark., to Washington, D.C., ending midway through his first term when the GOP, led by Newt Gingrich, took control of the House of Representatives and Senate. The documentary details the scandals and setbacks that Clinton weathered to that point; and features remarks from such Clinton associates as Harold Ickes, Dick Morris, Mike McCurry, Dee Dee Myers, Robert Reich and Betsey Wright.

7.8/10 (109 votes)

Clinton: The Survivor (2)

S24:E4

The conclusion of the Bill Clinton biography recalls the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to be impeached. It also details his face-off over the federal budget with Newt Gingrich, whose refusal to compromise led to a government shutdown, and successful 1996 reelection campaign. Among those commenting: Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr; Paula Jones' attorney James Fisher; and White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.

7.8/10 (101 votes)

The Amish

S24:E5

The first documentary to deeply penetrate and explore this profoundly attention-averse group, The Amish answers many questions Americans have about this insistently insular religious community, whose intense faith and adherence to 500-year-old traditions have by turns captivated and repelled, awed and irritated, inspired and confused for more than a century.

7.8/10 (71 votes)

Grand Coulee Dam

S24:E6

Featuring the men and women who lived and worked at Grand Coulee in the wake of the Great Depression and the Native people whose lives were changed alongside historians and engineers, this film explores how the tension between technological achievement and environmental impact hangs over the project's legacy.

7.5/10 (90 votes)

Jesse Owens

S24:E7

Despite Jesse Owens' remarkable victories in the face of Nazi racism at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the athlete struggled to find a place for himself in a United States that was still wrestling to overcome its own deeply entrenched bias.

8.1/10 (160 votes)

Death and the Civil War

S24:E8

With the coming of the Civil War, and the staggering casualties it ushered in, death entered the experience of the American people as it never had before -- permanently altering the character of the republic and the psyche of the American people. Contending with death on an unprecedented scale posed challenges for which there were no ready answers when the war began. Americans worked to improvise new solutions, new institutions, and new ways of coping with death on an unimaginable scale.

Season Average Rating Episodes Best Episode Worst Episode
31 ★ 7.9 7
★ 8.6 Chasing the Moon - Earthrise
★ 7.1 The Feud
36 ★ 7.9 2
★ 8.0 American Coup: Wilmington 1898
★ 7.8 Nazi Town, USA
25 ★ 7.8 6
★ 8.2 JFK (Part 1)
★ 7.2 War of the Worlds
13 ★ 7.8 1
★ 7.8 Fatal Flood
★ 7.8 Fatal Flood
32 ★ 7.8 8
★ 8.3 The Poison Squad
★ 7.3 George W. Bush (Part 2)
28 ★ 7.7 3
★ 8.0 Murder of a President
★ 7.3 Bonnie & Clyde
29 ★ 7.7 5
★ 8.1 Oklahoma City
★ 7.2 The Race Underground
24 ★ 7.7 8
★ 8.1 Death and the Civil War
★ 7.3 Billy the Kid
33 ★ 7.7 8
★ 8.1 The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
★ 6.6 Billy Graham
14 ★ 7.6 1
★ 7.6 A Brilliant Madness
★ 7.6 A Brilliant Madness
6 ★ 7.5 1
★ 7.5 America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference
★ 7.5 America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference
19 ★ 7.5 1
★ 7.5 Alexander Hamilton
★ 7.5 Alexander Hamilton
23 ★ 7.5 5
★ 8.2 Freedom Riders
★ 7.1 God in America (Parts 5-6)
10 ★ 7.4 1
★ 7.4 Surviving the Dust Bowl
★ 7.4 Surviving the Dust Bowl
30 ★ 7.4 1
★ 7.4 The Secret of Tuxedo Park
★ 7.4 The Secret of Tuxedo Park
26 ★ 7.3 3
★ 7.5 The Poisoner's Handbook
★ 7.1 The Amish: Shunned
35 ★ 7.2 2
★ 7.3 Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History
★ 7.2 The Lie Detector
1 ★ 7.0 16
★ 7.9 The Great San Francisco Earthquake
★ 5.9 Eudora Welty: One Writer's Beginnings
2 ★ 6.6 13
★ 7.5 Demon Rum
★ 5.3 Battle for Wilderness
5 ★ 6.5 1
★ 6.5 George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King
★ 6.5 George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King