I did not see the NYC program on PBS but must say that your comments have given me great pleasure in reading your opinions on such presentations. Lately, I seem to have noticed more omission of facts in several areas and I don't watch TV. I did genealogical research for a project that was displayed as a "history of a few neighborhood people" and could not believe what I heard when a history professor gave a talk about these people at the opening of the display. The presenter had all of the information that I had found which came from several different sources including legal records and was all documented. The audience was captivated by the interesting stories presented and the "probable" happenings of yesteryear as imagined by this person. Several of the facts were incorrect but it fit into the story "spun" about the characters in the neighborhood from the benevolent wealthy to the poor cleaning lady. When I gave a copy of my research to a descendant who was also there, she was surprised in what I had found that was not previously known to her. Then she wondered why a history professor would present the information and change or omit the facts. I came away from this exhibit wondering how much liberty and personal opinion historians use when writing history. This past week I met a man, about 40, and his mother, trying to find newspaper articles about their ancestors. I mentioned that I had previously researched part of their family and that one line came from Kentucky and although described as mulatto, they were actually Indian from the early 1800 records. Because the census taker listed a mixed breed Indian as mulatto (this happens in many census records) people copying this information concluded this meant they were black and so recorded them as such. The mother had several old family papers stating that they were Indian but could not figure out how or where. Articles written about some of this family lists them as black so this information continues to be "correct". The man had to return to CT but is planning on doing his own documentation all the way to Kentucky. I have since found a book in the Saratoga Library and the author notes that these people are Indian although most other local sources calls them black because they were referred to as mulatto in earlier records. French Canadians in upper MI married the Indians in that area. Every one of the children in the census of the "white French Canadians were thus listed as mulatto from that day forward. These records almost always stand forever but one must do a thorough job of research to verify the validity of each piece to the puzzle. So I think anyone who does research must personally hold themselves responsible for presenting ONLY what can be documented and skip the creativity. Letting PBS get away with presenting something as obviously incorrect as you all describe, regardless of money or time restraints, just makes us a part of what is wrong. Like many other areas of life these days "everybody is doing it" and "you can't change the world" just really helps erode the values that this country once stood for. If we continue to be this way and allow "anything goes" then what will you as historians or lovers of history have to read or write about? There will no longer be true facts. Either it happened or didn't happen. It should all be recorded correctly and I pray that those who are responsible for keeping records and recording history has the boldness and honesty to do the best job regardless of what the rest of the world thinks or says of them. God Bless Ruth Ann Messick Saratoga County, NY