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Since pre-colonial times, Americans' relationship to the natural world has shaped politics, policy, commerce, entertainment and culture. In this collection, delve into our complicated history with the environment through American Experience films exploring wide-ranging topics, from our struggles to exert dominion over nature to our attempts to understand and protect it.

The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history.
The Dust Bowl brought drought, dust, disease and death to the Midwest for nearly a decade.
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Episodes
Follow LBJ from rural Texas to his ascendancy to the presidency after the assassination of JFK.
Part of the award-winning The Presidents collection.
A biography from American Experience's collection of presidential portraits.
Ronald Reagan left the White House one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century.
In 1927, the Mississippi River flooded from New Orleans, leaving a million people homeless
In June 1943, Los Angeles erupted into the worst race riots in the city to date.
Emmett Till's murder and the acquittal of his killers mobilized the Civil Rights Movement.
The famous 1938 heavyweight fight between American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling.
Researchers face controversy while conceiving babies through in vitro fertilization.
The exceptional life and career of Puerto Rican baseball star Roberto Clemente.
In the 1950's a Polio outbreak swept the U.S., devastating communities nationwide.
The story of the American effort to relieve starvation in 1921 Soviet Russia.
Extras
Watch a preview of Hard Hat Riot.
Watch a preview of Hard Hat Riot.
When smog issue plagued their city in the mid 20th century, Angelenos got creative.
The major breakthrough in understanding L.A.'s deadly smog came from a surprising place.
How has L.A.'s history of smog shown up on the big screen?
Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.
Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.
The women behind the camera.
We were told to "shake it like a Polaroid picture". But what if we got it wrong?