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American Experience

The Circus: Trailer

The Circus explores the colorful history of this popular, influential and distinctly American form of entertainment, from the first one-ring show at the end of the 18th century to 1956, when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey big top was pulled down for the last time.

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The American Vice President
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52:36
A look at the US vice presidency, from constitutional afterthought to position of political import.
The Riot Report
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1:53:04
When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.
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The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.
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The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.
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52:32
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.
American Experience Season 35
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51:27
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.
The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools
1:47:20
The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.
The Busing Battleground
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Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.
Casa Susanna
1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.
The Sun Queen
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Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
The Movement and the "Madman"
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1:22:29
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
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