10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America

Fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg to Southerners) was the first major battle of the American Civil War to take place in the north. The battle would leave more than 23,000 soldiers dead, its carnage impossible to visualize. The victory of the north gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation, bringing an end to slavery in America.

On May 26, 1637, English settlers and their Indian allies attacked Mystic Fort, home of the Pequot Indians, in Mystic Connecticut would change the relationship between the colonists and Indians forever. Several hundred Pequot Indians would be massacred in this battle, and those who tried to flee were either killed or sold into slavery afterwards. This single battle severely decimated the Pequot Indian tribe. Over the years, the tribe living on their reservation had diminished to merely three people. They would go on to take on the American government, getting land and federal recognition. Their tribe has been able to make a resurgence thanks to the controversial construction of a bingo hall and eventually a casino in the northeast.

Albert Einstein's letter to FDR urged the development of an unthinkably powerful new weapon. The result, known as the Manhattan Project, brought government and science together to build a bomb that would change the world forever. Directed by Emmy, Peabody, and duPont winner Barak Goodman, and narrated by Campbell Scott. Produced by Ark Media

Set against the backdrop of the 1901 World's Fair and the dawning of the new century, the assassination of President William McKinley ushered in a new Progressive Era under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. directed by Emmy, Peabody, DGA, Sundance, and Independent Spirit Award winner Joe Berlinger and narrated by Terry Kinney. Produced by @radical.media

Elvis Presley's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956, signified a whole new culture that involved teenage independence, sexuality, race relations and a new form of music. Directed by Emmy, Peabody, Sundance, and Independent Spirit Award winner Bruce Sinofsky. Produced by @radical.media

On January 24, 1848, a carpenter named James Marshall discovered gold in a California river, assuring in the famous gold rush, which would propel the creation of the state of California seemingly overnight, fuel vast industrial growth, and make America a world economic power. While gold had been discovered elsewhere, by the Egyptians, Hittites, Romans, Greeks, Babylonians, there had never been a gold rush. There had always been an emperor, king, pharaoh, or czar who could keep people away from the vast riches.