The American Trail

The American Trail was a series of thirteen quarter-hour shows that told the story of American history, "blazed in blood, defended in blood." Sponsored by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the VFW and aimed towards middle-schoolers, it was first broadcast in 1953 in the mid-morning, with a hope that teachers would play it in class and use it as a lead-in to history lessons.

Each episode dramatizes a significant event from American history, such as the Lewis and Clark expedition, the California Gold Rush, and the Wright Brothers first flight. The last episode focused on the American flag.

The details of events are factually accurate, though some quite understandable liberty is taken in the dramatized segments so as to humanize them. Personally, I found the tone of the shows to be somewhat smug, which was likely a symptom of the show's dating from the early years of the Cold War.

For more info, see the Free Classic Radio.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.