When a nation feels deeply divided, where do we look to understand who we are and where we’re headed? Documentarian Ken Burns offers perspective by looking at our past.
Experience the power of history, story telling and the American spirit through the lens of one of the country’s most celebrated documentarians. "Ken Burns and the American Idea" is a production of New Hampshire Humanities, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and NHPBS.
In this conversation, journalist and author Laura Knoy sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns to explore how the American narrative — our shared history of struggle, resilience, and self-correction — can help us navigate today’s complex cultural and political landscape.
This conversation was recorded live before an audience at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H. on Jun. 9, 2026.