The Best Episodes Directed By Sarah Botstein

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.0/10(2 votes)

   #1 - The Golden Door (Beginnings — 1938)

   S1:E19/18/2022

   Reversing a history of open borders, a xenophobic backlash prompts Congress to restrict immigration. Hitler and the Nazis persecute German Jews, forcing many to seek refuge. FDR is concerned by the growing crisis but unable to coordinate a response.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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2. 

   8.0/10(2 votes)

   #2 - Yearning to Breathe Free (1938 — 1942)

   S1:E29/20/2022

   As World War II begins, Americans are divided over whether to intervene against Nazi Germany. Some individuals and organizations work tirelessly to help refugees escape. Germany invades the USSR and secretly begins the mass murder of European Jews.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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3. 

   8.0/10(2 votes)

   #3 - The Homeless, Tempest-Tossed (1942 — )

   S1:E39/21/2022

   A group of dedicated government officials fights red tape to support rescue operations. As the Allies liberate German camps, the public sees for the first time the sheer scale of the Holocaust and begins to reckon with its reverberations.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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4. 

   4.0/10(18 votes)

   #4 - The Times That Try Men's Souls (July 1776 – January 1777)

   S1:E311/18/2025

   British General Howe defeats General Washington, forcing the Americans to abandon New York; Washington's army regroups in New Jersey before attacking an outpost at Trenton.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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5. 

   3.8/10(18 votes)

   #5 - In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775)

   S1:E111/16/2025

   Opposition in colonial North America to British policies over taxes, land and sovereignty escalates into violent confrontation; war gives 13 colonies a common cause.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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6. 

   3.7/10(18 votes)

   #6 - The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780 – Onward)

   S1:E611/21/2025

   British General Cornwallis struggles to pacify the southern states; supported by the French, a victory at Yorktown secures independence for the Americans.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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7. 

   3.6/10(17 votes)

   #7 - An Asylum for Mankind (May 1775 – July 1776)

   S1:E211/17/2025

   Congress puts George Washington in command of a new Continental Army; Congress declares American independence in July 1776.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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8. 

   3.6/10(17 votes)

   #8 - Conquer by a Drawn Game (January 1777 – February 1778)

   S1:E411/19/2025

   General Howe takes Philadelphia, but the Americans' surprising victory over General Burgoyne at Saratoga encourages France to support the U.S.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

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9. 

   3.6/10(17 votes)

   #9 - The Soul of All America (December 1777 – May 1780)

   S1:E511/20/2025

   The French-American alliance changes the war and moves it to other theaters; navies battle off England and in the Caribbean, while armies advance in Indian Country and the South; the British take Charleston.

   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Sarah Botstein

   Writer:N/A