IT'S HISTORY Courses

Why Bethlehem Steel Was a Nightmare for Workers

Explore the dark history of Bethlehem Steel's working conditions, from its rise as an industrial powerhouse to its impact on workers' lives and eventual downfall in American manufacturing.

• YouTube
• 14 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

New York's Lost Subway - The Secret Beneath Broadway

Discover the fascinating story of Alfred Ely Beach's 1870 pneumatic subway beneath Broadway—a revolutionary transit system powered by air pressure that was ultimately shut down by political corruption.

• YouTube
• 13 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Forgotten Monoliths of St. Louis - Stand Pipes

Explore the fascinating history of St. Louis' standpipes—towering water pressure regulators that became architectural monuments while similar structures were demolished elsewhere. Discover why these industrial relics still stand today.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why the Pentagon Is Totally Forbidden

Explore the secrets of the Pentagon—America's largest low-rise office building with hidden tunnels, classified areas, and a complex design built for military command. Discover why this five-sided fortress remains largely off-limits.

• YouTube
• 13 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Before Route 66 - The Story of America's First Highway

Discover how the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road from NYC to San Francisco, revolutionized travel and birthed car culture before being overshadowed by Route 66.

• YouTube
• 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Real Shawshank Prison: History Worse Than the Movie

Explore the dark history of Ohio State Reformatory, from progressive rehabilitation center to overcrowded, violent facility, and its transformation into the iconic filming location for The Shawshank Redemption.

• YouTube
• 15 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why Rockefeller Center Shouldn't Exist

Uncover the improbable story of Rockefeller Center, from failed opera house to iconic NYC landmark built during the Great Depression, reshaping urban America against all odds.

• YouTube
• 17 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

NYC's Lost Island of Warships and Royal Yachts - Shooters Island

Uncover the forgotten history of Shooters Island, NYC's hidden shipyard that built warships and royal yachts, from Revolutionary War spy base to abandoned ruins off Staten Island.

• YouTube
• 11 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Chicago's Lost Fire Alarm Network - From Church Bells to Telegraphs

Uncover Chicago's evolution from church bell fire alerts to advanced 19th-century telegraph systems, exploring how network failures contributed to the Great Chicago Fire disaster.

• YouTube
• 12 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

New York's Lost Double-Decker Elevated Trains

Uncover the forgotten story of New York's double-decker elevated railways - engineering marvels with stacked stations and sky-high platforms that ruled the city before vanishing by 1973.

• YouTube
• 21 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why 8-Mile Wall is Totally Forbidden

Uncover how Detroit's 8 Mile transformed from a simple road into America's most infamous racial dividing line, featuring segregation walls, redlining, and Eminem's cultural impact.

• YouTube
• 18 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why California Has a Bridge to Nowhere

Uncover the fascinating story of California's isolated concrete arch in the San Gabriel Mountains, built during the Great Depression but abandoned after catastrophic 1938 floods destroyed its road.

• YouTube
• 11 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why There's a Hidden Station Under New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Uncover the secrets of Track 61, NYC's hidden rail platform beneath the Waldorf Astoria, exploring its transformation from coal transport to presidential passage and urban legend.

• YouTube
• 20 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why Some McDonald's Are Left Abandoned

Explore the eerie world of abandoned McDonald's locations, from UFO-shaped restaurants to floating "McBarges," uncovering the strange history behind forgotten golden arches.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why Toronto Buried Its Lost Rivers - 3,500 Underground Miles Explained

Uncover how Toronto transformed its natural waterways into 3,400+ miles of underground tunnels, revealing the engineering and politics that buried the city's rivers forever.

• YouTube
• 19 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video