List-making seems to be a part of human nature. This three-part PBS-aired series hosted by Geoffrey Baer covers 10 things that changed America in transportation routes, monuments, and "modern marvels." In early America, roads were primitive, often following ancient Indian paths. When carriages, sidewalks, and street lighting were added to New York City’s Broadway, it was dubbed "the Great White Way." As the country grew, America was knit together by the National Road and the Lincoln Highway, later expanded under President Eisenhower's grand plan for building interstate highways. As always, there was a conflict between public and self-interest, and unintended consequences such as suburban sprawl and shopping malls. Public monuments are celebratory, but their meaning can change over time. The Lincoln Memorial was originally meant to honor the reunification of North and South, but decades later became a powerful symbol for civil rights. Confederate Civil War monuments have become a flashpoint for controversy. Do they honor history, heritage, sacrifice, or white supremacy? Mount Rushmore was designed to draw tourists, but its popularity led to the still uncompleted monument to Native Americans, the Crazy Horse Memorial. The idea for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was sparked when veteran Jan Scruggs was moved by the film The Deer Hunter, and the AIDS Quilt offers an example of a "grassroots monument." Finally, “marvels” such as the Erie Canal, the Hoover Dam, New York City's Lincoln Tunnel, and the transcontinental railroad's linkage are shown to be the result of personal vision, relentless effort, and years of blood and sweat. While these roads, monuments, and marvels aren't uniquely American, they are a testament to American freedom, drive, and risk-taking. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
10 That Changed America
(2018) 170 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video (www.teacher.shop.pbs.org). ISBN: 978-1-5317-0502-2.
10 That Changed America
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