Documentary Review: The American Revolution

On Sunday, November 16 through Friday, November 21, I watched the new six-part, twelve-hour documentary The American Revolution, which played on PBS and can be streamed on its website. The in-depth miniseries was co-produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The documentary tells a delicately balanced story of the war that led to the establishment of the United States and includes perspectives from famous Founding Fathers, everyday soldiers, and voices that had previously been hidden. While occasionally feeling too long, I believe this is the most comprehensive overview of the war found in an easily accessible video format.

The strongest thread of the series was the stories of ordinary people woven through mentions of famous people, battle strategies, and complex politics. The writings of Joseph Plumb Martin, John Greenwood (who grew up to make the Washington dentures), and Betsy Ambler were among the sources showing how teenagers experienced the war. I was pleased to have heard about many of these everyday people through my own research. Mumbet or Elizabeth Freeman from Stockbridge, MA was an enslaved women who successfully sued for freedom. James Forten was a child soldier and prisoner of war who became a wealthy sail maker and abolitionist. Thaddeus Kosciuszko (who stayed briefly in Philadelphia) received the briefest mention, as did Daniel Shays of Shays’s Rebellion (routed in Petersham, MA), and I wish more was said of these men. Perhaps the strangest moment was when I recognized a “No Slavery: Fourth of July” poster held in the collections of Massachusetts Historical Society, which is more suited for a Civil War documentary.

An impressive aspect of the documentary was the number of places featured, whether these were sites related to the war or those used for B-roll. A shortlist of places appearing on this blog included American Heritage Museum, History Cambridge (credited as Cambridge Historical Society), Valley Forge NHP, Independence NHP, Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters NHS. I also recognized shots from Old Sturbridge Village, which will receive its own miniseries in a few months. The documentary did not include Major Reuban Colburn House in Pittston, ME, the site of construction for Benedict Arnold’s faulty boats, or John Paul Jones House in Portsmouth, NH. Even with twelve hours of run time, some things had to be left out.

The documentary included famous voice actors and singers. Peter Coyote returned as the perennial Ken Burns documentary narrator. For some of the biggest names, Amanda Gorman read the poetry of Phillis Wheatly, Morgan Freeman voiced James Forten, Meryl Streep voiced Mercy Otis Warren, Michael Keaton voiced Benedict Arnold, while Tom Hanks and Samuel L. Jackson voiced multiple people. Rhiannon Giddens and Yo-Yo Ma provided musical talent. On top of the expert dialogue and an original score, visuals included stylized close-ups of beautiful paintings and fresh illustrations. I especially loved the color scheme of the maps, which effectively showed troop movements during battles.

Perhaps the most special effects came from fairly new technology to provide perspectives that I had never seen before. Drone shots allowed viewers to see battle reenactments from an overhead view with soldiers marching across a field or shooting at the enemy. This perspective combined with classic eyelevel shots in the middle of a battle and the well-designed maps prevented the sometimes chaotic movements of the armies from becoming overly confusing.

The American Revolution was all that I expected as someone with significant knowledge about the time. The documentary covered nearly all the points that I expected, although a few points were belabored (such as several descriptions of violence against civilians) or overly simplified (such as the midnight ride to Concord). Perspectives were far better balanced than other films on this material, comparable to the techniques used by the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. While the length of the documentary makes classroom viewing difficult, high school history teachers might view portions in class to supplement textbook materials. Due to the candid depiction of warzone violence, the documentary is rated TV-14 and therefore may not be appropriate for younger audiences. Finally, since this documentary was released as part of the America250 celebrations, I am interested to see if any competitors come out of the next few years. It seems unlikely another series will have the breadth, star power, and distribution of this piece.