Architecture grows out of a people's shared past. But in America, where ties to ancient cultures have been broken, we have individually and collectively invented a usable past. From the practical shelters built by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation to the classic ideals of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to the stylistic diversity of our own time, our buildings reflect the strong-willed individuals who have fused national and personal mythologies.

This first program in the series provides an overview of American architecture, exploring the result of the search for continuity and the need for innovation and introducing the development of different building types and styles as responses to the demands and wants of Americans.

Sites covered in detail in this program are Plimouth Plantation, Jefferson's Monticello, Washington's Mount Vernon, Hill-Stead, and the Philip Johnson Estate. Vincent Scully, Jaquelin Robertson, and Philip Johnson join Robert A. M. Stern in this program. (58 minutes)