Films and documentaries on US history: Americans help me out!

[Slayer]

I have to teach on a new subject: the United States and their federal government, 1865-1965. Since I always like to make my lessons more enjoyable by adding some film or documentary (or fragments of them), I'm asking whether any of you guys know good films and/or documentaries about the period 1865-1965.

I need to teach about three topics withtin the big subject:
- economics
- foreign policy
- civil rights

I already have the following:
* Birth of a Nation (civil rights)
* The Untouchables (economics)
* Mississippi Burning (civil rights)
* Tora! Tora! Tora! (foreign policy)
* Malcolm X (civil rights)
* Martin Luther King stuff (civil rights)

[VonMudra]

Aftershock: Beyond the Civil War, one of the last good documentaries made by History Channel, on Reconstruction.

[FORGOTTENKEVINOHOPE]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097441/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104691/

[VonMudra]

Last of Mohicans isn't the timeline he cited.  Glory is slightly out of it.

Some other good movies for this:

To Kill a Mockingbird (Civil Rights)

Dr. Strangelove (foreign policy)

[Rabbit032]

This should help you out, be careful, Women's and African American rights are extremely boring and near unbearable. No it's not because I'm a sexist racist, I find that to much is put into them when learning about them for how small (yet necessary) they were and because of this you spend less time on more important things probably out of white men feeling guilty.

I recommend the industrial revolution the growth of the nation and changes to safety, laws, etc. took place then

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/

click on time period and go to town.

Also focus on

Civil war
Gods and Generals is pretty great

Key points
54th Mass
States Rights
For Sumter
blockage and effects it had not only on the south but over the world
Reconstruction.

Spanish American war and how yellow journalism caused it.

Jessie Owens

Panama Canal

Whaling

Dust Bowl

[Alakazou]

HBO John Adams could be useful.

[Rabbit032]

HBO John Adams could be useful.

1865-1965

[Alakazou]

Oups I have read 1765

[Rabbit032]

Meh, As I always say "shit happens"

[VonMudra]

Guys, civil war isn't 1865-1965.  He's basically started with Reconstruction, ending at Civil Rights Legislation.

[Slayer]

Hey all, thanks for the replies!

I added some titles to the list, so now I have this:

* Birth of a Nation (civil rights)
* The Untouchables (economics)
* Mississippi Burning (civil rights)
* Tora! Tora! Tora! (foreign policy)
* Malcolm X (civil rights)
* Martin Luther King stuff (civil rights)
* Thirteen Days (foreign policy)
* The Pacific (foreign policy)
* The Lost Batallion (foreign policy)
* Modern Marvels (economics)
* The Men Who Built America (economics)
* Aftershock (civil rights) --> it's on Youtube, nice
* Dr. Strangelove (foreign policy)

and I'm checking out the pbs-site, very useful! Thanks!

More ideas? Keep 'em coming! And just to make sure: non-Americans can chip in anytime, of course

[Rabbit032]

Guys, civil war isn't 1865-1965.  He's basically started with Reconstruction, ending at Civil Rights Legislation.

Yeah, but if you want to seriously understand reconstruction and the way the south formed after the war you really need to know why they went to war, and what happened.The civil war and reconstruction are really all one thing, States rights and later succession from the union (beginning) War(middle) Reconstruction(end) it's a pretty good idea to take the initiative to learn about the entirety of it instead of just the end.

[Slayer]

it's a pretty good idea to take the initiative to learn about the entirety of it instead of just the end.

Yes, it is what I'm gonna do for myself, but for the students it is only necessary to know about the Reconstruction. To clarify, I'll mention how the Union rose and how the Civil War went, but it will be in a flyby mode: I simply don't have the time to dig deep into it.

[[130.Pz]S.Lainer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgcdRCWEt4Q&feature=related

    If you only show one video make it this one.

[Slayer]

Thanks, I intend to show some vids every time. My lessons take up one hour each, and in that time I have to teach the subject (takes 20-30 minutes usually, sometimes a bit longer) and show the video. The video should support what I taught, or shed a different light on the same subject. So ideally, the videos aren't as long as the one you posted, Lainer

Also, with shorter vids it isn't such a problem that they aren't subbed. My students have knowledge of English, but they are 17-18 years old, so they aren't super fluently in it.