Industrial Expansion West and Its Impact
Season 1
Episode 1
About the Episode
After the Civil War, Americans set out with renewed energy to unite the East and West. They built railroads to span the continent, opening up vast areas for homesteaders and connecting distant metropolitan markets to domestic crops and cattle. The effect on the environment, the bison, and the Plains Indians was catastrophic.
Aired:
| Expires: | Runtime: 8m 52s
Recent Episodes
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Episode 2, Season 1<br> Into the Storm
An unlikely collection of Americans rescues the national mammal from extinction.| 1:59:04 -
Episode 1, Season 1<br> Blood Memory
America’s national mammal, once numbering millions, is driven to near extinction.| 1:56:55
Extras
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Behind the Scenes | Making The American Buffalo
Ken Burns, Julie Dunfey and Dayton Duncan on creating their latest documentary.6:31 -
Official Trailer
Examining the center of one of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales.0:30 -
George Bird Grinnell and Early Conservation Efforts
Grinnell fought the destruction of birds and other wildlife, including the buffalo.6:25 -
Sitting Bull and the Wounded Knee Massacre
More than 250 Lakotas – mostly women and children – were killed by U.S. soldiers.6:21 -
Buffalo Bill and His Wild West Show
By 1889, Buffalo Bill Cody was the most famous American in the world.5:23 -
A Legacy of Broken Promises
The U.S. government made treaties with Indigenous people when it was convenient.10:24 -
Why Is Destruction Part of Our Story?
The scale of wild animal loss during the 1800s is the largest in known human history.9:59 -
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The Buffalo Nickel and Bison Facts Today
The 1913 Buffalo Nickel raises important questions how we think of the American West.9:15 -
Bring Them Home
An intimate look at the only indigenous tribal-led buffalo drive in North America.18:44
