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Missouri’s History Echoes the Broader American Story as Series Continues

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Part one of this three-part docuseries explored the region's Indigenous cultures up to the brink of the Civil War. Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri’s Rifts, Roads, and Civil Rights, Part Two, traces Missouri’s complex transformation from a battleground of Civil War loyalties to a keystone in America’s mid-century modernization.

An encore of Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri's Indelible Role in American History, Part 1, and the new episode will air back-to-back beginning Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 pm. Encore broadcasts of the two episodes are Nov. 6, 1 am; Nov. 11, 1 pm; Nov. 16, 1 pm on Nine PBS or stream anytime with Nine PBS Passport

Through archival images and expert commentary, Missouri’s Rifts, Roads, and Civil Rights examines how post-Civil War Reconstruction, infrastructure expansion, and the ongoing struggle for racial justice intersected across Missouri, ultimately shaping U.S. history. 

From the turmoil of border-state violence to the momentum of Route 66, and the grassroots power of the Civil Rights Movement, this documentary reveals how Missouri’s history echoes the broader American story—complex, driven, and still evolving.

Crossroads of a Nation is produced by Missouri Humanities Council and Cat’s Got Your Tongue, LLC, and is presented and distributed nationally by American Public Television. 

Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri’s Rifts, Roads, and Civil Rights, Part Two

Premiere | Tuesday, Nov. 4, 8 pm on Nine PBS and livestream.
Encore broadcasts | Nov. 6, 2 am; Nov. 11, 2 pm; Nov. 16, 2 pm; Nov. 24, 2 am

Contributed by Lynanne Feilen

Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri's Rifts, Roads and Civil Rights
56:46
Published:
Expires: 2026-01-01
Rating: TV-PG

At the crossroads of progress and justice, Missouri shaped the path of a divided nation.

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