All Episodes of The U.S. and the Holocaust
Browse all episodes of The U.S. and the Holocaust
Americans consider themselves a 'nation of immigrants', but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolds in Europe, the U.S. prove unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands
Season 1
9.0/10236 votesThe Golden Door (Beginnings — 1938)
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/2022
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: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Sarah Botstein
Writer: Geoffrey C. Ward
9.0/10188 votesYearning to Breathe Free (1938 — 1942)
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/2022
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: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Sarah Botstein
Writer: Geoffrey C. Ward
9.0/10177 votesThe Homeless, Tempest-Tossed (1942 — )
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/21/2022
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: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Sarah Botstein
Writer: Geoffrey C. Ward