Pick what you feel are the 10 best films that portray the span of human history. This could be documentaries, shorts, etc. but only ten.

you only need two:
2001: A Space Odyssey
History of the World: Part I

Birth of a Nation
Lawrence of Arabia
Citizen Kane
Grapes of Wrath
The Jazz Singer
Braveheart
Gone With the Wind
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Roots

I understand some of these except Kane? How does that film, outside of it being an amazing piece of art, fit into the history of the race? Jazz Singer too, outside of it being the first sound film?

Well Kane represents a time period where one man controlled the flow of information. Jazz Singer because how ignorance was so prevalent among too many Americans.

The Ten Commandments
Casablanca
Children of Men

Rocky.

It's the only one you need.

Quest for Fire
Last Temptation of Christ
Sebastianne
Alexander
Excalibur
Seven Samurai
The Madness of King George
The Magnificent Ambersons
Taxi Driver
Shape of Things to Come

1. Cosmos (Human history in relation to the universe)
2. Quest for Fire (Early Man)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Early Man and the Future of Humanity)
4. All Quiet on the Western Front (World War 1)
5. Schindler's List (World War 2)
6. Trinity and Beyond (The Nucelar Age)
7. Modern Times (Industrialization)
8. Woodstock (The changing focus of youth in the 60s)
9. Koyaanisqatsi (Humanity in the natural world)
10. The Corporation (The way of today)