Film Series Overview

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Episode One: “The Best Poor Man’s Land”

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From the coal industry in the mountains to the tobacco farms in the Bluegrass and manufacturing in the urban areas, this part of our film illuminates the rich personal ties between the land and people of Kentucky. We learn how Kentucky’s land has proven so alluring and transforming from the world of Daniel Boone to our current global environment.

Episode Two: “Defining Ourselves”

Part One

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Part Two

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A revealing glimpse into Kentucky’s (and the nation’s) ongoing ‘conversation’ with race and citizenship via several compelling mini-dramas. We explore how the evolving story of who has been included and excluded in the state mirrors the national pattern of diversity. Examples range from Boone’s odyssey as part captive/adoptee of the Shawnee Nation to Josiah Henson’s dramatic escape on the Underground Railroad, and black jockey Isaac Murphy’s struggle with Jim Crow laws in the 1880s.

Episode Three: “Chasing the American Dream”

Who has risen to power and influence in Kentucky’s past (and who has been left behind)? How has Kentucky’s tradition of political power coming from the local level (‘little kingdoms’), changed over time? Exploring these themes, we uncover revealing mini-dramas of fascinating Kentuckians (from William Goebels and Happy Chandler to Laura Clay and “Miss Lennie” McLaughlin) whose presence on the political stage speaks volumes about how democracy in the Commonwealth (and the nation) has evolved since the frontier era.

Epilogue

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Brief overview of the main themes in the film series.