Curated Video
Reasons The North Went to War
Think you know all about the American Civil War? Think again! This is the untold story of why the North took up arms against the South.
Curated Video
Sally Hemings: Surviving Slavery and Sexual Exploitation
Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman who had several children with Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Her story of agency and eventual emancipation remains an inspiration.
Curated Video
The Enslaved Chef Who Revolutionized American Cuisine
James Hemings was an enslaved man and the first American to learn classic French cuisine. He helped popularise many of the dishes you know and love today.
Hip Hughes History
The Emancipation Proclamation Explained: US History Review
So you think you know your history? Mr. Hughes lays down the tracks to help you understand the true purpose behind the Emancipation Proclamation and why the Civil War was fought. Brought to you by Mr. Hughes in an easily digestible eight...
Curated Video
Joseph Henry Douglass: Changing America With Music
Classical violinist Joseph Henry Douglass helped empower the Black community through music and education at a time when Southern lawmakers were pushing back against the progress of Reconstruction.
Curated Video
Thaddeus Stevens: an Abolitionist Who Championed the Rights of Blacks
Born on the 4th April 1792, in Danville, Vermont, United States, Thaddeus Stevens was known to be a fearsome reformer, who never backed down from a fight. Having witnessed the oppressive slave system at close range, he developed a fierce...
Weird History
What It Was Like to Be a Civil War Soldier
The Civil War was the bloodiest in US history: more Americans perished in five years than in all other conflicts combined. What was it like to fight? Soldiers faced new technology on the field, like rifle-muskets that could cut down...
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Did You Know? Juneteenth
Learn more about Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States
Epic History TV
History of Russia Part 4
Russia's long and dramatic history is explored through animated maps and timelines. Part 4 describes the 'Decembrist Revolt' againt Emperor Nicholas I, Russian defeat in the Crimean War and the reforms of Alexander II 'the Liberator'....
Curated Video
Emancipation Proclamation Exposed
The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most important and misunderstood documents in US history. So, what did it actually proclaim?
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Britannica Q&A: Juneteenth
Discover the history of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Curated Video
Elizabeth Keckly: From Slavery to the White House
She was enslaved at birth – but became the first lady’s favorite dressmaker and the author of a sensational memoir that shocked the nation. So who was Elizabeth Keckly?
Curated Video
Thomas Garrett and the Underground Railroad
By day he worked as an iron merchant – but by night, Thomas Garrett helped thousands escape slavery as a station master on the Underground Railroad.
Curated Video
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas Debates of 1858 were some of the most controversial in US history. Having deepened the divide between North and South – they helped bring the nation to war.
Curated Video
Dred Scott: Suing for Freedom
Dred Scott went to the US Supreme Court to sue for his freedom. The Court ruled that Black people were “inferior beings” with no Constitutional rights. This decision helped spark the American Civil War.
Curated Video
Women of the Civil War
Women weren’t just spectators of the American Civil War – they played a vital role in the home, the workplace, the battlefield and beyond.
Curated Video
Emancipation Day a moment to 'reflect and to celebrate,' Trudeau says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to attendees at the 10th annual Underground Freedom Train Ride in Toronto Monday
Curated Video
On Emancipation Day, a call for an apology, reparations
The federal government should apologize for slavery in Canada and make amends for the discrimination that followed abolition, says historian and educator Afua Cooper
Curated Video
Americans prepare for Juneteenth celebrations, marking the emancipation of enslaved people
On June 19, 1865, Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, carrying with them orders that all enslaved people were now free. For decades, marking the occasion was an act of bravery and defiance for many Black Americans. In 2021, President...
Curated Video
Why Juneteenth matters: the day slavery truly ended in the U.S.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, carrying with them orders that all enslaved people were now free. For decades, marking the occasion was an act of bravery and defiance for many Black Americans. In 2021, President...
Curated Video
Neglecting Black Cemeteries Threatens Black History
As late as the 1950s, one estimate was that about 90% of all private cemeteries in the U.S. still practiced some form of racial restrictions.
Curated Video
Lawmakers Propose Removing Columbus Day's Federal Holiday Status
Two Republican senators filed an amendment that would replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth on the list of federal holidays.