The Story of ‘The Roosevelts’ Continues Online

September 23, 2014 PBS Wisconsin Leave a Comment

For many public television viewers, a seven-night TV viewing marathon came to a close Saturday with the final on-air broadcast of The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.

For anyone who didn’t sprint to the finish (myself included) there’s still time to watch Ken Burns’ latest documentary online. Watch all seven episodes of The Roosevelts now through Sept. 28 on wpt.org or on your Apple TV, Roku, Xbox or Amazon Fire. But don’t delay much longer, all seven episodes are only available until Sunday, Sept. 28. (After that, the series will be available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play).

If you’re already through watching and want more history documentaries, there’s a whole world of video waiting in the archives at wpt.org. For example, if Episode 2 of The Roosevelts left you wanting to learn more about TR’s achievement in building the Panama Canal, you can check out American Experience “The Panama Canal”.

To get you started, here’s a list of documentaries and clips, segmented by each Roosevelt episode, that dive deeper into the history of major events in which Teddy, Franklin and Eleanor were a part of. If you know of additional Roosevelts-related video, please share it in the comments below.

Episode 1: 1858-1901 “Get Action”
TR’s famous “Rough Riders” fought in the Spanish American War. PBS’ Latino Americans looks at the expansionist ideals that led to the United States’ involvement in Cuba. For more on the “Rough Riders” look to member station KNME’s report, “Rough Riders in New Mexico.”

Episode 2: 1901-1910 “In the Arena”
American Experience “The Panama Canal” tells the complete story of how the Panama Canal connected the world’s two largest oceans and signaled America’s emergence as a global superpower.

Episode 3: 1910-1919 “The Fire of Life”
When TR abandoned the White House, President William Howard Taft carried on with similar progressive policies and even broke up Standard Oil, owned by John D. Rockefeller. For more, watch “The Rockefellers” from American Experience.

Episode 4: 1920-1933 “The Storm”
In 1921, FDR was diagnosed with infantile paralysis – polio. Once nearly eradicated, polio appears to be making a comeback in 2014. PBS NewsHour reports on this modern public health emergency.

Episode 5: 1933-1939 “The Rising Road”
FDR’s New Deal led to public works projects throughout the nation, including the Camp Madison Civilian Conservation Corps, which completed the nation’s first prairie restoration on the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. Learn more about Camp Madison CCC and Aldo Leopold from In Wisconsin. Also, hear Woody Guthrie sing “The Great Dust Storm” in the intro to another great Ken Burns film, The Dust Bowl.

Episode 6: 1939-1944 “The Common Cause”
TR and FDR both served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and both championed strong military defense budgets during their time in the post. University Place “Science and Engineering in WWII takes a look at technology and design of two aircraft that helped the U.S. and its allies win World War II.

Episode 7: 1944-1962 “A Strong and Active Faith”
After FDR’s death in 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt never lost sight of the goals she and her husband fought for and in her later years championed for civil rights and women’s rights. She even hosted her own TV show, Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt on PBS member station WGBH. Watch ER’s conversation about the Peace Corps and public service with President Kennedy.

 

In Wisconsin Ken Burns University Place The Roosevelts: An Intimate History The Roosevelts Theodore Roosevelt