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Finding Your Roots

Larger Than Life

Season 11 Episode 1 | 52m 10s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried to ancestors who are every bit as dramatic as the characters they’ve played on stage and screen. Moving from a naval base in the Philippines to a small town bakery in Pennsylvania to steamships on the Atlantic Ocean, Lea and Amanda hear stories of relatives who survived wars, murders, and heart-wrenching ordeals.

Aired: 01/06/25 | Expires: 02/04/25
Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Support is also provided by Ford Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Candace King Weir; by the Inkwell Society together with many of its members; and by public television viewers.
Extras
The American Revolution
Inside Look: Making The American Revolution
Step behind the scenes of Ken Burns’s new film to see how The American Revolution came to life.
Special:
Watch • 0:30
The American Revolution
'The American Revolution Changed The World'
Historian Stephen Conway. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Preview: 0:30
Watch • 0:30
The American Revolution
'One Common Cause'
Historian Christopher Brown. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Preview: 0:30
Watch • 0:30
The American Revolution
'The Extraordinary Thing About the Patriot Side'
Historian Jane Kamensky. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Preview: 0:30
Watch • 0:33
The American Revolution
Saratoga: A Psychological Turning Point
Historian Stephen Conway on the psychological impact of Saratoga on the British.
Clip: 0:33
Watch • 3:37
The American Revolution
Inside Look | People Just Like Us
The filmmakers on how understanding the people of the Revolution can help us understand who we are.
Clip: 3:37
Watch • 10:33
The American Revolution
Inside Look | Voices of the Revolution
Filmmakers discuss how they used stories of both well-known and lesser known figures.
Clip: 10:33
Watch • 3:57
The American Revolution
Inside Look | Finding Facts
The filmmakers discuss how the story of The American Revolution came together.
Clip: 3:57
Watch • 6:29
The American Revolution
Inside Look | Making the Revolution
The filmmakers discuss how they crafted imagery to help tell the story of the American Revolution.
Clip: 6:29
Watch • 6:18
The American Revolution
Inside Look | Our Origin Story
Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt on the challenges of telling America's origin story.
Clip: 6:18
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the ancestry of notable chefs José Andrés & Sean Sherman.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the ancestry of actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen.
Episode: S11 E4 | 52:10
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals inspiring ancestors of novelist Amy Tan & poet Rita Dove.
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