From cellphone spying to facial scanning technology, it's no secret that the U.S. government is gathering loads of personal information on its citizens. But few remember that America's modern surveillance apparatus began more than 115 years ago, half a world away in the Philippine Islands. 'The Secret History of American Surveillance' traces the surprising origins of our modern surveillance state and examines how beholden the government has become to the private corporations who handle our sensitive information. This short documentary uses archival images and motion graphics animation to condense more than 100 years of history into a relatable and compelling bite-sized video.