Anchored by interviews with descendants of ancestors whose stories are featured throughout the event series and geographical imagery that showcases the history of how America was populated, America: Promised Land uncovers the great forces that set mankind in motion. During the course of the two nights, the series chronicles the massive immigration patterns of ethnic groups to the United States through the telling of historical events including the Dutch Fur Trade; the creation of the postage stamp by Irish immigrants; the California Gold Rush; Germans coming to the aid of the Union Army in vast numbers during the Civil War; The Great Migration of African-Americans to the North and West and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad which reduced America's East to West travel time from six months to one week.

Additionally, the series sheds a realistic light on the struggles and hardships that some populations endured during their journey to America, such as the transport of enslaved people during the transatlantic slave trade and Italian communities in New York being targeted by criminal organizations. Through the exploration of immigrant's strife, triumphs and contributions to society, "America: Promised Land" offers an authentic look at patterns of migration with an emphasis on the massive movements of people since the Industrial Revolution.