Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein bring "The American Revolution" to life in new PBS docuseries

Key Concepts

• American Revolutionary Movement: A historical movement that served as a model for freedom from oppression, with the United States' independence being its origin.
• Complex Nature of the Revolution: The war is described as a revolution superimposed on a civil war and a world war, involving various groups beyond just the founding fathers.
• Visual Storytelling in Documentaries: The challenge and creative process of creating a visually compelling 12-hour documentary without video footage from the era, relying on archival materials and new cinematography.
• Reenactment Groups: The documentary's unique approach to using reenactment groups, not for staged scenes, but by embedding with them to capture authentic curiosity and detail.
• Dimensional and Human Portrayals: The aim to present familiar figures like Washington in a more human and dimensional light, alongside introducing lesser-known individuals.
• Underdog Story and Patriotism: The revolution is characterized as a surprising, inspiring underdog story that evokes patriotism and pride.
• Historical Divisions and Unity: The documentary highlights that the United States has always been divided, even during its founding, and that public debate and engaged citizenship are part of its tradition.
• Fact-Based Storytelling: The emphasis on rigorous fact-checking and presenting a historically accurate narrative to foster understanding and connection.
• "Origin Story" and "Birthright": The documentary is presented as the nation's origin story, inviting viewers to engage with fundamental questions about the founding and what people are willing to sacrifice for.

The American Revolution: A New Documentary Series

This summary details the upcoming PBS documentary series on the United States War for Independence, as discussed by co-directors Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein. The series aims to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the revolution, moving beyond superficial or sentimental views to explore its complex realities and enduring relevance.

Main Topics and Key Points

• The Revolution as a Precedent: The United States' independence movement is highlighted as the origin of modern independence movements, serving as a model for freedom from oppression. The nation's identity is rooted in the idea of what its forebears were willing to die for.
• Complexity of the War: Ken Burns emphasizes that the revolution was not simply about "men in Philadelphia thinking great thoughts." It was a "bloody civil war superimposed on a world war." The documentary delves into the involvement of teenagers, children, women, Native peoples, free and enslaved Black Americans, and foreign powers vying for control of North America.
• Decade-Long Research and Production: Burns and Botstein spent nearly 10 years researching and developing the 12-hour production, aiming to make familiar figures like Washington dimensional and human, while introducing viewers to dozens of previously unknown individuals.
• Visual Storytelling Challenges and Innovations:
  • Absence of Video: The lack of video footage from the era presented a significant challenge for creating a visually compelling 12-hour documentary.
  • Archival Reliance: The filmmakers relied heavily on existing archival materials, including maps, pamphlets, letters, diaries, church logs, and military rolls.
  • New Cinematography: They also shot live cinematography of the American landscape to imagine where people lived, walked, and witnessed the war, bringing historical figures to life in new ways.
  • Use of Paintings and Drawings: The series incorporates oil paintings and drawings that have shaped the popular imagination of the war over the past 250 years.
  • Innovative Use of Reenactments: Instead of traditional staged reenactments, the filmmakers spent years embedded with reenactment groups. This allowed them to capture the groups' profound curiosity about historical accuracy and gather a critical mass of footage that could be blended with other visual elements.
• Dimensional Portrayals and New Perspectives:
  • Beyond the Familiar: The documentary aims to go beyond the well-known narratives, introducing viewers to a 10-year-old refugee girl and dozens of other individuals from diverse backgrounds (Irish, German, English, Welsh, Scottish).
  • Inclusion of Loyalists: The series presents a balanced perspective by including Loyalists, acknowledging their decision to defend the British constitutional monarchy as a rational choice at the time. Burns states they aim to be "umpires calling balls and strikes," not judging historical decisions.
  • Sharing the Discovery Process: The filmmakers describe their approach as sharing their "process of discovery" rather than dictating what viewers should know, making every level of the story feel new.
• Underdog Story and Patriotism: Sarah Botstein describes the revolution as a "great underdog story" that is "really inspiring" and evokes patriotism. The series highlights the surprising nature of the American victory, with assistance from the French and their position on the global stage.
• Relevance to Contemporary Divisions:
  • Historical Parallels: The documentary draws parallels between the deep divisions of the Revolutionary era and contemporary polarization in the U.S. Botstein notes that the nation has been divided each time it has celebrated July 4th, engaging in debates about history, government dynamics, and states' rights versus federal power.
  • Tradition of Public Debate: America is presented as having a long tradition of public debate, engaged citizenship, and internal divisions, all of which began at its founding.
• Connecting with Viewers:
  • Universal "Portal": Ken Burns believes that "everyone I know in the country can find a portal, an entrance to this story" and feel patriotic and proud.
  • Beyond Key Battles: The series goes beyond iconic events like Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Washington crossing the Delaware, and Yorktown, introducing viewers to 40-50 lesser-known battles.
  • Homefront and Diverse Roles: It explores what was happening at home, the roles of women on the battlefield and in attending to matters, children, and the complex dynamics of Native American nations as significant players in diplomacy and trade on the world stage.
  • Flattening Binaries: By telling a complex story, the documentary aims to "flatten out" or "release all of the binaries" that divide people (e.g., red state/blue state), suggesting that differences are often just "different takes."
  • Fact-Based Foundation: The filmmakers emphasize their commitment to fact-checking and ensuring accuracy, especially in an era of widespread misinformation. They believe this fact-based approach provides comfort and allows people to participate in understanding their "birthright" and the fundamental questions of sacrifice and founding principles.

Important Examples and Real-World Applications

• The 10-Year-Old Refugee Girl: An example of a lesser-known individual whose story will be featured to illustrate the human cost and diverse experiences of the war.
• Loyalists' Perspective: The inclusion of Loyalists as a significant part of the narrative, representing those who chose to remain loyal to the British Crown, demonstrating a balanced approach to historical interpretation.
• Native American Nations: Their role as significant players in diplomacy and trade on the world stage, comparable to European powers like France or Prussia, highlights their importance beyond being simply "on the ground."

Step-by-Step Processes, Methodologies, or Frameworks

• Filmmaking Methodology:
  1. Deep Archival Research: Extensive digging into historical documents like maps, letters, diaries, and military records.
  2. Imaginative Cinematography: Shooting new footage of historical landscapes to visualize past events and locations.
  3. Creative Use of Visual Arts: Incorporating historical paintings and drawings to represent the visual legacy of the era.
  4. Embedded Reenactment Engagement: Spending years with reenactment groups to capture authentic detail and curiosity, rather than staging scenes.
  5. Voiceover Narration: Utilizing a large cast of actors to read historical accounts, bringing archival material to life.
  6. Rigorous Fact-Checking: A dedicated process over the last year and a half to ensure historical accuracy.

Key Arguments or Perspectives Presented

• The American Revolution as a Foundational Idea: The core argument is that America is built on an idea of who its people are, where they came from, and what their ancestors were willing to sacrifice.
• The Revolution's Enduring Complexity: The documentary argues that the revolution was a multifaceted conflict with diverse participants and motivations, challenging simplistic interpretations.
• The Importance of Understanding Origins for Present Unity: The series posits that by understanding the nation's complex origin story, Americans can find common ground and overcome contemporary divisions.
• The Value of Fact-Based Historical Narratives: In an era of misinformation, the filmmakers argue for the necessity of presenting accurate, fact-checked historical accounts to foster informed citizenship.

Notable Quotes or Significant Statements

• "We think about independence movements of the 20th century. You don't always recognize the fact the United States actually started that." - Ken Burns
• "America is predicated on an idea that tells us who we are, where we came from, and what our forebears were willing to die for." - Ken Burns
• "I don't think I'm going to work on a more important film than this." - Ken Burns, regarding the documentary's significance.
• "Our revolution is incredibly complicated. a revolution superimposed on a bloody bloody civil war superimposed on a world war." - Ken Burns
• "We've got other things that we hope are as important. But I think particularly now in the divisions that we experience, the idea of going back and collecting a not superficial or sentimental view of our founding provides us with a kind of energy that allows us to understand uh where we are because we know where we came from." - Ken Burns
• "Rather than say, 'Please reenact the Battle of Bunker Hill,' we spent years embedded with reenactment groups, which are they're so profoundly curious about what actually took place..." - Sarah Botstein
• "It's basically rather than telling you what you should know, we're sharing with you our process of discovery." - Ken Burns
• "We we sort of like to say that we're umpires calling balls and strikes we don't make somebody wrong because they made the decision to to to defend their sovereign and the British constitutional monarchy that looked like the safest bet in the world and and not for this radical idea of these upstarts, you know, these rebels, which is what the British always calls it." - Ken Burns
• "It's such a surprising story. It's a great underdog story and it's really inspiring and you feel extremely patriotic while you're watching it..." - Sarah Botstein
• "We were really deeply divided in the American Revolution, maybe more so than we are today." - Sarah Botstein
• "Everyone I know in the country can find a portal, an entrance to this story and feel, as Sarah's saying, patriotic and proud about it." - Ken Burns
• "If you tell a complex story, uh I think people it tends to flatten out or or maybe just release all of the binaries that we have at red state, blue state, you know, whatever it is that that divide us." - Ken Burns
• "All we do for the last year and a half is fact check and make sure that it's right." - Ken Burns
• "And then you begin to set sense that we're not that far apart. We just have different takes on it." - Ken Burns
• "And if you can come together over something in which we can assure you is fact-based." - Ken Burns
• "And I think then people can feel a kind of comfort and come into this living room and sit around this table and participate in their own birthright which is the big question what happened at our founding and what it is those big questions what you're willing to sacrifice your life for." - Ken Burns

Technical Terms, Concepts, or Specialized Vocabulary

• Independence Movements: Organized efforts by a group of people to gain political independence from a ruling power.
• Founding: Refers to the establishment of the United States and the principles upon which it was built.
• Archival Materials: Original documents and records from a particular period or place.
• Cinematography: The art and technique of motion-picture photography.
• Reenactments: The act of performing a historical event again, often for educational or entertainment purposes.
• Loyalists: American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War.
• Rebels: American colonists who fought against British rule.
• Public Debate: The open discussion and argument of political and social issues.
• Engaged Citizenship: Active participation of individuals in the civic life of their community and country.
• States Rights vs. Federal Government: A recurring debate in U.S. history concerning the balance of power between individual states and the national government.
• Fact Checkers: Individuals or organizations that verify the accuracy of information.
• Birthright: A right or privilege that someone is entitled to by birth.

Logical Connections Between Different Sections and Ideas

The summary flows logically from the introduction of the documentary series and its overarching theme of the revolution's significance, to the specific challenges and innovative solutions employed in its production. It then delves into the content of the series, highlighting its nuanced portrayal of historical figures and events, its exploration of the revolution as an underdog story, and its relevance to contemporary societal divisions. The discussion of the filmmakers' approach to storytelling and their emphasis on fact-based narratives connects these elements, culminating in the release details and the series' invitation to viewers to engage with fundamental questions about the nation's founding.

Data, Research Findings, or Statistics

• 12-hour production: The length of the documentary series.
• Nearly 10 years: The duration of research and development for the series.
• 40 or 50 battles: The approximate number of battles the series will introduce viewers to, beyond the most famous ones.
• Last year and a half: The period dedicated to fact-checking the documentary.

Clear Section Headings

The summary is structured with clear section headings to organize the information logically.

Brief Synthesis/Conclusion

The PBS documentary series on the American Revolution, co-directed by Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, promises a deep, complex, and visually compelling exploration of the nation's founding. By leveraging extensive archival research, innovative cinematography, and a unique approach to reenactments, the filmmakers aim to humanize historical figures, introduce lesser-known narratives, and present the revolution as a foundational, albeit deeply divided, "origin story." The series is positioned as a timely and inspiring work that encourages viewers to engage with the nation's past to better understand its present, emphasizing the enduring importance of fact-based storytelling and engaged citizenship. The 12-hour production will premiere on PBS on November 16th and will be available for free streaming.