Videos & DVDs

Join the pioneer settlers as they wrest from the wild frontier and the Native Americans the first legal American settlement in the Old Northwest Territory. Join them in:

Opening the Door West

This award winning PBS Television historical documentary tells the tale of Ohio’s first organized settlement and how it formed the beginning of the state of Ohio as well as the official beginning of our new nation’s westward expansion.

Through dramatic reenactments and interviews with eminent authors and historians we learn how an unusual group of men and women carefully planned and organized this frontier society to be the model for our nation’s growth.

“Opening the Door West” was produced by Shelburne Films in association with WOUB-TV (PBS) to tell this crucial episode of American history. This is the first time in over 150 years that the story of Ohio’s unique first settlement has been told for a popular audience.

Covering the period from 1785 to 1795, the story is told, with careful attention to historical detail, through the eyes of Revolutionary War officers and soldiers, settlers from New England, Native Americans, European immigrants and African Americans.

View a longer preview of "Opening the Door West." (6.5 mins.)

For more detailed and in-depth information about this production,
connect to the official website for "Opening the Door West."

Opening the Door West - DVD