GPB is proud to present a new PBS series, entitled Slavery and the Making of America, which will air February 10 and 17 at 8:30 AM on Channel 420. This four-hour documentary, according to scholar Dr. James Horton, makes it clear that slavery was essential to virtually every aspect of the creation of our nation. Dramatic recreations from the perspective of slaves capture the struggles and triumphs of unsung heroes such as Harriet Jacobs, John Punch, and Robert Smalls, among many others. The series addresses the physical and psychological abuse that composed the daily life for those who didn't escape and shows that they were not passive victims, but survivors who refused to concede their culture, character, or spirit to the system that persecuted them.
Slavery and the Making of America is complemented by two extensive educational websites. The first site, located at www.pbs.org/slavery, expands on the program's content and enhances its impact through oral histories of former slaves, photographic collages, a multimedia timeline with links to interactive quizzes, maps photo essays, and more. The second site, located at www.slaveryinamerica.org, provides previously inaccessible resources, including narratives, literature, maps, essays, lesson plans, and historic images.
