Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch.

The story of a poor young woman, separated by prejudice from her husband and baby, is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.

In the Spanish town of Magdalena live María and her sweetheart, Pancho, son of the governor. When the town is captured by brigands led by Ramírez, the governor is deposed, and Don Domingo Maticas is appointed in his place. Ramón, son of the new governor, becomes infatuated with María. She repulses him, but he is encouraged by her mother.

Oswald Lane is welcomed by his hometown as a war hero and enjoys recounting his adventures to anyone who will listen. He accepts an invitation to stay in the home of his rather colorless brother, Andrew, and is soon not only making love to Martha, the Belgian maid, but is also finding Andrew's wife, Hester, receptive to his flirting. After stealing money entrusted to Andrew by his church, Oswald is on his way out of town when he passes a school fire, rescues several children, and is himself seriously burned. Andrew offers his own skin for grafting, and Oswald directs Hester to return the money.

John Howard Payne leaves home and begins a career in the theater. Despite encouragement from his mother and his sweetheart, Payne begins to lead a life of dissolute habits, and this soon leads to ruin and misery. In deep despair, he thinks of better days, and writes a song that later provides inspiration to several others in their own times of need.

Ossie Davis narrates a history of "race films," films made before 1950 which catered to a primarily black audience.

Discovering that her husband is a bigamist, Nan returns with her child to her Puget Sound logging town. She is treated as an outcast by all save Donald, her childhood sweetheart, the son of a millionaire....

After attempting to succeed in his father-in-law’s fishing business, Gordon Gray persuades his wife, Rena, to return to his home and wealthy family. Once they arrive, she learns from Gordon's aunt, Mrs. Gray, how to become a lady.

Bob Taylor was a valuable man. Talbot, his employer, told Miriam as much, showing his daughter the good round sum which his new clerk had handed him that evening for a real estate deal he had made in Talbot's absence. It was after banking hours and Talbot slept with the money under his pillow. The next morning he went off in a tearing hurry and forgot the roll of bills.

Doris Moore is a country girl who is conned by two crooks, Harry Leland and Pop Clark. They convince the naive girl to come with them to New York City and play the badger game on William Lake. But the intervention of Kate Fallon, who runs the gang's New York home, saves the innocent and traps the guilty. Instead of tricking Lake, Doris marries him.

Anna Q. Nilsson is the title character, Agnes Lane, a daring spy for the South during the Civil War. She delivers an important message regarding an attack on a Yankee fort, then infiltrates the fort and turns herself in, only to change into a Union soldier’s clothes and escape with more confidential information. The Confederate soldiers love her, and treat her with respect, despite her un-ladylike profession. During the attack, morale appears to flag, but she sneaks out a message that she has been captured by the Yankees and is due to be executed, urging the boys to greater heroism. As they capture the fort, she again infiltrates and pretends to be grateful to her “rescuers.”

A parody of D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation", "I Am Not a Racist" rearranges the scenes of the classic movie and recreates its dialogues to criticize the racism in it and also in the world today. Freemenville is a little city somewhere in the USA. A city ashamed because of its past of slavery, but proud of being the first in the country to end it. There is an annual ball to celebrate this fact. And this year's ball may be the biggest ever, because of the possible presence of a big celebrity, who is coming to town to see the premiere of a play. However, the play happens to be D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation", a racist work that starts a series of events exposing the racism that still exists in the city, culminating in the recreation of the KKK.

An American pilot flying in Mexico crash-lands on a ranch, and is nursed back to health by the daughter of the ranch's owner. Unbeknownst to the pilot--who has lost his memory because of the crash--the girl has been praying for a husband, and believes that God has answered her prayers by sending him this handsome pilot. However, a local guerrilla leader has also had designs on the daughter, and comes up with a plan to get rid of his competition, make some money and win the girl in the bargain.

A German spy who is married to Lillian, the sister of Rosie O'Grady.

A short romantic comedy about two women whose canoe capsizes; they are then rescued by two train engineers. This leads to two couples who want to marry, but are prevented by a train accident.

Country girl Sheila goes to work in a city department store. After a quick courtship she marries Ray Underhill, unaware that he is a car thief.

A short documentary about the making of D. W. Griffith's controversial 'The Birth of a Nation'.

Lady Lou is forced by Hatfield, her cruel foster father, into the dance hall life at a brutal lumber camp. Through the efforts of a stranger who is secretly in love with her, Lou escapes to a neighboring camp where she meets and marries the lumberjack Conahan without telling him of her past.

Uncle Tom and Eliza's child are sold to Haley, a slave dealer. When Eliza learns that her son is to be taken from her, she steals the boy and runs away.

During the Civil War, Elinor, a pretty Northern girl, comes south to visit her aunt-- Little does anyone suspect she works as a spy. Lieutenant Yancey, who's nearly engaged to the fetching and resourceful Rose, is gallant enough to show the Yankee guest around, including a walk down a hidden creek where a gunboat is built and awaits powder. Elinor sends this intelligence North, and the Bluecoats attack.