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Conquest to Revolution: The “New World” from Columbus to Washington
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1492 - Conquest of Paradise (Widescreen Edition) [VHS]1492 - Conquest of Paradise (Widescreen Edition) [VHS]
Buy used from: $18.99
Beautifully filmed spectacle about Christopher Columbus, the second (and best) of two film bios released in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Genoese navigator's first voyage to America. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Columbus - The Lost Voyage (History Channel)Columbus - The Lost Voyage (History Channel)
Buy new: $22.49 / Used from: $31.44
History Channel documentary about Columbus' disasterous fourth voyage to the Americas.
Just The Facts: The Age of DiscoveryJust The Facts: The Age of Discovery
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $17.84
Short documentary that profiles a number of explorers, several of whom made important voyages to the Americas.
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $6.75
A young hunter who was to be sacrificed to the Mayan gods narrowly escapes death and races home to be reunited with his wife and child, with his pursuers hot on his trail.
ConquistadorsConquistadors
Buy new: $22.49 / Used from: $12.80
PBS documentary hosted by historian Michael Wood. No exciting re-enactments here but educational and highly entertaining nonetheless.
Ancient Mysteries - The Quest for the Fountain of YouthAncient Mysteries - The Quest for the Fountain of Youth
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Was Ponce de Leon truly searching for the fabled fountain of youth or was he only interested in finding gold and glory as some experts now believe?
Captain From CastileCaptain From Castile
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Swashbuckling romantic adventure about a Spanish nobleman who escapes the wrath of the Inquisition by joining Hernan Cortez' expedition to conquer the Aztec empire.
The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista)The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista)
Buy new: $18.99 / Used from: $6.72
Mexican-made drama about Cortez' suppression of the Aztec religion and its impact on the native people.
Cabeza De Vaca [VHS]Cabeza De Vaca [VHS]
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An earlier Mexican import that deals with Spanish adventurer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's treacherous journey through the American continent and his enslavement to the Indian tribe he grows to love after having been shipwrecked off the coast of Florida in 1528.
New World (Nuevo Mundo)New World (Nuevo Mundo)
Buy new: $17.99 / Used from: $4.79
Controversial, Spanish language drama set in 16th-century Mexico about a Catholic priest and an artist who - in order to easily convert the conquered Aztec population - create an icon of the Virgin Mary that resembles a native goddess.
Royal Hunt of the SunRoyal Hunt of the Sun
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.83
Francisco Pizarro's ruthless conquest of the mighty Incan empire.
Aguirre, the Wrath of GodAguirre, the Wrath of God
Buy new: $17.99 / Used from: $7.41
A haunting German production depicting Spanish conquistador Don Lope de Aguirre's mad quest to find the mythical city of El Dorado.
How Tasty Was My Little FrenchmanHow Tasty Was My Little Frenchman
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Brazilian black comedy about a 16th-century French explorer who tries to learn the ways of the tribe of cannibals who have captured him.
Lost Colony of Roanoke [VHS]Lost Colony of Roanoke [VHS]
Documentary that explores the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Britain's first American colony.
Conquest of America (History Channel)Conquest of America (History Channel)
Buy new: $21.49 / Used from: $6.24
Despite the title, this 4-part documentary covers only those adventurers who explored regions of the Americas that now make up the United States. These were: Francisco Coronado, Jean Ribault, Henry Hudson and Vitus Bering.
The New WorldThe New World
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $1.49
Epic retelling of the legendary relationship between Captain John Smith and Pocahontas.
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the MayflowerDesperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower
Buy new: $16.99 / Used from: $10.49
Superb film documentary (from The History Channel) about the Pilgrims.
Squanto: A Warrior's TaleSquanto: A Warrior's Tale
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $7.22
Highly fictionalized but entertaining family adventure inspired by true events about the title character's kidnapping to England by traders and his escape and eventual return to America.
Black RobeBlack Robe
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The faith of a young 17th-century French priest is tested when he is captured and brutalized by hostile Indians while crossing the Canadian wilderness to convert another tribe.
Brazil: An Inconvenient HistoryBrazil: An Inconvenient History
Buy new: $26.00
Interesting but depressing British-made documentary about the slave trade in Brazil, mostly during colonial times.
QuilomboQuilombo
Buy used from: $49.99
Moving, fact-based drama about the black slave revolts in 17th-century Brazil.
The CrucibleThe Crucible
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The infamous Salem witch hunts. Adapted for the screen by Arthur Miller from his own play.
True Caribbean Pirates (History Channel)True Caribbean Pirates (History Channel)
Buy used from: $23.80
Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, Ann Bonny and Mary Read are some of the infamous cutthroats featured in this exciting documentary from The History Channel.
The Mission (Two-Disc Special Edition)The Mission (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $8.66 / Used from: $8.54
A Spanish Jesuit priest and a former mercenary in 18th-century South America join together to build a mission to help convert the native Guarani Indians as well as provide shelter for them, but their plans are soon threatened when the pope orders that the mission be closed, an act that would leave the Guarani vulnerable to slave traders.
Xica [VHS]Xica [VHS]
Buy used from: $49.97
Romanticized biography of Xica (pronounced SHEE-cah) da Silva, a black slave who used her wits and sexuality to rise to prominence in 18th-century Brazil.
The War That Made America: The Story of the French and Indian WarThe War That Made America: The Story of the French and Indian War
Buy new: $31.49 / Used from: $22.24
Nicely made docudrama on an often-overlooked war.
The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)
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A sweeping action-romance set against the backdrop of British America during the French and Indian War.
Battle of The BraveBattle of The Brave
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Love and war again, this time in Quebec, during the same conflict.
The History Channel Presents The RevolutionThe History Channel Presents The Revolution
Buy new: $25.49 / Used from: $34.67
My personal favorite documentary on the American Revolution.
The Patriot (Extended Cut)The Patriot (Extended Cut)
Buy new: $15.99 / Used from: $5.29
A peaceful veteran of the French and Indian War leads a rebel militia against the British during the American Revolution after one of his eldest sons is killed by a sadistic redcoat officer.
Revolution: RevisitedRevolution: Revisited
Buy new: $17.49 / Used from: $25.34
Underrated historical epic.