Journey through the 20th century with archival films on public affairs.

Covering American History C-SPAN style: with event coverage, eyewitness accounts, and discussions with authors, historians and teachers. Every weekend from 8am ET Saturday to 8am ET Monday on C-SPAN3.

In January, 2011, C-SPAN expanded its programming offerings with a new history-based service airing weekends on C-SPAN3. American History TV (AHTV) features programming geared toward history lovers with 48 hours every weekend of people and events that document the American story.

C-SPAN began C-SPAN3 operations in January 2001 as a digital service. C-SPAN3 is currently available in 49 million digital cable TV households and is streamed live online at C-SPAN.org.

At the time of the launch of American History TV, C-SPAN co-president Susan Swain said: "We’re hoping American History TV does for history enthusiasts what Book TV has done for non-fiction book lovers."

Most Recent Reel America Videos

January 17, 2016
Martin Luther King Press Conference

Martin Luther King, Jr., was interviewed by four journalists for “Press Conference U.S.A.,” a U.S. Information Agency (USIA)…
January 14, 2023
Voyager II's Rendezvous with Saturn

This U.S. Information Agency video from 1986 showed discoveries photographed by Voyager II as the satellite made its…
January 14, 2023
Inside Lehman Caves National Monument

This 1971 National Park Service video described the unique limestone formations of the Lehman Caves in Great Basin…

December 10, 2022
History of American Dance - 1956

This 1956 video from the U.S. Information Agency showed the evolution and various styles of American dance throughout the…
January 7, 2023
Face to Face with Communism

This 1951 Armed Forces Information Service film dramatizes the effects of an imagined Communist invasion on an American…
January 7, 2023
Understanding Tornados

This NASA video from 1975 described advancements in tornado research and the importance of information from early…