Smithsonian Channel Film Series: America’s 250th
From May to December, join us for our Smithsonian Channel Film Series celebrating and exploring America’s 250th through a variety of subjects! Starting on the first Saturday of the month, each film will air daily at 2:00pm for a full week (except Mondays), providing multiple opportunities to check it out. These screenings are free and open to the public.
A Star Spangled Story: Battle for America (July 4-10)
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was written when America faced total military defeat. Discover this and other anthem secrets.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is known by all, treasured for its powerful melody and stirring lyrics. And yet, only about 40% of U.S. citizens know all the words. And even fewer know their meaning. Join us as we travel back to 1814, when Washington D.C. was under British attack during the “Second War of Independence” and the very bricks and mortar of American democracy were reduced to smoking rubble. We examine the battle that inspired witness Francis Scott Key to immortalize its final moments, then reveal how his poem transformed into an anthem.
TV-PG / 51 min
- May 2–8, 2026, 2 p.m. – America in Color: Coming to America
- June 6–12, 2026, 2 p.m. – She the People: Votes for Women
- July 4–10, 2026, 2 p.m. – A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America
- August 1–7, 2026, 2 p.m. – Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild
- September 5–11, 2026, 2 p.m. – The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
- October 3–9, 2026, 2 p.m. – America in Color Titans of Industry
- November 7–13, 2026, 2 p.m. – America in Color: Made in the USA
- December 5–11, 2026, 2 p.m. – America in Color: Small Town Life
