The Real West

The legendary saga of Oglala Chief Red Cloud--fierce and proud leader in both war and peace.

From hell and back, the saga of what a group of settlers had to endure on the way to the Promised Land. Kenny Rogers hosts.

Their cultures lived and thrived in the America's southeast for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. But for the "Five Civilized Tribes", Congress mandated banishment, hardship, and a long walk to death.

Legendary figures and tales of the romantic Old West come alive through the use of film clips, photos, drawings, and reenactments. Includes portraits of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Geronimo.

Profile of the great Sioux warrior and mystic medicine man who led his people in a bloody struggle for survival against the encroachment of the white man's "civilization". Includes the story of his victory over Custer at Little Bighorn.

An investigation into the brutal murder of 128 westward-bound pioneers in southern Utah, and how Mormon leaders conspired to keep the horrible crime secret.

The real-life adventures of the man who considered himself the smartest, funniest, and most popular outlaw in the West, and his ladies' man sidekick.

Account of the remarkable struggle of the Nez Perce Indians to remain free and protect their culture. Ordered off their land, the tribe was led by Chief Joseph on an arduous journey to find sanctuary in Canada.

In 1845, with Manifest Destiny his top priority, President James Polk annexed Texas from Mexico, sparking a 2-year battle between the countries.

Story of the wood and stone forts where pioneers found refuge during the great westward migration of the 19th century. Features such famed outposts as Bent's Old Fort, Forts Union, Laramie, Phil Kearny, and Robinson.

The bloody saga of the battle between the cattle barons and the homesteaders that raged in Wyoming in 1892. The cattle ranchers went on a rampage and hired mercenaries to kill anyone who stood in their way before the army was called in to restore order.

The story of how newspapers sensationalized coverage of the West to win readers. Includes accounts of how reporters twisted the facts of the Indian Wars, and how dime novels made Calamity Jane into a Black Hills' beauty and James Hickok into Wild Bill.

Tale of the legendary James Butler Hickok: lawman, scout, frontiersman, gunslinger, and professional gambler. Follows his exploits through the gold rush fields of Deadwood, South Dakota, to the fateful day in 1876.

The colorful story of how the mighty steamboat overcame sandbar-filled waters and hostile Native Americans to open the West to pioneer settlement.

As homesteaders and miners went west to seek their fortunes, scientists came to look for dinosaur bones in the fossil-rich lands.

Sweep aside the historical hype and confront the real facts and controversies surrounding Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William B. Travis, and the Texan defenders of the Alamo. Why did they fight when defeat and death were certain?

Soldier, professor, explorer, John Wesley Powell led the first major exploration of the Colorado River in 1869, where he documented rock, plant, and animal species unknown to man, and encountered the "gates of hell".

The sagas of Sam Houston and Stephen Austin, the founders of the state of Texas and leaders of the American revolt against Mexico.

Story of the pioneers who tamed one of the continent's most forbidding territories. Chronicles the exploits of James Douglas, who brought law and order to the mining boomtowns of British Columbia.

The saga of the windy prairie town that grew into one of the nation's largest cities. Rare photographs and records bring to life the Chicago of Pullman, Marshall Field, McCormick, and Sandburg.

The saga of the notorious Dalton boys, who served as lawmen before becoming train robbers. Includes the tale of their violent deaths in 1892--they went down while attempting to rob two banks in the same day.

History of the frontier's most feared and fearless lawmen, who combed the wide-open spaces of Texas to track down some of the Old West's most vicious criminals.

The colorful story of how cattle barons rose to power by controlling vast ranches that were larger than some states.

Meet the real Buffalo Bill, not the myth, and discover how his traveling show--with its colorful collection of cowboys, Indians, and even Annie Oakley--influenced the modern perception of the "Old West."