Once again I find myself wondering why history, a subject I reviled in school, is now so interesting. In this case I’m thinking specifically of American history and Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution,” a docuseries airing this week on PBS (six two-hour episodes).
I couldn’t help wondering about the timing of this show, an examination of our nation’s founding and principles, with the rejection of a king and the establishment of democracy. A reminder, perhaps? Or perhaps not. But a reminder nonetheless.
Near the beginning of Episode One, there is a passage from Thomas Paine. And while I can’t find the quotation now, there was a moment when I thought specifically of Donald Trump, the state of America today, and the No Kings marches. I wasn’t looking for it or expecting it, but there it was, along with a brief mental image of the No Kings symbol.
(In retrospect, it might have been a later statement about the king ordering troops into the streets of the cities to police the citizens …)
Fortunately the moment passed and I was able to enjoy the rest of the show, admiring the artwork (lots of artwork because, of course, there are no photos from that time), the number of different historians who appeared, and instant recognition of the voices of Mandy Patinkin (Ben Franklin) and Tom Hanks (George Washington). At the time I even wondered if celebrity voices were worth the effort, because — for me, at least — the sudden recognition distracted me from what was said. (Those were the two I recognized, but the credits show that many celebrities participated.)
I’ll be watching the rest of the series, although perhaps not all this week. I’m an episode behind as it is, and there are so many other shows I want to watch. Two hours of history won’t always be the itch I want to scratch.
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Header image: Screenshot from “The American Revolution”
I was wondering about it
I was wondering…
At some point recently, I heard that the series was planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US which falls next year, 2026. But in that case I would have expected it to not be released until 2026.
maybe he felt the story needed to be told now, and couldn’t wait, for those who need a history lesson
Certainly there are many who seem to have no understanding (or caring) about what’s going on and what’s at stake. But then, they don’t strike me as the kind of people who would seek out a 12-hour-long “ancient” history lesson. If it didn’t happen in their lifetimes, it didn’t happen. “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” And here we are …
I’m recording it, haven’t started watching yet. Burns is a national treasure.
In my opinion, his name is all it takes to certify something as “Worth Watching.”
I’ve watched the first episode. I love it! Well done history.
If only our history teachers (the ones I had, at least) could make history as interesting as Burns does. It may simply be the inclusion of all the fascinating little details and anecdotes that we’ve never known about before. The information has obviously been there all along, but he’s taken the time to dig it up and present it.
Time, of course, is the one thing most teachers don’t have. I hated the course but pitied my university instructor who had to teach “world history” from cave man to WWI in one semester.