History on the television

I have always been a huge nerd; a nerd in the sense of loving to learn. I especially love learning about history because everything connects back to history. Fashion, art and music are all influenced by the era, and gives us a feeling of what life was like. I

Some of my favorite things to watch on Netflix are documentaries, and some of the best documentaries are from the History Channel.

The latest one I watched this weekend was The Men Who Built America. It’s one of the many History Channel documentaries that’s on Netflix. The documentary talks about some of the most powerful men who influenced America at the turn at the 20th century: Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and Ford.

The documentary is broken into four episodes, each one focusing on their triumphs, competition and alliance. It’s eye opening to learn facts about these people that you never learned in school. For example, did you know that while J.P. Morgan is associated with banking, he actually helped Thomas Edison pioneer electricity? Or that Nikola Tesla was an apprentice of Edison? No? I didn’t either.

Along with that, America: The Story of Us is another History Channel docu-series that describes the history of the United States from the Revolutionary War to present times. It’s a fantastic visual representation of the history of the U.S that acts as a wonderful supplement to what you already learned in school.

The last docu-series I would definitely recommend is Engineering an Empire. If you are into ancient history, especially learning about the ancient empires such as Greece and Rome, Engineering an Empire describes the innovations of some of the world’s greatest empires: Egypt, Greece, Rome. It goes into depth behind building some of the greatest innovations like the Great Pyramids, the Roman aqueducts, and the Parthenon in Greece. It’s a great approach to history so you can learn the thought process behind some of the world’s greatest monuments.

I’ve watched my fair share of history documentaries. They are a great alternative to watching regular television, where you can learn more about a topic you are passionate about. A good place to start? The “Documentaries” section on Netflix.