This DVD of the American Experience from PBS tells the story of the Donner Party, the ambitious group who traveled from Illinois to California in 1846. Beginning in the spring, the group split off from the rest of the emigrants to take an alternate route across the Great Basin. They went through blizzards and food shortages before reaching their destination in late October. Of the 87 original members of the Donner Party, only 46 survived. Their story is told through archival photographs, paintings, and maps, with letters and diary selections read by actors such as Timothy Hutton, Frances Sternhagen, and George Plimpton.
This documentary goes into decent detail about what happened and how they ended up in the position that they did. It shows the courage and strength these people had. You never really know how you would react in a situation like this unless you were put in that position.
This is such a heartfelt movie. It shows friendship to an extreme and I love it. My family and friends all love this movie. It takes such sad truths about the holocaust and puts it into a fictional story.
This historical documentary tells the epic story of the Oregon Trail, the dangerous 2000 mile wagon route that thousands of American pioneers traveled during the 1800's as they migrated West in search of a better life. Telling the fascinating individual stories of some of the settlers, the film looks to uncover just what these daring individuals were hoping to find at their destination.
This release from the family sitcom Growing Pains includes every episode from the show's seventh season, following the Seavers through all of the ups and downs of family life.
From The History Channel comes this examination of the infamous 17th-century witch-hunt that ended in the execution of twenty innocent people. In Search of History: Salem Witch Trials retraces the events in depth and attempts to explain how such hysteria and tragedy could've been allowed occur within the confines of an otherwise civilized community.