The West

The entire series by Ken Burns which charts the conquest of the American frontier from 1500-1914.

Using photographs, diaries and journals from over 74 different archives, this documentary series tells the story of these first steps in the Western adventure.

In 'Empire Upon the Trails', since time immemorial the West had been the home of the Indian, but with the advent of the modern era and the spread of European colonialism, that was all set to change.

First came the Spanish Conquistadors, then the solitary explorers, the mountain men, the trappers, and others paving the way for the future settlement of these unknown lands. 'Death Runs Riot' tells the story of the Civil War, the Californian gold rush, the birth of new cities such as San Francisco, the battle against Mexican attempts to reclaim Texas, and the start of the military campaigns against the American Indian. 'Fight No More Forever' tells the story of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the war against the Indians.

Finally 'One Sky Above Us' tells the story of the last days of the West, of the larger-than-life characters who could still be found there, and of how Buffalo Bill Cody set about creating the mythic image of frontier life which has survived to this day.