Thoughts?

Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Speaking of voices I liked Paul Giamatti as John Adams

Since I had already liked him (gotten used to him) in the role of Adams in the HBO mini-series show.

Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

I took two wonderful semesters of American history with Dr. Armitstead. No book or movie will surpass his inspiration.

Harrison Bergeron said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

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Well God forgive me but I sure do enjoy Ken Burns story telling. Which we have to realize it's not history Ken is teaching it's story telling with a historical backdrop and overarching theme.

And in fact every episode has so far had a strong slavery component (for good or bad).

Philip J. Deloria does also voiced out loud in episode one that the desire of White colonists for Indians lands beyond the Appalachian mountains (and the refusal of the British authorities to allow that movement into the Ohio valley country) is to him the main driving cause of the American revolution.

That goes of course unchallenged by any of the other historians Ken Burns has decided to promote.

Interesting….

Vietnam was well done. This not so much

Redbrickbear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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"Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

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Well God forgive me but I sure do enjoy Ken Burns story telling. Which we have to realize it's not history Ken is teaching it's story telling with a historical backdrop and overarching theme.

And in fact every episode has so far had a strong slavery component (for good or bad).

Philip J. Deloria does also voiced out loud in episode one that the desire of White colonists for Indians lands beyond the Appalachian mountains (and the refusal of the British authorities to allow that movement into the Ohio valley country) is to him the main driving cause of the American revolution.

That goes of course unchallenged by any of the other historians Ken Burns has decided to promote.

Interesting….

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Since the overdose of Saint George Floyd we have to pretend that everything in America and Texas revolved around slavery and bleks secretly are responsible for everything good in 'Murica but were silenced by whitey.

Not surprising on the "historians." The Academy loves diversity as long as it is not of thought.

I'm enjoying it

Redbrickbear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

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Well God forgive me but I sure do enjoy Ken Burns story telling. Which we have to realize it's not history Ken is teaching it's story telling with a historical backdrop and overarching theme.

And in fact every episode has so far had a strong slavery component (for good or bad).

Philip J. Deloria does also voiced out loud in episode one that the desire of White colonists for Indians lands beyond the Appalachian mountains (and the refusal of the British authorities to allow that movement into the Ohio valley country) is to him the main driving cause of the American revolution.

That goes of course unchallenged by any of the other historians Ken Burns has decided to promote.

Interesting….

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it's an interesting take on the prohibition of immigration into the Ohio Valley as a cause of the revolution. I had not heard that before; it's an novel take

Osodecentx said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

---

Well God forgive me but I sure do enjoy Ken Burns story telling. Which we have to realize it's not history Ken is teaching it's story telling with a historical backdrop and overarching theme.

And in fact every episode has so far had a strong slavery component (for good or bad).

Philip J. Deloria does also voiced out loud in episode one that the desire of White colonists for Indians lands beyond the Appalachian mountains (and the refusal of the British authorities to allow that movement into the Ohio valley country) is to him the main driving cause of the American revolution.

That goes of course unchallenged by any of the other historians Ken Burns has decided to promote.

Interesting….

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it's an interesting take on the prohibition of immigration into the Ohio Valley as a cause of the revolution. I had not heard that before; it's an novel take

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A few observations (I'm through episode 3 so far):

1. Episode 1 gave some good insight on why the British set up their ill-advised tax schemes on the colonies. The government and the East India Company were badly in debt, and they had pretty much maxed out on taxing the locals in Britain. Fateful consequences to think that the colonies were an easy source of new tax revenue.

2. Apparently the British prohibited settlements west of the Appalachians to avoid provoking the Indians (having fresh memories of the Indians siding with the French in the French & Indian War 1756-63), which directly conflicted with more and more colonists moving in and wanting more and more fresh land on which to start a new life. Prohibition on settlements may not necessarily start a war, but it easily swayed the colonists into favoring independence (as an aside, this somewhat comports with what I know of my family genealogy: most of my ancestors were in VA and NC before and during the Revolution, but most moved to TN and KY by the end of the 18th Century).

3. For a people with no written language and little interaction with other cultures, there have been a lot of very specific quotes from Indians. Curious as to the source where these may have come from.

4. Anyone of that era who may have had an unpleasant encounter with Indians would likely have no qualms at continuing to move them out of the picture. A bit surprised that Episode 3 went into as much detail about the tribe whose leader insisted on attacking white settlers, even at the insistence of other tribal leaders to avoid doing so. And soon thereafter he FAFO'd big time.

5. The obligatory 10 minutes per hour about slavery, complete with commentary from the young historian with a scowl who looks like Hakeem Jeffries without his sombrero, and the older historian with the straggly silver dreadlocks, and the other female ones. Included was a totally unnecessary detour into a thwarted slave rebellion in Jamaica going on at the same time.

6. It's done a good job so far of setting a background that may explain Benedict Arnold's later turncoat actions.

7. British General Howe several times had Washington nearly cornered and backed off or quit pursuing him. One of those "what if" moments in tactical military history.

Ken Burns skill really comes out on the battles and the stories around them.

In Episode 4, He talks about the Battle of Bennington (in new York)....800 British Regulars, Germans, Loyalists, and Iroquois under Lt. Gen. Friedrich Baum (Brunswick German commander)...they move into the town essentially looking for food since they are running out of supplies during Gen. John Burgoyne's campaign to try and take Albany.

They run into close to 2,000 Patriots and a fierce battle takes place.

Lt. Gen.Baum is killed and his regulars and German troops get over run on one side of the battlefield. Loyalist John Peters and his Canadians (French- Quebecers), loyalist Americans, and Iroquois hold out on a defensive position.

Gen. John Stark and the Patriot Americans keep coming.

During the fighting loyalist Col. John Peters sees a man shooting at him...as the man comes up on him and yells out:

"Peters you damn tory, I've got you!"

He saw that it was a Patriot Captain named Jeremiah Post. A old school friend and childhood playmate...and a cousin of Peters own wife (actual kinfolk of his)

The man rushes on Peters and bayonet's him in the left part of Peter's chest (but the blade is turned by the bones in his chest)...Peters looks him in the face and thinks..."though his blade was in my body I felt regret at having to destroy him". Peters then kills him

https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolution-episode-4-conquer-by-a-drawn-game/

minute 45 mark

Ken knowns how to tell a story and really comes through on the battles. He makes you feel them.

Osodecentx said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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I all seriousness ... I am sure every episode will focus on the blek soldiers and slaves and claim the entire reason for the Revolution was to oppress the bleks ... it would be like crediting all Mooslum innovation to the Janissaries.

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Well God forgive me but I sure do enjoy Ken Burns story telling. Which we have to realize it's not history Ken is teaching it's story telling with a historical backdrop and overarching theme.

And in fact every episode has so far had a strong slavery component (for good or bad).

Philip J. Deloria does also voiced out loud in episode one that the desire of White colonists for Indians lands beyond the Appalachian mountains (and the refusal of the British authorities to allow that movement into the Ohio valley country) is to him the main driving cause of the American revolution.

That goes of course unchallenged by any of the other historians Ken Burns has decided to promote.

Interesting….

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it's an interesting take on the prohibition of immigration into the Ohio Valley as a cause of the revolution. I had not heard that before; it's an novel take

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Its got some legs and must be listed....it was one reason for the revolution and the general estrangement of the Colonists with Britain

But its really out there to say....as that professor did...that he thinks its "the cause of the American revolution"

Its probably not even a top 15 grievance

Redbrickbear said:

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Thoughts?

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Heard interview on CSPAN on the research. Is this on yet? I wanted to watch it.

FLBear5630 said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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Thoughts?

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Heard interview on CSPAN on the research. Is this on yet? I wanted to watch it.

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Yep

Its on PBS now

https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution

Observation on episode 4 of Burns docu on American Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin - at the age of 70 - was sent to France to ask for help against Britain in 1777. The French were reserved, wanted news of success.

Franklin was worried thought about it. But how did he think? He…

— FischerKing (@FischerKing64) November 21, 2025

Redbrickbear said:

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Observation on episode 4 of Burns docu on American Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin - at the age of 70 - was sent to France to ask for help against Britain in 1777. The French were reserved, wanted news of success.

Franklin was worried thought about it. But how did he think? He…

— FischerKing (@FischerKing64) November 21, 2025

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The contribution of the American Revolution to the French Revolution is a good piece of history.

"Ken Burns has set himself the impossible task of retelling a national origin story that all Americans will embrace as their own. He began work on the resulting six-part, twelve-hour series, The American Revolution, nearly a decade ago, just as the so-called Great Awokening got going. The years 2015-2025 have been energizing and inspiring for culture warriors and historical polemicists. But Burns is neither. His craft consists in conveying, intelligently, artfully and respectfully, the mainstream historical consensus. And that consensus has become so politicized it no longer meaningfully exists. Burns's earnest effort to reconjure it merely results in incoherence."

In his piece for compact, @adamrowe82 has artfully encapsulated what is wrong (and right) with Ken Burns's American Revolution documentary. https://t.co/H9VkahCZoe

— Dr. Alexander S. Burns (@KKriegeBlog) December 4, 2025

BellCountyBear said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Will Viola Davis play George Washington?

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Oprah Winfrey.

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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Observation on episode 4 of Burns docu on American Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin - at the age of 70 - was sent to France to ask for help against Britain in 1777. The French were reserved, wanted news of success.

Franklin was worried thought about it. But how did he think? He…

— FischerKing (@FischerKing64) November 21, 2025

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The contribution of the American Revolution to the French Revolution is a good piece of history.

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Great catch.

A direct line effect on France.



However American historians usually underplay France's contribution to beating the British.


For without the French navy, army and especially money / supplies there is little chance we would have won the war.

The part where he tries to say that the Iroquois Confederacy structure deeply influenced that colonists in choosing a form of government is just not accurate at all. Sorry. It was a deliberative body, but that's where the similarities end.

Bruisers Burner Phone said:

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The part where he tries to say that the Iroquois Confederacy structure deeply influenced that colonists in choosing a form of government is just not accurate at all. Sorry. It was a deliberative body, but that's where the similarities end.

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Yeah, they seem to try to interject Benjamin Franklin's thoughts and Albany Plan into the Constitution discussions. Franklin was a fan and so was George Washington (or at least he was familiar), but the rest were all educated in the Classics, correct? They were all Greek and Roman idea based.

I can see the Articles of Confederation maybe resembling the Great Law of Peace.

One of the things that the New York School System in the 60's and 70's did well was teach the Iroquois history, mythology and interactions with the Colonists really well. I remember learning all this in 5th and 7th Grade. But, they did not claim the Constitution was based on the Iroquois form of Government.

FLBear5630 said:

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Bruisers Burner Phone said:

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The part where he tries to say that the Iroquois Confederacy structure deeply influenced that colonists in choosing a form of government is just not accurate at all. Sorry. It was a deliberative body, but that's where the similarities end.

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Yeah, they seem to try to interject Benjamin Franklin's thoughts and Albany Plan into the Constitution discussions. Franklin was a fan and so was George Washington (or at least he was familiar), but the rest were all educated in the Classics, correct? They were all Greek and Roman idea based.

I can see the Articles of Confederation maybe resembling the Great Law of Peace.

One of the things that the New York School System in the 60's and 70's did well was teach the Iroquois history, mythology and interactions with the Colonists really well. I remember learning all this in 5th and 7th Grade. But, they did not claim the Constitution was based on the Iroquois form of Government.

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That's where the Woke Ideology differs from the traditional, liberal bias of the Academy.

Awesome to highlight to great (and terrible) things about American Indians, slavery, etc. However, just to feel like Didn't Earn It is a license to just make up history to pretend "oppressed" groups played an outsize role in X, Y, Z is the legacy of Woke.