Legends and Lies Episodes (21)
How Freedom Was Won
A group of people, from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, forge a common national identity in the fight for freedom. In the end, their struggles and sacrifices create a nation built on the single, powerful idea that all men are created equal
John Adams: Ready for War
The Sons of Liberty lead the fight for American independence setting about the infamous Boston Massacre. The American Revolution has begun.
Forgotten Heroes
From the first shots of the Boston Massacre to the surrender at Yorktown, African-American men and women play a crucial role in winning America's fight for independence.
Benjamin Franklin: Inventing America
Eager to prove himself a patriot while under a cloud of suspicion, Benjamin Franklin heads a secret committee to prepare the fledgling army to take on the most powerful military force when George Washington takes command of the ragtag Continental Army.
President George Washington: Forged in Conflict
Following the success of the Revolution, America is a sovereign nation facing the burden of financial debt. The Founding Fathers are challenged to create a political structure guaranteeing the freedoms the Patriots fought so hard for.
Benedict Arnold: American Traitor
Benedict Arnold faces a court martial and betrays his mentor George Washington; Tallmadge pursues Arnold's trail with proof of his treasonous plan but Arnold slips away into a red coat and a place in history as America's most infamous traitor.
Sam Adams and Paul Revere: The Rebellion Begins
The Sons of Liberty lead the fight for American independence setting about the infamous Boston Massacre. The American Revolution has begun.
George Custer: A General's Reckoning
George Custer is called to lead the battle to tame the west. When he and his men are obliterated at Little Bighorn, legend says their defeat is Custer's own doing. In truth, they might have survived if Custer's officers acted differently.
Bass Reeves: The Real Lone Ranger
The legend of the Lone Ranger has inspired Americans for decades. Bass Reeves lives a life of legend, with little to show for it in the end, except the fact he's likely the real man who inspires the story of the Lone Ranger.
Butch Cassidy: The Last Man Standing
At the turn of the twentieth century, the most famous gang in the west is led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Their train robberies cause authorities to chase them to South America. Their demise is not the legend you've seen in the movies.
Kit Carson: Duty Before Honor
Kit Carson becomes an American legend as a mountain man and western explorer, but when his image is tarnished by his role in the forced relocation of Native Americans, the complex truth of a man conflicted by duty and morality emerges.
Jesse James: Bloody Politics
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Jesse James and his gang embark on a brutal campaign of violence that blurs the line between robbery and domestic terrorism. Legend makes Jesse James out to be a heroic bandit, but the truth lies somewhere darker.
Doc Holliday: Desperate Measures
John Henry Holliday is a respectable Atlanta dentist diagnosed with a terminal disease. With certain death looming, Holliday resorts to gambling and violence. But when he meets Wyatt Earp, he's already more than the legendary sidekick he's known as.
Wild Bill Hickok: Plains Justice
One of the deadliest gunman in history, James Butler Hickok becomes a legend for his skill as a gunslinger. But a man as famous as 'Wild Bill' has more than his share of enemies. Living life with a target on his back takes a toll on the western legend.
David Crockett: Capital Hillbilly
David Crockett is much more than his legend as a backwoods hero of the western frontier. In truth, he's an aspiring American statesman who makes a bold move to secure his political future, only to bring himself to an early demise.
Black Bart: Gentleman Bandit
Following the California gold rush, Wells Fargo becomes a successful enterprise in the west. Its stagecoaches cross the country, making it perfect for the 'gentleman bandit' -a thief, who takes a different approach to robbery than any other outlaw.
Billy The Kid: Escape Artist
Possibly the West's most notorious outlaw, William Bonney kills his first man at seventeen. Soon 'Billy the Kid' joins a gang of murderers and thieves. Legend says Pat Garrett kills him in a raid, but evidence shows that Billy the Kid's story continues.
Thomas Jefferson: Independence Declared
Congress is convinced to declare independence after a bitter struggle between rebels and loyalists; the declaration is signed and read throughout the colonies.
Francis Marion: American Guerrilla Fighter
Francis Marion leads a guerilla assault on the British; Washington executes a remarkable siege and forces eight-thousand troops to surrender at Yorktown. The victorious battle leads to the Treaty of Paris and Americas Independence.
General George Washington: Commanding Revolution
George Washington struggles to build a military force from untested colonial militia and limited supplies. While outmatched, the British retreat and the Continental Army gain their first victory.
Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr: Deadly Division
Aaron Burr, Jefferson's sitting Vice President, kills his long-time political rival, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel over accusations of corruption. Burr faces charges of murder and attempts to annex Florida and Texas before leaving office.