The American Revolutionary War: PBS Documentary

Figure 1.--This PBS special examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. PBS describes their special as raising issues that few Americans have studied since high school and do not really understand. Now like Burns' other documentaries, it is professionally done and brings up individual stories that are of historical interest. But because of the reliance on modern woke historiography, Burns fails to bring out what was at the heart of the Revolution and why it is so important. Especially important are: 1) land ownership, 2) the suffrage, 3) role of the Westminster parliament, 4) Britain's Western expansion policy, 5) Britain's Native American policy, 6) Britain's colonial economic policy, 7) impact on Britain's Empire, 8) education system, and 9) capitalism. Notyice the PBS caption. "No none expects contry farmers are going to hildoff atrained army." True, but it needs to be mentioned that these were country farmers who owned their lands.

This PBS special examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. PBS describes it as: "Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe. An expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of the war and the birth of the United States of America, the film follows dozens of figures from a wide variety of backgrounds. Through their individual stories, viewers experience the war through the memories of the men and women who experienced it: the rank-and-file Continental soldiers and American militiamen (some of them teenagers), Patriot political and military leaders, British Army officers, American Loyalists, Native soldiers and civilians, enslaved and free African Americans, German soldiers in the British service, French and Spanish allies, and various civilians living in North America, Loyalist as well as Patriot, including many made refugees by the war. The Revolution began a movement for people around the world to imagine new and better futures for themselves, their nations, and for humanity. It declared American independence with promises that we continue to strive for. The American Revolution opened the door to advance civil liberties and human rights, and it asked questions that we are still trying to answer today." PBS describes their special as raising issues that few Americans have studied since high school and do not really understand. Now like Burns' other documentaries, it is professionally done and brings up individual stories that are of historical interest. But because of the reliance on modern woke historiography, Burns fails to bring out what was at the heart of the Revolution and why it is so important. Especially important are: 1) land ownership, 2) the suffrage, 3) role of the Westminster parliament, 4) Britain's Western expansion policy, 5) Britain's Native American policy, 6) Britain's colonial economic policy, 7) impact on Britain's Empire, 8) education system, and 9) capitalism.

Created: 12:00 AM 11/14/2025
Last updated: 12:00 AM 11/14/2025