Liberty Video Series
PBS/The Democracy Project
EPISODE ONE:
:45
Beginning 3:31 James Taylor “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier”
4:50
Forrest Sawyer
Taxes, Freedom of Speech, Power
6:18
25 Years of History
6:50
Berg. Rush led into George III Throne Room
8:00
Colonists revere King
8:45
Map – 1763 Tyrannical French and Spanish removed
Need for independence a mystery
10:20 Episode I
Two weeks to get a letter from Boston to New York
11:43 Future founders
Age 31 – Washington – determined to be rich
Age 34 - Adams “Shall I creep or fly?”
Age 57 - Franklin – most famous American
14:50 British aristocracy looks down on Franklin
16:50 Washington letter about clothes
17:40 Americans feel inferior – artists go to London to learn
18:30 Debate in London 1765 – taxes to England
19:30 Stamp Act – outrages colonists – commentary
22:20 Colonial leaders declare rights
23:45 Power to tax is power to destroy
Petitions ignored
25:00 Effigy of stamp man hung – laws must be enforced, Hutchinson Chief Justice
25:50 Hutchinson’s house burned
27:18 Boycott proposed
27:44 Franklin (in London) is surprised, lobbies for repeal. Good Burke quote
28:50 Stamp Tax repealed
29:36 King George on political liberty
30:00 Immigrants come – Nicholas Creswill
31:30 Forests are valuable
32:00 Cartoon with commentary
33:00 Declaration Act then new taxes
Townshend Acts
Franklin
34:30 Woman’s comments
35:00 Boycott
36:00 Beliefs about hierarchy
37:30 Woman’s comments
38:30 “Rough” form of justice
40:00 Hutchinson’s letter to Parliament friend
41:00 British send brigade
41:30 Boston Massacre
46:00 Hutchinson is scapegoat
46:30 Ship – Tea Tax – 1773 – low price, with taxes
Makes colonists mad – Hutchinson disputes
December 16, 1773 – Men as Mohawks dump tea
49:50 Anger in London at defiance
50:20 British meeting
54:30 Hardliners take charge/British warships
Port of Boston closed
End of Episode 1 56:17
Liberty Video Series
EPISODE TWO:
60:00 1770’s – 3 million colonists
1:01:32 Spring – 1774 – Parliament outraged, passes acts – designed to restore order
1:02
Coercive Acts – Intolerable Acts
Delegates chosen for 1st Continental Congress
1:03
Let the Colonies Unite
4:00
John Adams
5:00
Good Quote
5:50
Leaders Gather
8:00
Some think Massachusetts delegates are hotheads
Debate for 2 months – should arm as well
Send petition
10:03 London – February 1775 / England is bitter
13:00 Colonies prepare to defend
Colonial Militias
13:35 Massachusetts – troops in town / citizens defiant
14:00 Concord / Revere
15:35 Outcome – no turning back
19:00 Washington appointed General
23:00 Bunker Hill – costly victory
38:00 Thomas Paine
1/14:00
April 19, 1775 Gage sends troops to Concord
Revere
Lexington Green – troops turnout under Parker
15:00
Someone fired a shot / British troops fire back
No one gives orders
16:00
British continue to Concord/Colonists warned and ready
17:00
269 British soldiers killed or wounded
“No turning back”
Volunteers assemble in Boston
18:00
George Washington quote: “A sad choice – now we live as slaves in once
happy plains of America drenched in blood.”
18:40
2nd Continental Congress
Forms national army
19:20
Hancock obvious choice? No, Adams nominates Washington
1:20:30
Washington’s qualifications/losing experiences in French and Indian War
1:21:30
Letter to Martha - “Life is always uncertain” – Drafts a will
1:22-35
Bunker Hill
New England militia’s move to Breed’s Hill.
British forces charge up hill (2,000)
Bunker Hill – Colonists have upper level and fire down. Dumb move. When
ammo runs out, Americans retreat but very costly victory for British.
1:25:20
Abigail Adams letter – refugees 19 miles from Boston
1:26:20
Washington arrives in Cambridge – finds shantytown, not army.
Shocked to find blacks and whites together.
1:29:20
If slaves in north fight, they will be given freedom. 25,000 black soldiers
fight. 1/5 of northern regiments are black.
1:30:45
Many anxious for reconciliation – “Let us complain”
Debate – Dickinson and Adams
1:33
Petition – approved July 5, 1775 – Colonies restored to proper order.
1:36:30
Revolution available to all “It is time to part.”
Paine comes to Philadelphia in 1774. Paine is radical, subversive –
a common man, not of caliber of other patriots.
To Paine – simple language of common sense
1:39:30
King George is savage / “We have it in our power to begin the world over”
Becomes best seller – read abroad, reprinted in newspapers.
1:41:20
What form should a new government take?
Abigail Adams – “Don’t forget the ladies.”
1:42:50
Royal governors under attack
1:43:30
Continental Congress is becoming government – running army, building
roads
1:44:18
British evaluate Boston – Prepare to invade New York
Formal declaration needed / committee appointed
1:45
Jefferson appointed to write – first draft in a day
1:48
The Declaration makes it a war about ideas
1:49:40
Delegates adopt Declaration
Liberty Video Series
EPISODE THREE: The Times That Try Men’s Souls
0:2:00
Credits
2:00
Forrest Sawyer – War fought for an idea – Liberty!
3:45
Declaration signed / citizens conflicted
Statue pulled down
5:30
Ships arrive in New York – July, 1776
6:30
Howe reacts to Declaration / How dare they?
Richard Howe – Navy
William Howe – Army
8:00
July 12th – First battle – then peace feelers
September, 1776 – Washington rejects
9:45
New York to be where war begins. British stage on Staten Island.
Hessians arrive (7 lbs/head rental)
12:00
American Army – Joseph Plumb Martin
Loyalties to colony, not nation
15:20
Washington quote – Washington’s personality, background
16:50
Nicholas Creswill
17:15
Map – Battle of Brooklyn, Americans outnumbered 2:1
22:20
Commentary / Quote from British soldier
23:40
Americans trapped/British wait for surrender
24:20
Washington orders secret retreat. Last man in last boat is Washington.
25:45
British occupy Brooklyn Heights. George Washington retreats up
Manhattan – British occupy Manhattan.
27:00
Patriots must flee city – news of defeat spreads – Abigail Adams despairs.
John replies, disparaging leadership
28:40
Americans retreat up island – Washington in rage. Washington must
adjust, persuade.
31:00
Washington quote “Remember soldiers, you are free men fighting for
liberty” Citizen soldiers
32:20
Washington retreats to Harlem Heights, changes tactics
33:50
Marches are bad/enlistments are up
35:40
Congress does little – no authority to tax
37:00
Map – Fort Washington smashed in one attack
Lose 100 cannons and tons of muskets and ammo. lost. 3,000 dead or
captured soldiers. Great quote.
38:50
Front in New Jersey – Howe offers pardon (many accept).
39:40
December 1776 – All of New Jersey in hands of British, 30 miles from
Philadelphia – Congress has fled to Baltimore.
41:00
Howe in New York City – Affair with Mrs. Loving. Washington in
retreat to Pennsylvania. Great J.P. Martin quote on oxtail
42:30
Talk of replacing George Washington
44:04
Christmas approaches – Hancock sends salted fish. Fate rests with
George Washington and 6,000 men.
45:00
Thomas Paine is with soldiers – embedded. Washington orders
“The Crisis” read to troops. Soldiers speak lines.
47:00
Map of Trenton / Rall and Hessians ready to celebrate Christmas.
Details of troop movement – blood of soldiers feet
49:00
Battle – Rall is killed, 1200 Hessians captured
51:25
Commentary – changes view of war in America. Volunteers appear.
George Washington becomes a hero.
53:00
George Washington exemplifies revolution.
Liberty Video Series
EPISODE FOUR: Liberty!
57:00
Forrest Sawyer – Burgoyne
58:24
American visitor (Franklin) goes to France. England is warned.
Franklin wants to negotiate treaty for trade.
1:01:00
Americans need French help from Louis XVI’s government. French
are cautious. Americans seem like losers.
1:30
British troops assemble in Canada, led by Burgoyne.
3:00
Map with plan
4:25
Destination is Albany
5:20
Map – Burgoyne to Fort Ticonderoga where 2,000 Americans wait.
6:20
Burgoyne scales Mt. Defiance – is above Fort. Americans must leave.
7:50
Franklin in France/case is damaged by loss of Ticonderoga – darling of
French society spin master
10:34
Burgoyne at south tip of Lake Champlain (map). Army must travel by
land – 2,000 women with army.
12:40
Burgoyne’s baggage – 30 carts – impossible to move through wilderness.
Recruits Iroquois as scouts 23 miles. Conditions are bad.
17:27
New York City – Howe load ships with 18,000 men.
19:00
Burgoyne’s proclamation backfires
21:00
Murder of Jane McCrary.
23:00
Americans are at home
24:00
Supply problems – plunder farms
26:40
Burgoyne reaches Hudson, must wait for supplies
28:00
Hessians sent to get stuff from Bennington
29:00
All killed or captured in trap
31:30
August – Howe in Delaware Bay – Washington to defend Philadelphia.
Gates to north.
33:40
35:40
Daniel Morgan – hide in trees, aim for officers
40:00
Saratoga Battle
43:00
Supply of rebels is inexhaustible (Burgoyne)
44:10
Wolves
44:50
October 17 – Burgoyne surrenders entire army/British see Americans
46:50
Franklin’s moment of triumph – he is received by French who become allies.
Liberty Video Series
EPISODE FIVE:
0-1:00
Forrest Sawyer introduction: Stalemated in North, Britain moves to South
1:00
Southern life – swamps, mosquitoes, sophistication and slaves
2:30
Hope to get Negroes to rise against masters
3:00
December, 1779/War expanded to England against France. War in
America “costly sideshow”. Clinton departs from New York and heads
South
4:20
Clinton lays siege to Charleston – defended valiantly – May, 1780
Charleston falls to British.
5:30
Entire Southern army captured – Clinton gloats. British issue
proclamation to slaves – work for own freedom.
7:00
“Slave” narration excellent – whites fear massive slave uprising.
British see proclamation as change to de-stabilize society in South.
8:30
Right to retain slavery becomes a cause for the Revolution in the South.
9:00
Cornwallis – British want loyalists to take charge of areas after they are
conquered. Doomed strategy – Loyalists don’t like
10:30
British but they hate gentry of South.
11:40
Loyalists commit atrocities in South – graphic description
12:30
Patriots fight back
12:40
Pillaging, barbarism on both sides
Graphic descriptions of torture “spigoting”
14:15
Cornwallis is frustrated
14:50
George Washington with main forces outside of New York – two bad winters Valley Forge, Morristown. Letter to cousin managing Mt. Vernon. 1780 is
low point – militarily, politically things are bad
16:20
Benedict Arnold has gone over to British. He is a hero and respected general.
He becomes convinced Britain will win and betrays Americans. Personal
blow to Washington.
17:30
War becomes a test of political will. Only fights 9 battles – genius is
keeping the cause alive.
18:20
French money sustains war effort. Foreign help – Von Steuben, Pulaski,
Lafayette, (at age 19, George Washington’s trusted friend.)
Lafayette falls in love with America, becomes surrogate son to George
Washington – exchange letters (effusive)
21:30
Lafayette secures French troops – Rochambeau put in charge – he despairs
on what he finds in America. Stationed at Rhode Island.
22:50
Charleston – 16-year-old recounts visit by British officer.
British occupation of cities for 6 months.
24:20
George Washington sends Nathaniel Greene, best general, to South.
Countryside is out of control. Greene is remarkable general.
Realizes that he must win hearts of the people, make British presence
unacceptable.
26:00
Greene leads Cornwallis on chase into interior. Forces British to pillage
countryside, free slaves because they are abusive and arrogant.
27:00
Map – British lose 500 men to heat, exhaustion. Greene succeeds in
rallying popular support and in wearing out British. He loses battles, but
he wins popular support. Reclaims North and South Carolina and Georgia.
29:20
Summer of 1781 – Cornwallis has spent 7 months chasing Greene and has
nothing to show for it. Couldn’t restore authority of crown.
30:30
Similar to Vietnam – can’t control heart and minds of population.
31:20
Cornwallis heads to coast of Virginia – 10,000 men to rest and re-supply.
5,000 black slaves have joined – Yorktown.
32:30
Rochambeau, waiting for help, drills in Rhode Island, George Washington
waiting for help. Lafayette tells them (French) to take action.
34:15
Events change – DeGrasse is arriving in Chesapeake with money, boats and
men. They are headed toward Yorktown. George Washington rushes
troops to Virginia to meet with French in combined operation.
35:50
Washington and Rochambeau head south with troops. Lafayette is in
Virginia. French and British ships fight off Virginia coast. British
retreat, French control seacoast of Chesapeake.
37:30
Map – Cornwallis is trapped because of blockade and surrounded
by troops. Allies have 17,000 troops – Washington has disciplined
army he has always wanted.
38:45
J.P. Martin quotation. Cornwallis asks Clinton for help, assured it is
on the way. Cornwallis (with black help) digs trenches. He has 6 weeks
of supplies.
40:00
Rochambeau prepares for siege – he is an expert. Bombardment begins –
lasts week after week.
41:40
Cornwallis has to slaughter horses – drives out blacks (not enough food)
into no man’s land where they are killed.
43:00
U.S. and French position to advance. J.P. Martin quote “Push on boys!”
44:10
British send up flag of truce – October 17th.
44:30
George Washington rides white horse up and down lines.
45:00
Surrender – October 19 – British band plays “The World Turned Upside
Down.” J.P. Martin quote – as British drop weapons. Clinton shows up too
late. Cornwallis and his army are prisoners.
47:00
Walpole quotation. Not immediately obvious war is over (British still have
New York, Charleston, sea power). They realize it is a war they can never
win. Popular support is against it.
48:40
Government in London falls. 1783 – Treaty signed in Paris. (Brits won’t
pose). King George chokes on word “independence”.
49:30
J.P. Martin on discharge – “You don’t know a thousandth part of how we
suffered…”
Liberty Video Series
EPISODE SIX:
“Are We To Be a Nation?”
54:20
Forrest Sawyer intro: Question of the age was how to form new system
of government. Power rested with states. French prepared to send
13 ambassadors.
56:30
George Washington’s farewell address: Doubts overcome by belief in justice
of the cause and then he surrenders his sword to Congress. Unheard of for
great generals to retire – he doesn’t want to have power.
58:20
George Washington returns to Mt. Vernon, leaves 13 little republics, not
united – for 5 years the big question remains, “Are We To Be a Nation?”
0:40
1783 – War is over and country celebrates peace treaty – they’ve gotten
control of land. Soldiers arrive home.
2:15
Farmers move west into new and good land. Rivers flow into Mississippi.
Steady stream of migration begins – it will decimate Indian culture.
Loyalists flee to Canada and England (they don’t fit in).
4:40
Americans have changed – new found sense of equality. White servitude
declines (bonded servants). John and Abigail Adams are in England as
ambassadors. Abigail’s letter not impressed.
7:00
Hamilton = Union must be secured on solid foundations.
7:30
Alexander Hamilton introduced. From Caribbean, not tied to states. Saw
quickly American potential and resources, believed in rigorous planning
8:48
National vision – Mythologize Revolution in paintings. Webster’s speller for
American English – break ties to England, Europe. Americans are still
fiercely regional.
11:10
Each state pursues own course –write constitutions, print money.
MAP
11:50
George Washington receives letters at Mt. Vernon.
Hamilton worries about lack of army, treasury, national government.
Confederation government is only loose agreement – Hamilton wants
uniform currency, taxes.
13:30
Border disputes between states. English popular opinion think America
as a nation won’t survive. Financial problems are main problem – states
slide into depression. People divide = creditors and debtors.
15:20
1786 – Massachusetts – Shay’s Rebellion in west Massachusetts.
Locals march on courthouse. Legislatures pass laws canceling debts
so creditors lose.
16:20
Belief in popular government is shaken. Prince Henry approached
to be king.
17:00
May 1787 – Constitutional Convention to begin in Philadelphia. Paved
streets with lights. Washington reluctantly comes out of retirement.
18:40
Madison is delegate – small, soft voice, very intellectual, well-read
especially on political authority. “How could a government without
kings be designed?” Responsibility to “Millions yet unborn.”
21:00
Convention begins – Firsts vote is to keep everything secret. Rumors spread.
(Patrick Henry – “I smell a rat.”)
22:20
Hot day, windows closed. Portraits created by silhouette apparatus.
After 4 months, delegates emerge with Constitution for a new government –
totally scrap the Articles of Confederation.
24:00
Power addressed in entirely new way. “Extensive republic” with many
factions, even competing factions. Text sent to printers as a proposal.
26:00
September 19, 1787 – text is made public. Public is shocked, not supportive.
Looks, to some, like too much central government.
Washington will be President.
28:00
Hamilton discussed those in favor and against.
28:40
Major topic of conversation in all states – pro and con in debate. What
system will best protect liberty? Those against – “Anti-Federalists” are
against so much central authority.
31:15
Common citizens worried that rich will have too much power. Madisonsomething brand new. On-going debate during turmoil of ratification.
33:00
Winter battle for state-by-state ratification. Massachusetts is first test.
Federalists answer questions with logic.
35:00
Samuel Adams – I came here to learn….Federalists defend
Constitution clause by clause. Anti-Federalists want “Bill of Rights”
to protect individual rights. Madison – “Liberty is not protected by
parchment barriers.”
37:30
Both sides victorious – Constitution is ratified and Congress begins work
on Bill of Rights. Ideology becomes basis of nation.
39:00
Nation founded on 3 pieces of paper: Declaration of Independence,
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
40:00
Slavery issues front and center.
41:20
Portraits of founders:25 years of Revolutionary period. Idea of “Flow
of Power” changes dramatically (George Will)
43:00
Revolution succeeds. Celebration is of liberty, not conquest. “People from
all ranks are marching.” We have become a nation.