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THE FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PAST: Lines in the Sand

At Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas, series host Ed Ayers and Jorge Hernandez, a National Park Service ranger, discuss how Native American, Spanish, and French influences helped shaped Texas.
Courtesy of Field Studio
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APT
At Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas, series host Ed Ayers and Jorge Hernandez, a National Park Service ranger, discuss how Native American, Spanish, and French influences helped shaped Texas.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 9:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with the PBS App

Texas has long been a place of contentious borders and cross-cultural exchange. Six national flags have flown over Texas since the 1500s, starting with European contests for the land that followed 10,000 years of Native American history there. From Spanish missions, to a French shipwreck, to a former sugarcane plantation, we visit to ask: How did Texas become Texas?

THE FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PAST: Lines in the Sand

In THE FUTURE OF AMERICA’S PAST, notable scholar Ed Ayers takes viewers to the sites of complex and evocative chapters in American history. Throughout the series, Ayers meets with public historians working to preserve the past, from National Park Service rangers to curators and community activists. He visits the sites — both familiar and unknown — of monumental events, and brings on guests who offer a range of perspectives.

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Host Ed Ayers and Bruce Winders, historian at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, discuss the myths and realities surrounding the Alamo.
Courtesy of Field Studio
/
APT
Host Ed Ayers and Bruce Winders, historian at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, discuss the myths and realities surrounding the Alamo.

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Credits: A production of Field Studio. Presented and funded by VPM. Distributed by American Public Television and PBS