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The Best Episodes of 500 Nations Season 1

Every episode of 500 Nations Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of 500 Nations Season 1!

Binge this in 8h 0m•Peaking at 8.6/10

500 Nations is an eight-part documentary on the Native Americans of North and Central America. It documents from pre-Columbian to the end of the 19th century. Much of the information comes from text, eyewitnesses, pictorials,

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    500 Nations Season 1 Episode 1 - The Ancestors: Early Cultures of North America
    8.5/10(34 votes)

    #1 - The Ancestors: Early Cultures of North America

    S1:E1

    This volume takes a look at the massacre of the Sioux at Wounded Knee then flashes back to examine societies of Native Americans prior to the arrival of European settlers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 2 - Mexico: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs
    8.4/10(25 votes)

    #2 - Mexico: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs

    S1:E2

    The rise and fall of the Aztec Empire is examined from their defeat of the Toltec regime to Cortez's ultimate conquest of the Aztecs and all of Mexico.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 3 - Clash of Cultures: The People Who Met Columbus
    8.4/10(15 votes)

    #3 - Clash of Cultures: The People Who Met Columbus

    S1:E3

    Columbus' arrival and the subsequent defeat of the Caribbean tribes are chronicled, along with De Soto's destruction of the Southeast tribes such as the Coosa and the Mobile nation.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 4 - Invasion Of The Coast: The First English Settlements
    8.4/10(20 votes)

    #4 - Invasion Of The Coast: The First English Settlements

    S1:E4

    An examination of the Native Americans of New England and their experiences with the British who settled at Jamestown and Plymouth. Includes background to the first Thanksgiving.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 5 - Cauldron Of War: Iroquois Democracy And The American Revolution
    8.4/10(20 votes)

    #5 - Cauldron Of War: Iroquois Democracy And The American Revolution

    S1:E5

    Hostilities between Native Americans and European settlers erupt across the eastern part of the continent as the colonists prepare for revolution. Pontiac's siege of Detroit and the splintering of the Iroqois Confederacy are examined.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 6 - Removal: War And Exile In The East
    8.5/10(19 votes)

    #6 - Removal: War And Exile In The East

    S1:E6

    After Tecumseh's Shawnee people side with the British in the War of 1812, President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, forcing all tribes to move into "Indian Territory," along the famed trail of tears.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 7 - Roads Across The Plains: Struggle For The West
    8.3/10(19 votes)

    #7 - Roads Across The Plains: Struggle For The West

    S1:E7

    The twin gold rushes in California and Colorado bring hordes of settlers into the Western Territories where such Native American leaders as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and the Kiowa chief Satanta organize futile resistance.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 500 Nations Season 1 Episode 8 - Attack On Culture: 'I Will Fight No More Forever'
    8.6/10(18 votes)

    #8 - Attack On Culture: 'I Will Fight No More Forever'

    S1:E8

    The Indian resistance of the late 19th-century is examined, including Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, the Apache leader Cochise and Geronimo, who surrenders and is imprisoned into the 20th-century. The government-mandated suppression of Native American culture culminates in the massacre at Wounded Knee, bringing the series full circle.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Ancestors: Early Cultures of North America" is the best rated episode of "500 Nations" season 1. It scored 8.5/10 based on 34 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 4/20/1995. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Mexico: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs".