"[A] masterpiece! So well done, beautifully moving, and timely." Gus Speth, Dean Emeritus, Yale Environment School

[Note: Educational DVD purchase and Streaming licenses can be ordered here.]

America the Beautiful may be America's most beloved song. But few know about the fascinating life of the writer behind it: poet, long-time professor at Wellesley College and social reformer Katharine Lee Bates.

The first words of her poem America (later set to music and called America the Beautiful) came to Bates as she surveyed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains from the broad summit of Colorado's Pike's Peak on July 22, 1893. Bates penned lyrics that reflect both a love for her country and a desire for reform. The song does not ignore the fact that the United States has often not lived up to its promises and ideals, yet it honors the unbroken chain of Americans who, living up to those ideals and loving their country deeply, strived to make it all it can be. bu



Grade Level: 9 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2025     Copyright Date: 2025
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-42-X

Reviews "From Sea to Shining Sea is a beautiful story beautifully told. I hope it gets the traction it deserves! Bravo!" Rick Steves, travel writer and PBS personality "[A] fascinating exploration of the life and passions of Katharine Lee Bates, an extraordinary American thinker and patriot, whose vision of true American Exceptionalism resonates as strongly today as it did a century ago." Keith Lockhart, conductor, Boston Pops "What an amazing film! I've just finished it and plan to watch it again. Congratulations on a fine piece of work. It's definitely an award winner!" Bob Sampayan, former Mayor of Vallejo, California "Congratulations for the moving brilliance of how you have paid tribute to Katharine and her complex, deeply felt ode to America; and especially for the lasting legacy which you have given to the country for the 250th." Beth Hinchcliffe, playwright, author, former presidential speechwriter "We Americans need a moving remembrance of our hearts, our shared dreams, our possibilities together. This film accomplishes that. I was enthralled. Uplifted. Strengthened. Encouraged!" Steven McFadden, Author, Legend of the Rainbow Warriors "From Sea to Shining Sea is a masterpiece! So well done, beautifully moving, and timely." Gus Speth, Dean Emeritus, Yale Environment School "This film hits the ball out of the park. So few Americans are informed about how America the Beautiful, one of our most iconic songs, was made. All of our citizens should know more about this history, told here in a way that is both informative and entertaining. Short excerpts by music legends add to the film's memorable nature. Don't miss it!" Larry Fahn, Former Sierra Club President