The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

RMPBS Passport

Please log in to your PBS Passport account to watch this video

Become a Member

The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

Season 21 Episode 1 | 109m 38s | CC

In the Spring of 1954, the U.S. government put J. Robert Oppenheimer, the country's preeminent atomic scientist and the man behind the atomic bomb, on trial for national loyalty. The setting was a hearing to determine the status of Opppenheimer's security clearance, but the drama that unfolded was a parade of all the fears of a paranoid Cold War government desperate not to be outgunned.

American Experience

Watch more episodes

In the 1950's a Polio outbreak swept the U.S., devastating communities nationwide.

52:13

American Experience

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

The dramatic manhunt following the assassination of President Lincoln.

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Get trusted Colorado stories, programs, and events from Rocky Mountain PBS straight to your inbox.

Set Your Preferences >