In his time, Mark Twain was considered the funniest man on earth. Yet he was also an unflinching critic of human nature, using his humor to attack hypocrisy, greed and racism. In this series, Ken Burns has created an illuminating portrait of the man who is also one of the greatest writers in American history.
Program WebsiteFunding provided by General Motors Corporation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Connecticut Office of Tourism, CPB, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, Park Foundation
01:21
Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain's masterpiece
00:53
Sam Clemens decided to take on a new name: Mark Twain.
00:27
Twain knew for America to be great, race had to be discussed.
00:26
Twain traveled abroad with the idea that America is the center of the universe, not Europe
00:24
Twain made American speech something to be admired.
01:04
Innocents Abroad was a subscription book.
00:18
The Mississippi River was a sacred place for Twain.