Reminder: The American Revolution by Ken Burns

[gleem]

The docuseries, The American Revolution by Ken Burns, is airing on PBS. The first episode began last night and will continue nightly through Friday at 8 pm(?) EDT.

You can also watch the six episodes on the web here.

 

[Klystron]

The docuseries, The American Revolution by Ken Burns, is airing on PBS. The first episode began last night and will continue nightly through Friday at 8 pm(?) EDT.

You can also watch the six episodes on the web here.

Thanks for this reminder and link to online PBS Newshour. His Civil War series taught many viewers American history while refuting myths and misinformation.

 

[gleem]

As might be expected, right-wing conservative forces are warning about believing too much in this series. It might be too "wokey".

History Professor Issues Warning After Watching First Few Minutes of Ken Burns' New Revolutionary War Docuseries​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/h...n&cvid=6921aee6606d4ffbb5ffbd0d25d39278&ei=80



Jonathan Barth claims Ken Burns's antipathy towards Trump is justification for criticizing the docuseries. But then I am sure that anything that suggests that white men are less than perfect will raise the hackles of any MAGA adherents.

Franklin did propose a joining of the colonies for their mutual protection during the French and indian War. Perhaps Canassatego's quote in the video above did not specifically influence Franklin; Franklin wrote a pamphlet stating his admiration for the Indian Nations in 1785, shortly after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. It suggests his knowledge of Indian culture, which dates back to 1744.

The series is filled with information typically glossed over or ignored in standard American History courses, of which I am familiar. Some of the issues continue to echo today.

One takeaway for me was that the US was taken kicking and screaming into a democratic form of government. The Revolutionary War was as much a civil war as a fight for freedom. If not for a few very strong-willed men, the world might be significantly different.

 

[Borg]

I've gotten through the first three episodes and see things that would both incite and inspire both sides of the political spectrum depending on the lens that people view it through. I think that the MAGAs would have a harder time sitting through the whole series and have their hackles raised as @gleem noted.

My own personal lens is more along the lines of the strategic and tactical decisions made by both sides. Also, the initial drivers for the founding fathers being mostly due to having their land speculation ventures cut off was something that I had not known about.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Ken Burns is a national treasure. Looking forward to this!

 

[Borg]

My favorite quote from the last episode.

The architects of the federal goverment divided the government into three branches... They feared that a demagogue might incite citizens into betraying the American experiment. Alexander Hamilton was concerned that an "unprincipled" man would mount the hobby horse of popularity and "throw things into confusion". "In a government like ours" he would write, no one is "above the law".

Unfortunately, they did not account for that person's hobby horse spanning all three branches of the government. The founding fathers would be horrified at what we've become.

 

[gleem]

Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward have co-authored a companion book on the American Revolution titled "The American Revolution: An Intimate History."

It is available on Audible and Kindle. Hardcover is $80 USD.

 

[gleem]

In review, while the series focused on the actual revolution and secession from the British Empire, which was engaging, I had hoped Burns would have included more of the development of this new nation and its new government, which was left in disarray.