Curators of the Kansas Museum of History describe the history of a German Schuetzen rifle in the museum's collection. The rifle was used in a shootout with members of Jesse James's gang in 1875, killing one member.
From the Kansas State Historical Society website:
"The United States didn't immediately send soldiers to fight in World War I, but that didn't stop Americans from volunteering. In this episode we hear the story behind a nurse's uniform worn by Ethelyn Myers, whose career took her from small-town Kansas to the battlefields of Europe."
From the Kansas State Historical Society website:
"A deep friendship took root between two men in the wilds of Kansas Territory. Their bond spanned the differences of culture and race, and lasted a lifetime. This walking stick endures as a symbol of their regard for each other."
Kansas Museum of History curators look at a walking stick in the museum's collection carved by Shawnee tribal leader Charles Bluejacket for Methodist missionary Charles Bole in the 19th century.
University of Iowa history professor Marshall Poe interviews Leslie Schwalm on her book Emancipation's Diaspora: Race and Reconstruction in the Upper Midwest. The book traces the migration of African Americans to Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota during and after the Civil War and the harsh reception they received.
Kansas Museum of History curators look at a banner that memorializes the 50-year anniversary of a civil rights-era sit-in in Wichita, KS. This sit-in preceded both the famous Oklahoma City, OK and Greensboro, NC sit-ins.
Missouri 8th-grade history teacher Eric Langhorst describes his visit to the Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball in St. Paul, NE, while also relating several baseball history stories.
Kansas Museum of History curators look at a story cloth, brought to Kansas by Hmong refugees from Laos. The cloth depicts the escape of Hmong from Laos across the Mekong River, fleeing attacks by the communist group Pathet Lao, after the U.S. military pulled out of Laos in 1974. The cloth, designed to appeal to a Western audience, represents a piece of Vietnam War history and a reminder of global contact and the impact of international relations on the lives of individuals.
Donald L. Miller, with Virginia Scharff and Louis P. Masur, looks at the settling of the American West between 1862 and 1893. Topics covered include the transcontinental railroad, conflict between Native Americans and settlers, women suffrage in the Wyoming Territory, and political and ideological conflict between farmers and industrialists.
Donald L. Miller looks at the growth of the city as an American entity from 1882 to 1894. In this presentation, Miller looks particularly at Chicago as a representative of the "new city." Topics include the World's Columbian Exposition, the development of the department store and the skyscraper, the city's transportation system, movement from cities out to suburbs, and reform efforts (including the establishment of Hull House) to address the new problems presented by slums and sweatshops.
Donald L. Miller, with Stephen Ambrose, Virginia Scharff, Waldo E. Martin, Jr., Pauline Maier, Louis P. Masur, and Douglas Brinkley, examines U.S. history from 1875 to 1906. The presentation looks at the rise of industry, including Chicago's meatpacking industry; transportation developments to support industry; Andrew Carnegie and the steel business; the unsanitary and harsh conditions of work in many factories; and the development of the skyscraper.