This Universal newsreel focuses on the repeal of Prohibition. As the December 5th deadline for the ratification of the 21st Amendment approaches, work is rushed at distilleries and bottling plants to prepare for the renewal of alcohol sales. In some towns, though, the lid is already off as the repeal of Prohibition is celebrated with old-time abandon. Gone are the days when federal agents could be seen destroying barrels of bootleg whiskey!

The U.S. Constitution is the world's oldest written charter of government in continuous effect. Much of the success of this document can be attributed to the way the Constitution has changed to meet the needs of the American people. The framers of the Constitution wisely anticipated the need to make changes to the Constitution as the world itself changed. Between 1787, when the Constitution was written, and the present time, thousands of proposed...

In peaceful times, the US Armed Forces are well stocked with brave men and women who voluntarily sign up to serve. However, in the event of a third catastrophic global conflict, it is possible for the U.S. government to rapidly recruit from the civilian population, thanks to the Selective Service System. In this video, we will find out where it comes from and how compulsory it really is.

Every decade has its share of important events. But in this completely engrossing series we bring you only the best, the most far-reaching, the most worldly, and the most consequential. You will see a unique clarity of history through the "most privy" in insider accounts and expert witnesses. Events include: Adolf Eichmann, The Berlin Wall, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Assassination Of U.S. President Kennedy, The "Loudmouth": Cassius Clay, A Royal...

The outbreak of World War II saw two motion picture experts from Germany and the United States battle each other with as much ferocity as any army or navy. Their respective missions: to ignite a public desire to wage and win a global conflict. This Bill Moyers program contains an interview with Fritz Hippler, chief filmmaker for the Nazi Party. Hippler unrepentantly claims to have spoken to the "soul of the masses" through films like The Eternal Jew,...

Dixieland, swing, bebop, modal, free, avant-garde, these were some of the terms critics used during the 1960s to categorize the diverse manifestations of jazz music. As for the artists themselves, many were desperate for work and headed for Europe, including bebop saxophone master Dexter Gordon. At home, jazz sought relevance. During the Civil Rights struggle it became a voice of protest, while avant-garde explorer John Coltrane reached for a higher...

April 1453. The Ottomans, led by Sultan Mehmed II, lay siege to the city of Constantinople. They intend to seize the city and unify their Sultanate, which was cut into two by the Byzantine Empire. In the defense of his capital, Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI can count upon his citizens, and also upon Genoese and Venetian soldiers. The reinforcements expected by the Byzantines are late in arriving, but the besieged city holds firm under the command...

The ability to vote-to have a legal say in the affairs of America, large or small-is one of the greatest powers a U.S. citizen can have.and, too often, it's one of the most neglected. This program reemphasizes the value of universal suffrage through the stories of Amendments 15, 19, 23, 24, and 26, which, taken together, enfranchise citizens 18 years of age and older and forbid denying the vote on the basis of race, sex, locale, or tax arrears. Profiles...

"Step back in time to investigate the events that shaped the United States during the early 1900s, including World War I and Prohibition."--discoveryschool.com.

Before there was the United States of America, there were colonists brewing beer. Empires of Industry: Brewed in America traces the history of the commercial brewing industry in America, from the 19th century to the present.