• Home
  • News
  • Top Picks
    • Movies & Films: Top 25
    • Documentaries: Top 25
    • Films For Students: Top 10
    • Music Videos: Top 10
  • Categories
    • Film
    • Documentary
    • Shorts
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • Links
    • About

Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World

Libertarian Movies, Films & Documentaries

Liberty! The American Revolution (1997)

Tagged: American revolution, Libertarian heroes, Right to secede

WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN DOCUMENTARIES
A six-part documentary series on the American Revolution. [ Liberty! The American Revolution credits: Dir: Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer / 360 min/ Documentary-Educational/ American Revolution, Libertarian Heroes, Right to Secede]

“This series is not just informative. It’s often touching, exciting, inspiring, and full of wonderful details about individuals. Above all it gives a sense of the greatness of the people involved in the Revolution.”

Note: the full documentary can typically be found online via YouTube or Online search.

Liberty! The American Revolution (1997)This PBS production is one of the best documentary tellings of the story of the American Revolution ever made. Part of what makes it so powerful is that it extensively employs the technique of weaving the surviving writings of the age into its portrayal of the events. The selections and dramatic presentations of this material—relevant eighteenth century letters, diaries, etc.—are outstanding. At the same time, it’s also well organized. It gives a remarkably clear sense of the order of events of the Revolution and their causal linkages. Other directorial touches, including well-chosen music and subtle camera work, also add much.

The net effect is to turn history, which appeals to few, into historic drama, which has a much wider appeal. This series is not just informative. It’s often touching, exciting, inspiring, and full of wonderful details about individuals. Above all it gives a sense of the greatness of the people involved in the Revolution. As told here, the American Revolution, which over time has revolutionized the world, was a very fluid series of events. But for the courage, intelligence, and dedication of a handful of people, it would never have gone where it did. We libertarians are lucky to have such inspiring historical roots to look back upon.

The six episodes of Liberty! The American Revolution are chronological, covering material as follows:

“Episode I: The Reluctant Revolutionaries”: As this episode begins, North America is a vast, sparsely populated set of rural colonies. Britain has just spent a great deal of money defending these colonies against the French, and so decides to recoup some of its expense by imposing a few minor taxes. To Parliament’s surprise, the taxes create a firestorm of colonial opposition, so it repeals them. A year later, however, it imposes a new tax. The colonial population responds with riots, a boycott, cruel mob justice for tax supporters, and in Boston—a “Tea Party.” Britain sends troops to Boston, fighting escalates, and finally Britain imposes military rule over all of Massachusetts. Fearing the same treatment for themselves, the other colonies begin to unite.

“Episode II: Blows Must Decide”: The King decides to get tough and sends troops into the Massachusetts countryside. They try to seize arms in Concord. The colonial militia turns out, a small skirmish occurs in which colonists are killed, and an infuriated public pours in to attack British troops. Meanwhile, the other colonies form the Continental Congress, which meets and creates an army under George Washington. Thomas Paine begins advocating independence, and more than that, a government of the people, without monarchy. This makes the revolution of world significance. People now start talking about what form this new government might take. Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence. The ideas emerging from the Revolution will eventually lead to freedom for women and slaves, and subsequently be invoked in revolutions everywhere.

“Episode III: The Times That Try Men’s Souls”: Washington begins forging a national army, but it isn’t professional. It’s made up of adventurers and patriots enlisted on a one-year basis. He must convince these people to fight not for territory or treasure, as in European wars, but for an abstract idea: liberty. The initial battles favor the British. Washington realizes he can’t win traditional big battles, so he changes tactics, making small attacks with quick retreats. His idea is to drag the war out as long as possible, hoping the British will tire of it. The British take New York and New Jersey. Prospects are bleak. The colonial army has no tents and little winter clothing and food. Enlistments are set to expire. Washington risks all in a daring move. He crosses the Delaware River at night and launches a successful attack on Hessian mercenaries. The victory gives the Revolution a psychological boost.

“Episode IV: Oh Fatal Ambition!”: Benjamin Franklin goes to France to try to get the French on the American side, but the king rebuffs him, as he isn’t sure the Americans are going to stay the course. Nonetheless, Franklin succeeds in making the Revolution popular with the aristocracy. Meanwhile, the British attack the colonials in two locations. From the sea, they take Philadelphia; but unlike the custom in European wars, seizing the capital is of no significance. Congress simply moves elsewhere. From the north, the British try to take the Hudson River and so cut off New England. They are slowed by New England militias and harried by an armed citizenry. The Americans attack using unconventional tactics. The British troops surrender at Saratoga. The French king is impressed and agrees to see Franklin, who secures French support. The British now face the possibility of a world war that may touch their own soil.

“Episode V: The World Turned Upside Down”: Stalemated in the North, the British attack the South. The entire colonial southern army is defeated, but the British really only control the cities. To gain control of the countryside, Britain puts Loyalists in charge, most of whom are lower class recent immigrants. The countryside erupts into civil war with atrocities unimaginable to the British. Washington sends in General Greene, who draws the British into a meandering chase that wears them down and undermines support for them. France is now supplying everything for the colonial war effort. French troops and volunteers arrive. The French and Americans converge on the British at Yorktown in a classic siege. The British troops surrender. British popular opinion turns against the war. The war ends and the American army breaks up.

“Episode VI: Are We To Be A Nation?”: Washington resigns. He is effectively offered kingship but turns it down. His renunciation of power is unprecedented. Artists and writers give voice to a growing sense of American nationalism. At the same time, problems begin to occur that the loose confederation of states cannot address. The Founders meet to create a new form of government. There is intense debate between them. Intellectual battle lines are drawn between the Federalists, who favor central power, and the anti-Federalists, who are suspicious of that power. In the end, the Federalists overcome most objections, but the anti-Federalists demand and get the Bill of Rights. A new constitution emerges with an extensive system of checks and balances and it is ratified. The U.S. becomes a new nation, the first to be based on ideology.

How to See It

Amazon (DVD)
YouTube Video Search
Online Video Search

Links

Official Homepage
IMDB
Book: Liberty! iThe American Revolution

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Featured Post

Emperor of Hemp (1999)

The story of Jack Herer’s efforts to expose the truth about the beneficial qualities of the hemp plant, and to re-legalize its production and use. [ Emperor of Hemp credits: Dir: Jeff Jones/ 59 min/ Documentary-Educational, Biography/ Legalize Drugs] Note: the full documentary can typically be found online … Continue Reading

All the King’s Men (1949)

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: BEST PICTURE A political reformer, hungry for power to do “good,” becomes thoroughly corrupt on his way to the top. [ All the King's Men credits: Dir: Robert Rossen/Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge/ 109 min/ Drama/ Power Corrupts, Corrupt Government] “All the … Continue Reading

Keeper of the Flame (1942)

A reporter writing the biography of a dead national hero gets a lesson in the nature of political power. [ Keeper of the Flame credits: Dir: George Cukor/ Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Whorf/ 100 min/ Drama/ Power Corrupts, Power Worship] “In many ways Keeper of the Flame is a classic mystery … Continue Reading

Themes

Abuse of power American revolution Anti-draft Anti-regulation Anti-slavery Anti-socialism Anti-taxation Anti-war Ayn Rand Corrupt government Creator as hero Democide Econ 101 Eminent domain Equality & law Escape from socialism Freedom of speech Free press as hero Government as bigot Government as torturer Government enforced morality Government healthcare Government schools Incompetent government Individualism John Stossel Law & liberty Legalize Drugs Libertarian heroes Libertarianism 101 Power corrupts Power worship Pro-capitalism Pro-immigration Propaganda Psychiatric coercion Resistance to tyranny Right to secede Search & seizure Second amendment Sexual liberty Social tolerance Unions & monopolies Voluntarism Working for government

Genres/Categories

Action-Adventure Animated Biography Blog Comedy Documentary Drama Family Featured Film Foreign History Horror Music-Dance Netflix News Romance SciFi-Fantasy Shorts Thriller Upcoming Western

About Miss Liberty

This site is a collection of films and documentaries of particular interest to libertarians (and those interested in libertarianism). It began as a book, Miss Liberty’s Guide to Film: Movies for the Libertarian Millennium, where many of the recommended films were first reviewed. The current collection has grown to now more than double the number in that original list, and it’s growing still.

  • RSS

© 2023 Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World. All Rights Reserved

 

Loading Comments...