With Black Thursday, and the collapse of the stock market, America heads into the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt builds a New Deal, while, overseas, Adolf Hitler rises to power and invades Poland. Responding to Pearl Harbor, the worst attack in American history to that time, FDR guides the nation through World War II.

Freedom: A History of US explores the birth and growth of freedom in America over the centuries, as well as the tensions, conflicts, and triumphs that it has sparked. It is based on master storyteller Joy Hakim’s award winning 10-volume book set, A History of Us. For years, master storyteller Joy Hakim has excited millions of young minds with the great drama of American history. The 16 episodes, each approximately 25 minutes in length, are hosted by Katie Couric and feature commentary by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Eric Foner, author of The Story of American Freedom. Celebrity voices of historical characters were cast by the late actor Christopher Reeve. KFF provides accompanying resources for classroom use. As this series was produced in 2002, some of the terminology may not be current. These instances may provide interesting points of discussion in your classroom.

The landmark TV series, Freedom: A History of US, was first produced in 2002 by Kunhardt Productions and in 2022 was digitally remastered by the Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF).

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Chapter Markers:
Opening Credits (0:00)
Hard Times (1:03)
A New Deal (5:00)
Enemies of Freedom (7:58)
Pearl Harbor (10:53)
D-Day (15:12)
The End of an Era (19:06)
Unconditional Surrender (20:33)

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